Money, cards and ATMs in Chile

Cards and cash

• Chile is a card country. Restaurants, shops, buses, market stalls and taxis nearly all take contactless.
• Carry some cash for the far south, small towns and tours, where terminals fail or the signal does.
• ATM fees are high: around CLP 3,500 to CLP 6,000 per withdrawal, plus your bank's charge. Banco Estado is usually the cheapest.
• Always decline the machine's offer to charge you in your own currency.
• Notes are CLP 1,000 up to CLP 20,000, and breaking a 20,000 in a small shop is a nuisance.

The cuotas question

• At the terminal the assistant will ask "en cuantas cuotas?" - in how many instalments.
• Say "una" or "sin cuotas". Chilean cards can split a purchase over months; a foreign card cannot, and the wrong answer just makes the transaction fail.
• "Debito o credito?" is the other question, and either usually works.

The hotel tax exemption, again

• Foreign visitors are exempt from the 19% IVA on accommodation. It is worth more than everything else on this page.
• Show your passport and tourist card at check-in and ask for it explicitly.
• The rate must be settled in foreign currency, which a card charged in your home currency satisfies.
• Some hotels quote net of IVA and some quote with it. Ask which, because it is a fifth of the bill.

Tipping and prices

• 10% is standard in restaurants and is usually printed as a suggested "propina" on the bill. It is optional in law and expected in practice.
• Do not tip taxis; round up if you like.
• Tour guides: CLP 5,000 to CLP 10,000 per person for a day tour is normal.
• Chile is the most expensive country in South America and visitors from Argentina or Peru feel it immediately.
• Wine, seafood and lunch menus are the value. A "menu del dia" at lunch is a fraction of the same food at dinner.