Best accounts to receive your salary in Chile in 2026: benefits by bank

Updated November 6, 2026. Chile has 5,244,033 private-sector employees and 1,077,480 public-sector employees, according to INE for July-September 2026, and almost all of them are paid into an account. For banks, that monthly deposit is valuable: several cut or waive the plan fee when the salary lands in their account. On the Plan Scotiabank, for example, the 0.30 UF monthly fee (about CLP 12,384) drops to CLP 0 with a salary deposit of at least CLP 400,000, according to its official page.

This guide compares, using official fee schedules and pages checked on November 6, what each account costs with and without a salary deposit, the extra benefits each bank publishes and what counts as a "salary deposit" at each one. It does not recommend any bank: it organizes data so each reader can compare. Santander, BancoEstado, Itaú and BICE blocked automated access to their sites that day, so their salary-deposit plans are left out of the main table.

The table shows the monthly fee each bank publishes without meeting any condition and the fee charged when the salary is deposited into the account, plus the income requirement to open it. At Banco Falabella and Banco Ripley, a salary deposit is one of several alternative conditions to reach CLP 0; at Bci it depends on the plan; at Scotiabank it requires a minimum amount. "Not published" means the figure does not appear on the pages reviewed.

Source: official pages and fee schedules of each bank checked Nov 6, 2026 (Banco Falabella, Scotiabank, Bci, Banco Ripley, Banco de Chile); pesos at the Nov 6, 2026 UF (CLP 41,279.51, CMF). At Bci, the special rate applies the month after the deposit and is lost if the customer has 6 or more protests, unauthorized overdrafts or delinquencies in 12 months, according to its fee schedule (updated May 7, 2025). Those who only need to receive a salary, without a credit line, can compare with demand accounts by bank, several with no maintenance fee.

Besides the fee reduction, some banks publish extra benefits for those who deposit their salary. The most detailed program among the sites reviewed is Scotiabank's +Sueldo, a category for customers with a checking account plan and a salary deposit. Its page lists a bonus of up to 50,000 ScotiaPesos with the first transaction, 18 interest-free installments for up to three months, 50% extra ScotiaPesos accrual (from 0.3% to 0.45% on Gold and Platinum cards) and discounts on the posted rate for loans, valid until December 31, 2026.

Source: Scotiabank, +Sueldo, checked Nov 6, 2026. Segments (Mass, Top of Mass, Affluent) are assigned by the bank. Banco Ripley, for its part, says that depositing a salary makes its checking account "zero cost" and unlocks its benefits, and Banco Falabella lists a salary or pension deposit among the conditions to avoid the 0.32 UF monthly fee. At Bci, the published benefit is the reduction of the plan fee. To see how these banks compare by size and strength, check our ranking of the best banks in Chile.

Not every bank recognizes the deposit the same way. It is a detail that decides whether the fee is charged, especially for those paid by transfer rather than through the employer's payroll service:

Sources: Scotiabank, Bci, Banco Ripley and Banco Falabella, checked Nov 6, 2026. In practice, the difference matters to people paid by plain transfer: at Scotiabank those count if they come from the same tax ID and exceed the minimum; at Bci, the special rate is tied to the employer's payroll service. Those who issue fee receipts (boletas de honorarios) do not have a "salary" in the strict sense; for them we prepared a guide to accounts for self-employed workers.

Article 54 of the Labor Code states that wages are paid in legal tender and that, at the worker's request, they may be paid by check or bank draft in the worker's name or by electronic transfer to the worker's bank account, "at no cost whatsoever to the worker". Along with payment, the employer must provide a slip showing the amount, how it was calculated and the deductions.

The Labor Directorate clarified in its 2016 ruling 2393 that using the banking system to pay wages requires the worker's express request, which may be written into the contract, and that the deposit must make the money available on time: a deposit made on a Friday at 2 p.m. that only becomes available on Saturday breaches Article 56. The ruling does not address who chooses the bank; the law refers to the account "of the worker".

A checking account is not needed to receive a salary. In the CMF demand account simulator, with fees reported by banks and in force as of July 31, 2025, several accounts tie their cost to a salary deposit: Banco Falabella's Demand Account ranges from UF 0 to UF 0.25 depending on the customer category and whether there is a salary deposit; Coopeuch's changes cost if deposits or transfers reach CLP 200,000 a month, and BICE's Go UC costs between UF 0.071 and UF 0.107 depending on a salary deposit, 8 purchases a month or deposits above CLP 300,000.

Two demand accounts also pay interest on the balance, according to the same CMF spreadsheet: Santander's Más Lucas, 1.92% a year, and Banco Consorcio's Cuenta Más, the monetary policy rate plus 0.5% a year. On an average balance of CLP 1,000,000, 1.92% is about CLP 19,200 a year (Pauta Financiera calculation, simple interest). The CuentaRUT, the most widely used in the country, has its own guide with fees and limits.

• Salary from CLP 400,000 and credit card use: the Plan Scotiabank reaches CLP 0 with that deposit and adds +Sueldo benefits; it requires CLP 500,000 income, age 25 and an employment contract.
• Those wanting a checking account with no published minimum income: Banco Falabella and Banco Ripley reach CLP 0 with a salary deposit, among other conditions.
• High earners: Bci's Plan Preferencial, from CLP 4,000,000 net, costs CLP 0 with a salary deposit.
• Employees of companies with a Bci agreement: the Plan Convenio BciPlus+ drops from 0.30 UF to CLP 0 with the deposit.
• Just receiving pay and using debit: a no-fee demand account; we compare them alongside digital accounts and wallets.

To choose between a plan and a standalone account, add up the annual cost: a 0.30 UF plan without a discount costs about CLP 148,608 a year, which a salary deposit can bring down to zero. Our guide to checking accounts by bank details each plan's requirements and costs.

Which bank gives the most benefits for depositing a salary?

Among the sites reviewed, Scotiabank publishes the most detailed program (+Sueldo: ScotiaPesos bonus, 18 interest-free installments and rate discounts). Banco Falabella, Banco Ripley and Bci mainly publish the fee reduction. What suits each person depends on their usage.

Can my employer force me to open an account at a given bank?

Article 54 of the Labor Code says payment by transfer is made at the worker's request, to the worker's bank account and at no cost to the worker. The Labor Directorate requires the worker's express request to use the banking system.

How much must the salary be for the account to be free?

It depends on the bank: on the Plan Scotiabank, CLP 400,000 or more; at Banco de Chile, the Digital Checking Account is CLP 0 with a credit card and deposits from CLP 500,000; Banco Falabella's and Banco Ripley's pages set no amount for the salary deposit.

Does a regular transfer count as a salary deposit?

At Scotiabank yes, if it comes from the same employer tax ID, exceeds CLP 300,000 and repeats in 2 of 3 months. At Bci the deposit is tied to the payroll service contracted by the employer.

Can I receive my salary in a demand account?

Yes. Several demand accounts charge no maintenance fee and some, such as Santander's Más Lucas (1.92% a year according to the CMF), pay interest on the balance.

This information is journalistic and educational, not financial advice. Check the conditions and the total cost (CAE) with the institution before signing up.