Updated November 5, 2026. A credit card with no maintenance fee can mean three different things: that it never charges a fee, that it charges nothing in months without use, or that the fee drops to CLP 0 if certain usage or plan conditions are met. The difference matters because an entry-level card's fee in Chile costs between CLP 34,668 and more than CLP 133,728 a year.
We reviewed each issuer's fee schedules and official product pages, checked on November 5, 2026, and sorted the cards into those three groups. UF fees are converted to pesos at that day's UF, CLP 41,274.20.
View the data as a table
| Tenpo Mastercard Standard | $0 |
| Banco de Chile Universal | $2,889 |
| CMR Falabella | $3,508 |
| Lider Bci with 10 purchases a month | $0 |
Credit cards with no maintenance fee in 2026: the list
The table gathers the cards and plans that can reach CLP 0 maintenance, with their base cost and the exact condition for paying nothing. It can be sorted by cost or searched by issuer.
| Tenpo | Mastercard Standard | 0 | Always: no maintenance or administration fee | Always CLP 0 |
| Tenpo | Mastercard Black | 0 | Always (VIP lounges cost US$35 per person) | Always CLP 0 |
| Tenpo | Tarjeta Control | 1,990 | CLP 0 maintenance, but charges CLP 1,990 administration | With administration fee |
| Bci | Visa and Mastercard cards (monthly fee) | No data | Months with no purchases, cash advances or outstanding debt | CLP 0 if unused |
| Bci | Visa and Mastercard cards (semiannual fee) | No data | Bci checking account plan, or average purchases above UF 10 a month | CLP 0 by plan or usage |
| Banco Ripley | Mastercard | 9,823 | Months with no use and no outstanding balance | CLP 0 if unused |
| Lider Bci | Lider Bci | 8,626 | 10 or more transactions of CLP 5,000+ a month (50% off with 5 to 9), until Dec 31, 2026 | CLP 0 by usage |
| Banco de Chile | Plan Estudiante | 0 | Up to age 27; then 0.23 UF, unless holding a credit card and deposits above CLP 500,000 | CLP 0 by plan |
| Bci | Plan Universitario | 3,302 | Recurring deposit and 4 card transactions a month | CLP 0 by plan |
| Mercado Pago | Credit card (announced) | No data | Announced with no maintenance fee in August 2026; launch not confirmed | Announced |
The only issuer reviewed that publishes CLP 0 maintenance and CLP 0 administration with no conditions is Tenpo, on its Mastercard Standard and Black, according to its fee schedule as of October 15, 2026; its page describes the Standard as "a card with no maintenance or administration costs, whether you use it or not". Approval is subject to credit assessment. Mercado Pago announced a no-maintenance-fee credit card in August 2026, according to Chócale, but at the time of writing we found no published fee schedule.
How to bring a credit card's maintenance fee down to CLP 0
At most banks the fee does not disappear, but it falls with usage. The clearest case is Lider Bci: according to its cost table, the 0.209 UF monthly fee gets a 50% discount with 5 to 9 transactions of CLP 5,000 or more in the month and 100% with 10 or more, until December 31, 2026. Purchases, cash advances, super-advances, automatic payments and insurance premiums count.
- Bci: the semiannual charge drops 50% with average purchases of UF 7 to UF 10 a month (about CLP 288,919 to CLP 412,742) over the last six months and 100% above UF 10; with a Bci checking account plan the discount is permanent. The monthly fee is not charged in months without use or debt, according to Bci's fee schedule.
- Banco Ripley: the 0.238 UF fee is charged only if the card is used in the period or a balance remains, according to its website.
- Itaú: according to its October 2024 launch announcement, the fee on Blue, Black and Legend cards is halved with deposits above CLP 600,000 a month: Blue goes from 0.20 UF to 0.10 UF. It does not reach CLP 0.
- Banco de Chile: its cards have no semiannual charge (listed as "exempt" on each product page), but the monthly fee still applies: from 0.07 UF on the Universal.
Other cards have no published route to CLP 0. At Scotiabank, the Visa Gold adds 0.21 UF a month and 1.50 UF a semester, about CLP 227,834 a year; its card fee schedule states that if a customer has two or more cards, the semiannual charge applies to only one of them, under the most favorable scenario. On CMR Falabella the fee annex sets 0.085 UF a month without mentioning reduction conditions.
Checking account plans are another route: they include a credit card and in some cases bring the whole package to CLP 0 with a salary deposit or minimum usage. Each plan's costs are in our guide to checking accounts: requirements and costs by bank.
How much you save per year
At the November 5, 2026 UF, the annual differences are concrete. Someone using Lider Bci with 10 or more transactions a month stops paying CLP 103,516 a year in fees while the promotion lasts. Between a CLP 0 card and Banco de Chile's Universal, the cheapest among traditional banks, the gap is CLP 34,670 a year; against a Banco Ripley Mastercard used every month, CLP 117,879, and against abcvisa, CLP 133,728.
There is also a little-known case in Bci's fee schedule: the Bci Visa Simple and Visa Clásica cards have a semiannual charge of UF 0.00, although they keep a monthly fee of 0.12 UF and 0.07 UF respectively, which is also not charged in months with no use or debt.
Which profile each option suits
- Backup card that is hardly used: those that charge nothing in months without use (Bci, Banco Ripley) or permanent CLP 0 cards (Tenpo Standard) fit best.
- Everyday card with many small purchases: the Lider Bci promotion rewards the number of transactions, not the amount.
- Existing checking account holders: at Bci the plan permanently removes the semiannual charge; at Itaú deposits above CLP 600,000 halve the fee.
- Students: Banco de Chile and Bci plans reach CLP 0 under their age and usage conditions.
Does your card charge no maintenance fee? Tell the readers who compare on Pauta Financiera.
See advertising optionsWhy UF-based maintenance fees rise every month
Almost all fees are set in UF, which is adjusted daily for inflation. A 0.085 UF fee, like the basic CMR's, cost CLP 3,377 on January 1, 2026 and CLP 3,506 on November 1. That is why it is better to compare in UF rather than in pesos from a single month; our guide on what the UF is explains how it is calculated.
View the data as a table
| 0.085 UF fee | |
|---|---|
| Jan | $3,377 |
| Feb | $3,375 |
| Mar | $3,383 |
| Apr | $3,387 |
| May | $3,411 |
| Jun | $3,453 |
| Jul | $3,470 |
| Aug | $3,472 |
| Sep | $3,474 |
| Oct | $3,491 |
| Nov | $3,506 |
No maintenance fee does not mean no cost
A card with no maintenance fee is not free if it is used to finance purchases. Interest remains close to the legal cap: Tenpo reports 3.41% a month (40.92% a year) for installment purchases up to 50 UF, against a maximum conventional rate of 41.02% since October 15, according to the CMF. There are also per-transaction charges: CMR charges 0.05 UF per cash advance, according to Banco Falabella's annex.
| Cost | Published example | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Installment interest (up to 50 UF) | 3.41% a month | Tenpo, 15-oct-2026 |
| Cash advance | 0.05 UF per advance | Banco Falabella (CMR) |
| Administration | CLP 1,990 a month | Tenpo Tarjeta Control |
| Cash advance abroad | 2.5% + US$2.5 | Banco de Chile (Visa Fan, Platinum) |
| Legal rate cap up to 50 UF | 41.02% a year | CMF, 15-oct-2026 |
What to ask before signing up for a "no maintenance" card
- Is the CLP 0 permanent or promotional? Lider Bci's discount, for example, runs until December 31, 2026.
- Is there another fixed charge under a different name? On Tenpo's Tarjeta Control maintenance is CLP 0, but there is CLP 1,990 in administration.
- What counts as use? At Bci and Banco Ripley, having outstanding debt or a pending balance triggers the fee even with no purchases in the month.
- How much does the credit cost? The CAE on the summary sheet shows the cost of financing with that card, beyond the fee.
For retailer cards, which have their own charging rules, see our comparison of CMR, Ripley, Lider Bci and Cencosud. And for each card's total cost, including semiannual fees and foreign charges, see the comparison of the best credit cards by bank.
This information is journalistic and educational, not financial advice. Check the conditions and the total cost (CAE) with the institution before signing up.
Frequently asked questions about no-maintenance-fee credit cards
Which credit card charges no maintenance fee in Chile?
Among those reviewed, Tenpo Mastercard Standard and Black report CLP 0 maintenance and administration, whether used or not. Others reach CLP 0 only when unused or when usage conditions are met.
Am I charged maintenance if I don't use the card?
It depends on the issuer. Bci does not charge the monthly fee in months with no purchases, advances or debt, and neither does Banco Ripley if there is no use or outstanding balance. Other issuers charge anyway.
How do I get Lider Bci to CLP 0?
With 10 or more transactions of CLP 5,000 or more a month, until December 31, 2026. With 5 to 9, the fee is halved.
Is Tenpo's Tarjeta Control free?
It charges no maintenance, but its fee schedule reports an administration charge of CLP 1,990 a month.
Why does the maintenance fee change from month to month?
Because it is set in UF and the UF rises with inflation. Also, at several banks the discount depends on each month's usage.
