Updated November 5, 2026. A student credit card in Chile is almost never requested with a payslip: banks with products for university students replace income with an enrollment certificate, the curriculum and the transcript. In exchange, they set age limits and sometimes year-of-study limits. We reviewed the conditions published by Banco de Chile, Bci, MACHBANK and Tenpo, checked on November 5, 2026.
None of these cards is granted automatically: all are subject to commercial assessment. What does change is the cost and what is required, and that is what this guide organizes. It is not a recommendation to sign up for any of them.
View the data as a table
| Student Plan maximum age | 27 years |
| University Plan maximum age | 28 years |
| MACHBANK university card limit | $200,000 |
| University Plan base cost | $3,302 |
Student credit cards 2026: options and requirements
The table compares the four options that publish requirements for students or people with no credit history. It can be sorted by column. "No data" means the issuer does not publish that value.
| Banco de Chile | Plan Estudiante Digital | 27 | Age 18 to 27; enrollment certificate or tuition receipt, curriculum and grades; ID | 0 | Included, subject to assessment; institutions within bank policy |
| Bci | Plan Universitario | 28 | University studies from 3rd year; no income | 3,302 | Mastercard Black or Classic, based on assessment |
| MACHBANK | University Credit Card | No data | Enrollment certificate and transcript or curriculum | No data | Limit from CLP 200,000, cashback |
| Tenpo | Tarjeta Control | No data | Age 18+, ID and security deposit from CLP 50,000 | 1,990 | Limit equals the deposit; no history required |
Banco de Chile: Digital Student Plan
According to its help center, the Student Plan is for people aged 18 to 27 in higher education. To request the credit card, the institution and program must be within the bank's policy, which is checked when the application starts. It requires an enrollment certificate or tuition receipt, the curriculum, a transcript and a valid ID, and validation can take up to 72 hours. The plan is free until age 27; from then on it costs 0.23 UF a month (about CLP 9,493), unless the customer keeps a credit card and deposits above CLP 500,000 a month, according to its costs page.
Bci: University Plan
Bci's fee schedule defines the University Plan for those enrolled in a university program, with no income and aged 28 or under, and states that its conditions end when the customer turns 30. Its page adds that applicants must be studying from the third year and that the plan includes a checking account, debit card, overdraft line and a Bci Mastercard Black or Classic credit card, based on assessment. The base fee is 0.08 UF a month (about CLP 3,302) and drops to CLP 0 with a recurring deposit plus 4 transactions a month with a debit or credit card.
MACHBANK and Tenpo: the digital options
MACHBANK, Bci's digital bank, offers a University Credit Card with a limit from CLP 200,000 and cashback on purchases, requested by uploading an enrollment certificate and a transcript or curriculum in the app; its page does not publish the maintenance fee. Tenpo's Tarjeta Control is not designed only for students, but it requires no history or income: it asks for age 18, a valid ID and a security deposit from CLP 50,000 that becomes the limit. It charges CLP 1,990 a month in administration and CLP 0 maintenance, according to its fee schedule.
Santander and Scotiabank have also had plans for young people and university students, but we found no current published conditions available at the time of writing. For those not yet at university or who do not meet the requirements, the options with the fewest demands are in our guide to the easiest credit cards to get.
- Age 12BancoEstado CuentaRUT, with a debit cardWith a legal representative if under 18.
- Age 18Banco de Chile Student Plan and Tenpo Tarjeta Control
- Age 21Banco Ripley and abcvisa cards
- Age 27End of the Student Plan's CLP 0 costMoves to 0.23 UF a month unless conditions are met.
- Age 28Maximum age to join Bci's University Plan
- Age 30Bci University Plan conditions end
How much a student credit card costs
While the conditions are met, student plans are among the cheapest options on the market. The cost appears when leaving them or if minimum usage is not met: the Student Plan moves to 0.23 UF a month after age 27, and Bci's University Plan charges 0.08 UF without a recurring deposit and four transactions. For reference, the cheapest entry card from a traditional bank, Banco de Chile's Universal, costs 0.07 UF a month.
Some costs do not depend on the plan. Purchases on foreign websites, including music and video subscriptions, count as international purchases: with the Student Plan debit card they cost 1.92% of the amount. And interest on any card can reach the legal cap, which since October 15, 2026 is 41.02% a year for debts up to 50 UF, according to the CMF. For other cards that can reach CLP 0, see our guide to credit cards with no maintenance fee.
Credit or debit: what suits a student
For those without a fixed income, a debit card or demand account covers most payments without creating debt: BancoEstado's CuentaRUT charges no maintenance and can be opened from age 12. A credit card adds two things debit does not: paying in installments and starting to build a payment history, which later matters when applying for a consumer or mortgage loan. It also adds a risk: debt with interest close to the legal cap if the full balance is not paid.
- Check the summary sheet for the CAE, the approved limit and whether the fee is charged in months without use.
- Note the age at which the plan benefit ends (27 at Banco de Chile, 30 at Bci) to avoid overpaying without noticing.
- Ask for a limit in line with what you receive each month, whether an allowance, scholarship or part-time job.
Do you offer products for university students? Reach the students who read Pauta Financiera before opening their first account.
See advertising optionsHow to use a first credit card as a student
The risk of a first card is not the fee, but paying only the minimum. We ran a simulation with a CLP 200,000 debt and the 3.41% monthly rate Tenpo publishes for installment purchases up to 50 UF. Paying each month only the interest plus 5% of principal, the minimum payment formula that CMF Rule 537 is moving toward, after a year the debt is still CLP 108,072 and CLP 62,695 has been paid in interest. With a fixed payment of CLP 40,000, the debt is cleared in the sixth month.
View the data as a table
| Minimum payment (interest + 5% of principal) | Fixed payment of CLP 40,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| 1 | $190,000 | $166,820 |
| 2 | $180,500 | $132,509 |
| 3 | $171,475 | $97,027 |
| 4 | $162,901 | $60,336 |
| 5 | $154,756 | $22,393 |
| 6 | $147,018 | $0 |
| 7 | $139,667 | $0 |
| 8 | $132,684 | $0 |
| 9 | $126,050 | $0 |
| 10 | $119,747 | $0 |
| 11 | $113,760 | $0 |
| 12 | $108,072 | $0 |
- Paying the full billed amount each month avoids interest on single-installment purchases; the logic is that of compound interest, but working against you.
- Use the limit control apps offer (Tenpo lets you set how much of the limit is available) so you do not spend more than you receive.
- Avoid cash advances, which accrue interest from day one.
- Meet the plan conditions (deposits and transactions) to keep the cost at CLP 0.
Student plans are checking account plans: when studies end or the age limit is reached, they move to regular fees. We compare those plans' costs in checking accounts: requirements and costs by bank. And for all cards on the market with their annual cost, 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 student credit cards
Can a student without a job have a credit card?
Yes, with some products. Bci's University Plan states "no income" and Banco de Chile's Student Plan asks for academic documents instead of payslips; in both, the card is subject to assessment.
What documents are required?
Usually a valid ID, an enrollment certificate or tuition receipt, the curriculum and a transcript.
Up to what age can you apply?
Up to age 27 for Banco de Chile's Student Plan and up to 28 for Bci's University Plan, whose conditions end at 30.
What limit does a university card have?
MACHBANK reports a limit from CLP 200,000 for its university card. Banco de Chile and Bci do not publish their plans' limits: it depends on the assessment.
What happens to the card after graduating?
Plans move to regular conditions when the age limit is reached: at Banco de Chile, 0.23 UF a month from age 27, unless holding a credit card and deposits above CLP 500,000.
