Banco Santander Chile was founded on October 23, 1978, in Santiago when Chilean banking regulations allowed foreign ownership. The bank grew rapidly through several strategic mergers and acquisitions—most notably those of Banco Español Chile in 1982 (the source of its original name until 1989), Fincard (1993), Financiera Fusa (1995), Banco Osorno y La Unión (1996), and Banco Santiago (2000)—setting the stage for its emergence as Chile’s preeminent banking group.
As the country’s largest bank by loans and deposits with over 500 branches nationwide, Santander Chile offers a full suite of financial services. These include retail and commercial banking, mortgage lending, credit cards, mutual funds, financial advisory, securities brokerage, leasing, and insurance brokerage. It segments its client base into retail, middle-market, and global banking and markets, reflecting its diversified national strategy.
Santander Chile is recognized for its continuous innovation in service delivery and technology adoption. In 2016, it introduced the “Work/Café” concept—a hybrid branch combining coworking space and café environment—subsequently rolled out across its global operations. Its digital transformation efforts spearheaded initiatives like Superdigital (launched in Chile in 2018), the Life account for inclusive banking, and most recently the Más Lucas savings product and branch models like Work/Café Expresso aimed at financial accessibility.
Santander Chile is continuing its evolution through major transformation programs. It has embarked on a US $800 million digital transformation and infrastructure modernization plan through 2026—including constructing a new corporate campus and managing the “Gravity” cloud migration project—to bolster operational efficiency and technology resilience. The bank is also deepening its mission of inclusion by expanding branches in underserved areas, leveraging fintech partnerships (such as ConCarnet with Getnet and Conectados), and scaling up digital financial offerings targeted at children, seniors, and underserved segments