Can I use contactless or card to pay for public transport in Chile?

I thought Chile’s transport worked well. In Santiago, everything is tied to the Bip! card - simple, modern, and no need to handle coins. I used my Mastercard to load it at Los Héroes station, then used it for both metro and buses. When I visited Valparaíso, I liked the old-fashioned way of paying the bus driver in cash pesos. Both systems were cheap, clean, and safe compared to many other South American cities.

What annoyed me was that in Santiago, you can’t board a bus without a Bip! card. I landed late at night, had no card yet, and the driver refused cash. I had to walk to a metro station the next morning to buy and load one. In Valparaíso, it flipped - only cash accepted. It was confusing for a first-time visitor. Tourists should definitely prepare for both card-based and cash-only systems in Chile.

I lived in Providencia, Santiago, and used the metro daily. I bought a Bip! card at Baquedano station for 1,500 CLP and loaded it with my Visa card at a machine. Easy tap in and out. When I went to Valparaíso, though, the buses were cash-only - 500 CLP coins handed to the driver. I pulled pesos from a Banco de Chile ATM near Plaza Aníbal Pinto. The contrast between modern Santiago and old-school Valparaíso was huge.

In Santiago, you’ll need a Bip! card for metro and bus rides. You buy it at metro stations, charge it with cash or card, and tap it at gates and bus readers. Buses don’t take cash at all. In Valparaíso, buses still take Chilean pesos in cash, paid directly to the driver. ATMs from BancoEstado and Santander are common for cash withdrawals.