Santiago, January 15, 2026 — Chilean Supreme Court rejected challenges to a decision by the competition tribunal that set a new tariff framework for Transbank’s card acquiring services, confirming the Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia’s decision in full.
The court said changes in market conditions justified revisiting Transbank’s tariff self-regulation plan, which has been in place since 2006. It pointed to the shift from a three-party model in which Transbank operated as a monopolist to a four-party model where it faces competitors, enabling a redesign of the existing system.
Under the TDLC framework upheld by the Supreme Court, Transbank will initially be subject to margin regulation for the commissions it charges merchants, operators, payment service providers, and subacquirers. The margins must be based on audited costs that are no more than one year old at the time of implementation and must follow parameters set by an expert panel or agreed with Chile’s Fiscalía Nacional Económica.
The tribunal also authorized Transbank to establish objective, public, and non-discriminatory lower and upper limits for its charges, while preserving cost-based differences. It further allowed Transbank to match competitors’ tariffs and submit bids in public tenders, including through “floating” pricing structures, subject to conditions aimed at preventing anticompetitive conduct.
Certain obligations contained in a 2025 settlement between Transbank and the FNE will remain in force on a transitional or permanent basis, according to the decision. The framework also provides for tariff deregulation once the FNE confirms Transbank’s monthly share in the acquiring processing segment, measured by the number of transactions, has fallen below 50% for at least six consecutive months.
