The main national bank and the one in charge of controlling inflation and creating money is the Banco Central de Chile. Other important banks are Santander Chile, Banco de Chile, BancoEstado, BCI, BBVA Chile, CorpBanca and Scotiabank Chile.
Some of the main banks in Chile are international, but there are other international banks as well, such as Banco de la NaciĆ³n Argentina, Banco do Brasil, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Bank Chile, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Rabobank Chile and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
Some other international banks from Europe, Asia or America have also a representation in the country. Many of them are part of ABIF (AsociaciĆ³n de Bancos e Instituciones Financieras de Chile, Chilean Association of Banks and Financial Institutions). One of the objectives of this association is to stay in contact with foreign banks or national banks abroad.
The quality of banking is like in any other country: you should check why do you want the account and look for a bank that fits your needs. The reliability and cost of banking depends on what you are looking for and, sometimes, on the subsidiary office or the manager.
All banks in Chile have a website from which you can access to your account and manage it online. There are some subsidiary banks that exist only online, providing a cheaper service than the common banks. An example of this option is TBANC, a subsidiary of BCI Bank.
Anyway, the websites for Chilean banks are available only in Spanish, so if your Spanish is not very good, it might be easier to look for an international bank with an English website.
The opening hours for banks in Chile are from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On national holidays and December 31st, banks are closed.
Some banks who have special permission can open for an additional two hours and at weekends, although they cannot undertake any activity related to money delivery.
ATMs are widely available for credit or debit cards, even in small towns, and they work 24 hours a day.