BSAC vs AFRM Comparison

Founded in 1978, Banco Santander Chile is part of Santander Group and majority-controlled by Santander Spain. It is the largest bank in Chile by loans and the second largest by deposits. The bank generates most of its net interest income (roughly 65% of total revenue) from its mortgages, unsecured consumer credit lines, and commercial loans. Banco Santander's commercial loan business is more focused on small- to medium-size companies, with firms generating more than CLP 10,000 million in revenue only making up around 5% of outstanding loans. Outside of lending, Banco Santander is the largest card issuer in the country with around 25% of the market and benefits from a long-term strategic partnership with the largest airline in the country, LATAM.

Founded in 2012, Affirm is a market leader in the buy now, pay later space with around $36 billion in transaction volume in fiscal 2025. Affirm offers both zero-interest financing, which is merchant-subsidized, and interest-bearing loans, which function as personal loans that are approved on a per-transaction basis. Over 70% of Affirm's transaction volume comes from its interest-bearing loans, which also constitute the majority of its revenue. Affirm primarily operates in the United States, which accounted for more than 95% of its revenue in 2025, but it has also expanded to Canada and the United Kingdom.