On this page
The problem
Selling online in Chile usually starts down one of two bad paths. The first one is a rented platform that charges a monthly fee and a commission per sale, where the store is never yours and changing provider means starting from zero. The second one is a WordPress store put together in a hurry, where the catalog is a mess, the site drags and the payment fails right when the customer decided to buy.
A well-built WooCommerce store is the third path: it’s yours, it runs on WordPress, it pays no commission per sale and it takes payments with the gateway your customer recognizes. But “well built” is the part that matters, because the difference between a store that sells and one that embarrasses you is in the catalog, the speed and a payment flow tested end to end.
What online store development includes
- Organized catalog: categories and product pages designed around how your customer searches. A well-structured catalog is also search surface, since each category can bring in its own traffic.
- Webpay integrated and tested: the Transbank integration is tested with the full purchase flow in the integration environment before going to production. Taking payments is the one thing a store can’t do halfway; the complete process, with its checks, is written up in the guide to integrating Webpay with WooCommerce (in Spanish).
- Other payment gateways if you need them: Mercado Pago, bank transfer with reconciliation, or several side by side.
- Shipping and operations: shipping integration, in-store pickup and the flows your real operation needs, including special cases such as prescription sales.
- A sound technical base: a store with hundreds of products needs speed that has been properly worked on, beyond a caching plugin and luck.
- Self-managed: the store is documented and you’re trained to run it; monthly maintenance exists as a separate plan if you prefer to delegate it.
WooCommerce or a rented platform?
Rented platforms solve the standard needs quickly, and for some businesses they’re the right decision. WooCommerce wins when the business needs something of its own: pricing rules by customer type, volume quotes, prescription sales, integration with your invoicing or simply not paying a commission on every sale. Since it’s development on WordPress, the store grows with the business instead of running into the limits of the plan you signed up for. If you’re facing that decision, I compared the real 12-month costs of WordPress vs Shopify in Chile (in Spanish), with Wix included and prices from September 2026.
And if your store is going to live off search, SEO for the catalog is worked on from the structure: categories with intent, product pages that answer what people ask and a technical base that Google can read.
Real cases
Stores in production, with years of operation and figures on their case pages:
PetShop MG is in its seventh year on the same store: Transbank integrated in 2020, a veterinary pharmacy with online prescriptions and a catalog of 719 products operating with shipping across Chile.
Mando Electric is a B2B catalog of 924 industrial electrical supply products, with a volume quote tool and online payments.
Decogolf sells home decor as an official distributor, with the full catalog organized into eight product lines and advice by messaging.
Each case is on its own page, with source and period.
How I do it
- 01
Diagnosis
What you sell, how you take payments today and what the operation needs: catalog, shipping, invoicing.
- 02
Build
A WooCommerce store with an organized catalog and Webpay integrated and tested across the full flow.
- 03
Handover
The store in production taking payments, training on your catalog and analytics connected.
What you get
- A store of your own: no commission per sale or platform monthly fee, with the freedom to integrate what you need.
- Webpay integrated and tested with the full purchase flow, instead of installed and hoping it works.
- An organized catalog with categories designed around how your customer searches, rather than how your warehouse is arranged.
- Training to run it yourself: products, prices, stock and orders without depending on anyone.
How much does an online store cost in Chile?
It depends on which store you need: a catalog of twenty products with Webpay doesn't cost the same as a store with five hundred products, integrated shipping and pricing rules per customer. On the market you'll find everything from rented platforms with a monthly fee and a commission to custom builds. I don't have a list price: in the free diagnosis I review your case and give you a quote with a clear scope, so you know exactly what it includes before deciding.
WooCommerce or Jumpseller, Shopify and similar platforms?
Rented platforms are a good option if you want to start today with something standard and you don't mind paying a monthly fee and giving up control. WooCommerce makes sense when the store is truly yours: no commission per sale, freedom to integrate whatever your operation needs (payment gateways, shipping, invoicing) and no lock-in to a provider. If your case calls for a rented platform, I tell you straight in the diagnosis: I've seen businesses where it's the right decision.
What do I need to take payments with Webpay?
A contract with Transbank, the main card payment processor in Chile (it's done through their portal, with your Chilean tax ID), and a store that integrates their gateway. I take care of the technical side: I integrate Webpay into WooCommerce, test the full purchase flow in the integration environment and stay with the validation until the first real transaction goes through. If the paperwork with Transbank gets complicated for you, I guide you on what to request and what to expect.
Can I integrate Mercado Pago or another payment gateway?
Yes. Webpay is the gateway that most Chilean shoppers recognize, but it isn't the only one: Mercado Pago, bank transfer with reconciliation or more than one gateway side by side are normal integrations in WooCommerce. The decision is a business one (fees, payout times, what your customers use) and I show it to you with those numbers before integrating.
Will I be able to run the store myself?
Yes, that's the point. Products, prices, stock, photos and orders stay in a dashboard that a person with no technical knowledge can manage. I hand over the store with training on your own catalog, and the tasks that are technical (updates, backups, structural changes) you can leave to a maintenance plan or take on yourself, with the store documented.
Can you take over a store that already exists?
Yes, it's a frequent job: stores that sell but are slow, have payment problems or nobody knows how they're maintained. I start with a review of the real state (versions, payment gateway, catalog, backups) and show you with evidence what makes sense: optimizing what's there or rebuilding on a sound base. I've optimized stores in production with hundreds of products.