First you should think about the items with which you are entering the store. Do you have other purchases in bags? Are you taking in a backpack with you? If so you have two choices. The first is to use the provided lockers, all major stores have them at the entrance. They require a 100-peso coin (some will only take the older style coin) but the good news is that you get the money back when you pick up your item - so they are really free.

Your second option is to have the guard put tape around your plastic bag or around the pull tabs of your backpack. This just makes it easy to prove the you are not loading up on items, let's just say, illegally. Simply hold out the item and the guard will secure it, then you can be on your way!

Next you will find that Chile is still a full service country. That means that all weighed loose items such as bread, fruit and vegetables will need to be handed over to an employee to be weighed and priced in the area where you found it, not at the registers. Any place that has a line for service, such as the meat counter will have a ticket machine. Simply take a number and wait your turn. Remember that weights are in Metric so a half a kilo is about a pound. Most people buy quarter kilo amounts of items - "un cuarto" in Spanish.

One of the things that I like about Chile is that they make due with less wherever possible. They re-purpose items or even make tools while I am accustom to think that I must buy something new. It feels good to give new life to something old and to save a few pesos in the process. To this end, Chile still uses the returnable bottle system and if you want the best prices on soft drinks and beer then you should know how it works.

To start you must have something to return. Of course you will not, so if you buy a returnable bottle you will be charged about 300 pesos as a deposit. On your next trip, you will give them the old bottle and get a new one with your beverage of choice. Sometimes there is a machine that accepts the bottles and prints out a receipt. Simply give this receipt to the casher upon checkout.

You will know that the bottle is returnable as it will be made of a thicker plastic or glass and will probably look well used. It will also say "retornable" somewhere. Of course you have a choice to buy the same item in non-returnable bottles but the price will be higher and well we're all trying to do our part to keep items out of the landfill, right? Non-returnable bottles will be marked as "desechable".

A common item for everyone are the dedicated register lines such as the "15 items or less" or "cash only". Some unfamiliar ones you might see are for pregnant ladies or preferred customers. You may also see a line for "facturas". This line is for companies as they must pay 19% tax on all purchases. On a side note, the price you see posted is ALWAYS the price that you will pay. There are no additional taxes added at the register in Chile.

Now the fun begins. I have found that there are many unexpected questions one might receive when checking out. For instance, many supermarket chains now have a customer club card program. Normally after the first item has been scanned you will be asked - "tiene club lider?" or "junta puntos?". A simple "no tengo." is enough to continue.

Some times if you are in a line that is cash only they might ask you if you intend to pay in cash. The word used in Chile is "efectivo". Simply let them know that it is your intention by saying, "Si, con efectivo".

A much rarer question might be to verify that you are not making a company purchase via the factura system. Such a question might be "Factura o boleta?" Boletas are a normal receipt that you must be given by law with every purchase.

Once everything has been totaled, and you give the cashier the money there is often one more important question due to the fact that 1 and 5 peso coins are almost worthless. Many markets now have a relationship with a local charity and you may be asked if you want to donate the 1-9 pesos to them. A simple "si" or "bueno" will get you safely through that question.

If however you wish to pay with your credit card, you will need to show proof of identification, even Chileans need to do this. A photocopy of your passport or your drivers license will work. You will need to write down the number from the document under your signature on the receipt. It is always good to keep a photocopy of your passport with you as it helps identify you in Chile.

Now you are almost home free but we have to consider the person who is bagging your items. Although tipping in Chile is very rare, there are a few people who are regularly given a tip. Waitresses at restaurants are usually given 10% of the bill, while Taxi drivers however, are not tipped. Bag boys/girls are usually tipped as they frequently work only for tips. The standard tip is 100 pesos but if you have a lot of groceries or it is a special holiday and you feel generous 200-500 pesos may be in order.