Contactless Payments Dominate as Card Spending in Turkey Surges to 2.5 Trillion TL

Turkey’s digital payment ecosystem reached a historic peak at the end of 2025, according to newly released data from the Interbank Card Center (BKM). The figures reveal a sharp acceleration in card-based payments, a record-high number of cards in circulation, and the normalization of contactless payments as the primary in-store payment method.

BKM’s December 2025 statistics show that the total number of cards in Turkey exceeded 460 million, while the total value of card payments rose by 48% year-on-year, surpassing ₺2.5 trillion. The data confirms a decisive shift away from cash, with consumers increasingly favoring credit, debit, and digital payment methods.

Card-Based Payments Hit Record Levels

In December alone, total card payments reached ₺2.511 trillion, marking one of the strongest monthly performances ever recorded. The annual growth rate of 48% reflects both inflation-adjusted spending growth and the structural transformation of payment habits nationwide.

Analysts note that card usage is no longer limited to large purchases or urban centers. Instead, digital payments have become deeply embedded in everyday transactions, from grocery shopping to transportation and small retail purchases.

Total Card Count Nears Half a Billion

Turkey’s overall card ecosystem expanded by 6% year-on-year, reaching 460.6 million cards by the end of 2025. However, growth was uneven across card types, highlighting changing consumer preferences.

Credit card ownership continued to rise, reaching 142.1 million cards, an annual increase of 10%. Debit cards also posted solid growth, climbing 8% to 209 million cards. In contrast, prepaid cards declined by 2%, falling to 109.5 million, signaling reduced demand for this category.

This divergence suggests that users are consolidating their payment activity around traditional bank-linked products rather than standalone prepaid solutions.

Credit Cards Account for the Largest Share of Spending

A breakdown of December’s spending confirms the overwhelming dominance of credit cards in Turkey’s payment landscape. Out of the ₺2.5 trillion total:

Credit card payments amounted to ₺2.143 trillion, up 50% year-on-year
Debit card payments reached ₺359.7 billion, rising 55% annually
Prepaid card spending fell sharply to ₺7.8 billion, reflecting a 76% annual decline

The steep contraction in prepaid card usage, both in volume and value, reinforces the trend of consumers migrating toward credit and debit cards that offer broader acceptance, installment options, and integrated banking services.

Contactless Payments Become the New Normal

One of the most striking findings in the BKM report is the dominance of contactless payments in physical retail environments. Speed, convenience, and hygiene concerns have transformed contactless transactions from a niche option into the default choice.

In December, 1.19 billion contactless transactions were recorded.
Four out of every five in-store payments were completed using contactless technology.
The total value of contactless payments rose 52% year-on-year, reaching ₺768.5 billion.

These figures indicate that contactless payment behavior has matured beyond early adoption and is now fully embedded in consumer habits across age groups and income levels.

Online Shopping Maintains Strong Growth

The continued expansion of e-commerce and digital services also played a major role in driving card payment growth. Online card payments accounted for 31% of total card spending in December.

Internet-based card payments increased 46% year-on-year, reaching ₺760.4 billion.
The number of online transactions totaled 250.4 million.

This sustained growth reflects not only the popularity of e-commerce platforms but also the rising use of subscription services, digital marketplaces, and mobile applications that rely heavily on card-based payments.