Turkey’s Digital Payments: Card Spending Hits 2.2 Trillion TL

The digitalization of the Turkish economy reached a historic milestone in February 2026, as Turkey’s digital payments (card-based) surged to 2.241 trillion TL. According to the latest data from the Interbank Card Center (BKM), this represents a 47% increase compared to the same period last year. The statistics reveal a consumer base that has almost entirely transitioned away from cash, favoring credit and debit cards for everything from high-value online purchases to daily micro-transactions.

Credit Cards: The Engine of Domestic Consumption

Credit cards remain the dominant force in the Turkish financial ecosystem, accounting for the lion’s share of spending in February. Of the total 2.2 trillion TL, credit card transactions reached 1.919 trillion TL, marking 49% annual growth. While debit card usage also saw a healthy rise of 54% (reaching 313.5 billion TL), prepaid cards experienced a dramatic 75% decline. This shift suggests that consumers are increasingly migrating toward instruments with higher limits and installment options to manage their purchasing power against inflation.

With the total number of cards in circulation hitting 469.6 million, Turkey now boasts one of the highest card-to-population ratios in the region.

E-Commerce Surge: One-Third of Spending Goes Online

Digital trade continues to cannibalize traditional retail’s market share. Online card payments jumped 52% year-over-year, reaching 675 billion TL in February alone. This means that approximately 31% of all card spending in Turkey now occurs on digital platforms. The sheer volume of transactions—224.9 million individual online operations—highlights a permanent shift in shopping habits, accelerated by the convenience of mobile banking and 24/7 delivery services.

The Death of the PIN: Contactless Payments Become the Standard

In physical retail environments, the era of entering a PIN code is rapidly fading. Contactless payment habits crossed a critical threshold in February:

• Transaction Count: Rose by 10% to 1.03 billion individual operations.

• Spending Volume: Increased by 48%, totaling 714.5 billion TL.

• Adoption Rate: 4 out of every 5 in-store card payments are now completed using contactless technology.

This “tap-and-go” culture has become the standard for Turkish consumers, driven by speed and hygiene concerns that have persisted long after the pandemic.