BKM shares April 2026 data revealing the current state of financial technologies and consumer habits in Türkiye. According to the official figures announced, the total price of card payments made throughout Türkiye in April gained a great momentum compared to the same period last year, reaching 2.56 trillion TL. This period, in which a total of 1.8 billion card payment transactions were made, clearly shows that the vision of a cashless society is getting closer every day. Consumers’ trust and adaptation to digital payment systems continues to increase the importance of technology in the retail segment.

• As of April 2026, the total number of cards in Turkey increases to 462 million, while the number of credit cards increases by 11 percent, reaching 147.6 million.

• Credit cards account for the largest share of card payments with 2.18 trillion TL; Payments made with debit cards show a growth of 48 percent.

• The rate of contactless payments in in-store spending maintains its dominance with 81 percent, and card payments made over the internet skyrocket to 756.9 billion TL.

Credit Card Domination in Card Numbers and Decline in Prepaid Cards

The composition of cards in wallets is changing rapidly in Türkiye. According to BKM data, the number of credit cards, which was 133.2 million in April 2025, increases to 147.6 million in the same month of 2026. This shows that consumers continue to turn to credit cards to meet their financial needs. Debit cards, on the other hand, increase slightly from 212 million to 216 million.

A remarkable change is happening in prepaid cards. The number of prepaid cards, which was 101.1 million last year, decreased by 3 percent to 98.4 million. The total card ecosystem is growing by 4 percent, expanding the base of the digital economy. Increasing financial literacy and users’ preference for products linked directly to their bank accounts are among the main reasons for this change in card distribution.

Spending Prices Are Multiplying: Credit Cards are at the Top

When we look at the details of the total spending of 2,559.6 billion TL in April, it is seen that credit cards have an overwhelming advantage. Consumers spend 2,185.2 billion TL of this volume via credit cards. Bank cards rank second with 366.8 billion TL. When annual growth rates are examined, it is noteworthy that debit card expenditures increased by 48 percent and credit card expenditures increased by 44 percent.

Despite this, the payment price made with prepaid cards decreases by 60 percent to 7.6 billion TL. A similar picture also reveals itself in process customs; More than 1 billion of the 1.8 billion transactions in April are completed directly with credit cards. The fact that consumers turn to classical banking products or advanced credit solutions instead of prepaid cards is interpreted as the main reason for this situation.

New Standards of Shopping: Internet and Contactless Payments

The development of technological infrastructure directly shapes shopping procedures. Online card payments reached 756.9 billion TL, an increase of 39 percent compared to April last year. Although the share of digital commerce in total card payments remains constant at 30 percent, 249.2 million orders are placed in the virtual world, with an increase of 11 percent in terms of the number of transactions.

Contactless Has Become the Standard in Stores

Contactless technology is now becoming the undisputed standard for spending in physical stores. The number of contactless payments made with cards increases by 16 percent annually, reaching over 1.23 billion. In terms of economic size, the volume of contactless payments reaches 855 billion TL, with an increase of 51 percent. The information confirms that 4 out of every 5 card payments made in-store are completed contactless. This rate proves that users have fully adopted the contactless payment habit due to both speed and convenience factors. Thanks to its strong banking infrastructure, Türkiye continues to strengthen its place among the digital payment leaders around the world.