(AA Photo)
Türkiye has become Europe’s largest credit card market, surpassing Spain in the number of credit cards in circulation, according to a Mastercard report citing European Central Bank data.
Based on European Central Bank data cited by Mastercard,
The report said Türkiye had 142 million credit cards and 319 million bank cards, including prepaid cards, while card payments reached 24.1 trillion Turkish Liras in 2025.
According to the report, increasing digital payment penetration in Türkiye from the current 69 percent to levels approaching 95 percent in more mature markets could further boost the economy.
Digital payments supported household consumption through faster and alternative payment options, generating an estimated economic impact of nearly 1.5 trillion liras in 2025, the report said.
Travel spending contributed the most, at 546 billion liras, followed by the restaurant sector at 427 billion liras. Furniture and electronics, apparel, and accommodation were also among the sectors benefiting from digital payments.
The share of card payments in household spending reached 54 percent for personal cards and 69 percent when commercial cards were included in 2025.
The report noted that Türkiye’s expanding card payment infrastructure has made spending easier for foreign visitors and increased the country’s attractiveness as a tourism destination.
Tourism revenues rose from $7.6 billion in 2000 to nearly $65 billion in 2025, while the share of card payments in tourism revenues increased from 15 percent to around 38 percent, according to the report.
As a result, digital payments contributed 388 billion liras, or approximately $9.8 billion, to Türkiye’s tourism revenues in 2025.
