Additional fees charged for payments made by credit card in many areas, from daily shopping to taxi rides, bring consumers and tradesmen face to face. Although it is prohibited by law, some businesses demand a difference of up to 12 percent from customers paying by card, while tradesmen complain about high POS commissions and collection times.
CARD DIFFERENCE FEES ARE DRAWING REACTION
Card surcharges charged to citizens who pay by credit card are becoming increasingly controversial. Some businesses charge an additional fee of up to 12 percent for card payments, even though it is legally prohibited.
Tradesmen, on the other hand, argue that the increase in POS commissions and the late arrival of money from card sales to the account put a strain on businesses. Thus, on one side there are tradesmen complaining about bank costs, and on the other side there are consumers complaining about illegal additional fees.
IT IS PROHIBITED TO CHARGE ADDITIONAL FEES WHEN PAYING BY CARD
The regulation also covers bank cards. If an unlawful practice is detected, it is envisaged that the merchant contract will be terminated and a new contract cannot be made with the business for one year.
For this reason, it is against the law for businesses to reflect POS costs to the consumer as a separate item and to charge additional fees only on the grounds that payment is made by card.
On the other hand, the commissions paid by businesses to banks or payment institutions for card sales also constitute a significant cost. While in some contracts, the collection is transferred to the account after a certain period of time instead of the same day, it puts a strain on the working capital, and in installment transactions, the cost may increase even more.
According to the regulations of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, as of May 2026, the maximum commission for cash transactions made by credit card is 3.56 percent and 1.04 percent for debit cards. Banks may also set commissions below these rates according to commercial agreements.
THE GAP BETWEEN BANK COMMISSION AND CARD DIFFERENCE
One of the critical points of the problem is the difference between the POS commission that the bank receives from the business and the card difference requested from the consumer.
For example, on a sale of 10 thousand liras, the maximum commission of 3.56 percent corresponds to 356 liras. If the customer is asked for a 10 percent card difference for the same transaction, the additional amount the consumer will pay increases to 1,000 lira. If a 12 percent difference is applied, this figure increases to 1,200 lira.
Therefore, having a real POS cost for the business and collecting this cost from the consumer separately at rates such as 5 percent, 10 percent or 12 percent are different issues.
Businesses can reflect their increased costs on product or service prices, but they cannot charge the customer an additional fee solely based on the payment method.
NEW ERA FOR CARD PAYMENT IN Taxis
The countdown continues for a new system for paying by card in taxis.
With the Tax Procedural Law General Communiqué published on February 13, 2026, taxis were required to use the Taxi Financial Device that works integrated with the taximeter.
With the new system, it is envisaged that the fare collected on the taximeter will be automatically transferred to the device, manual amount entry will be prevented, travel information will be automatically recorded and a receipt or e-Document will be issued.
Taxi drivers are also required to accept payment by card by reaching an agreement with at least one bank or payment institution within 15 days after they start using the device.
The transition period, which was initially determined as September 1, 2026 for existing taxis, was extended until November 16, 2026 by the Revenue Administration.
APPLICATION CAN BE MADE TO THE CONSUMER ARBITRATION COMMITTEE
Consumer Confederation President Aydın Ağaoğlu stated that the additional fees charged to the consumer during card payment are against the law.
Emphasizing that no additional fee can be charged from the consumer under the name of 'service fee' for card payments, Ağaoğlu stated that the POS commissions applied especially in taxis are against the law.
Ağaoğlu warned, "Consumers who have to pay this difference can apply to the Consumer Arbitration Committees with their receipts or invoices and get back the amount they paid with legal interest."
TRADESMEN COMPLAIN ABOUT HIGH POS COSTS
The tradesman side points out that high POS commissions and long collection periods create a serious financial burden.
