Banks' POS Commission Rates Changed: Good News for Cafes & Restaurants

With an important decision taken by the Central Bank of Turkey (TCMB), very significant changes have been made to POS commission rates. This regulation will provide significant savings for businesses, especially in debit card transactions.

The 3.56% POS commission rate applied to member merchants for goods and service purchases made with cards has been determined separately for credit cards and debit cards. With this new regulation, businesses will gain significant cost advantages, especially in debit card transactions.

New POS Commission Rates

Credit Card Transactions

• Commission rate: 3.56% (no change)

• Hold period: Maximum 40 days

Debit Card Transactions -> IMPORTANT CHANGE

• Commission rate: Reduced to 1.04% (Previously 3.56%)

• Hold period: Maximum 15 days (Previously 40 days)

The rates determined for debit cards will also apply to prepaid cards and account-to-account merchant payments.

What Does This Mean for Cafes and Restaurants?

Cost Savings

The reduction of the commission rate from 3.56% to 1.04% in debit card transactions means over 70% savings for businesses. For example:

• For a 1000 TL debit card transaction:

  • Old system: 35.6 TL commission

  • New system: 10.4 TL commission

  • Savings: 25.2 TL (71% reduction)

Cash Flow Advantage

The reduction of the hold period from 40 days to 15 days means businesses will receive their money faster.

Reason for the Change

POS commission is charged for the costs of operating card systems. Unlike debit cards, credit cards have additional funding costs due to the credit facility provided to the cardholder.

With the new regulation, the commission rate for debit cards has been determined in a way that does not include this funding cost. This makes sense for applying a lower commission rate to debit cards as they do not carry credit risk.

Effective Date

The new regulation will come into effect as of November 1, 2025.

Additional Information: Decrease in Credit Card Interest Rates

With another decision by the TCMB in the same period, there was also a decrease in credit card interest rates. Contractual interest rates were reduced from 4.75% to 4.50%, and late payment interest was reduced from 5.05% to 4.80%. These rates are effective as of October 1, 2025.

Recommendations for NarPOS Customers

1. Encourage debit card payments: Direct your customers to use debit cards

2. Evaluate the hold period: You can better plan your cash flow

3. Update your cost calculations: Renew your profitability analyses with the new rates

This change will provide a great advantage especially for businesses with intensive debit card transactions. As NarPOS, we have completed all the necessary technical infrastructure preparations for our customers to get maximum benefit from this new regulation.