13.02.2026 13:52
The last 2 days have entered for credit card limit changes. In accordance with the BDDK decision, credit card limits will be redefined on Monday; the total limit will be taken into account, education and health expenses will be excluded, those whose limits are reduced will be able to request an increase under certain conditions, and banks will be given a 3-month period to renew their system infrastructure.
The deadline given by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) for banks to redefine credit card limits ends next Monday. The institution requested banks to complete the necessary arrangements by February 15, stating that education and health expenses should not be deducted from the total limit, while all other credit card limits will be recalculated.
A SYSTEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE ESTABLISHED
In the latest letter sent by BDDK to banks, instructions were given to contact customers, establish processes for obtaining and verifying income documents through digital channels to prevent grievances, and to set up a systemic infrastructure to ensure that education and health expenses are not negatively affected. The institution requested banks to complete their technical infrastructure and operational processes within a maximum of three months to ensure the healthy and uninterrupted implementation of the decision.
THE TOTAL LIMIT OF ALL CARDS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT
According to the decision made at the end of January, while reducing limits, the total limit of all credit cards belonging to an individual will be taken into account. Credit card expenditures made until the end of 2025 will also be considered in the new limit calculation. In the first implementation expected to start on February 16, no discount will be applied for cards with a total limit of up to 400,000 lira. However, this amount will be valid for the total limit of all cards held by the individual at different banks. For example, a customer with a total limit of 600,000 lira from two or three banks will not benefit from the 400,000 lira exemption.
ATTENTION TO THOSE WITH LIMITS ABOVE 400,000 TL
Customers with a total credit card limit below 400,000 lira will not have their limits reduced. On the other hand, for cardholders with a limit slightly above 400,000 lira, a discount may be on the agenda. According to BDDK's exemption regulation of 400,000 lira, customers whose total limit decreases to 400,000 lira or below after the limit reduction will be able to apply for limit increase requests up to 400,000 lira without submitting income declaration after February 15. Banks will again have to consider the customer's total limit at other banks when evaluating this increase. For requests above 400,000 lira, official income documents will be required.
Discounts will also be applied to cards with limits above 400,000 lira. For example, in a card with a limit of 450,000 lira, the new limit will be determined by deducting a certain percentage of the unused portion after expenditures made throughout the year. Similarly, if a card with a limit of 600,000 lira has 400,000 lira spent during the year, the limit will be reduced to 500,000 lira by eliminating 50% of the unused 200,000 lira.
FOR THOSE WITH LIMITS ABOVE 750,000 TL...
As part of the decision, the limits of cardholders with a total credit card limit above 750,000 lira will also be reduced by 80% of the period when the usable limit is at its lowest, taking into account the statement dates.
NEW RULES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEW YEAR
In 2026, clearer rules will be applied for new credit card applications. The credit card limit to be granted in the first year will be at most twice the customer's net monthly income. In the second year, this limit may rise to a maximum of four times the income. Banks will continue to consider the customer's net income, credit score, current debt situation, and past payment performance when determining limits. BDDK requested that all credit card limits be aligned with income documents by the beginning of 2027.