16.02.2026 08:20
The deadline given to banks by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) for the redefinition of credit card limits has expired. In accordance with the BDDK decision, credit card limits will be redefined starting today; 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 Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency's (BRSA) directive regarding the redefinition of credit card limits has come into effect as of today. As the deadline given to banks by the agency has expired, a new calculation system aimed at aligning limits with income has been implemented.
BRSA had requested banks to contact customers, establish processes for obtaining and verifying income documents through digital channels, and set up the necessary systemic infrastructure to ensure that education and health expenses are not deducted from the total limit calculation. Technical and operational arrangements must be completed within a maximum of three months.
THE TOTAL LIMIT OF ALL CARDS WILL BE CONSIDERED
In the new application, the total limit of all credit cards belonging to an individual across different banks will be taken into account. Expenses made until the end of 2025 will also be included in the new limit calculation. In the first phase, no discounts will be applied for customers with a total credit card limit of up to 400,000 lira. However, this limit will apply to the total of cards across all banks, not just a single card.
For example, a customer with a total limit of 600,000 lira from different banks will not benefit from the 400,000 lira exemption. Limits of those whose total limit is below 400,000 lira will be protected, while those slightly above this amount may be subject to a discount.
GRADUAL DECREASE FOR CARDS ABOVE 400,000 LIRA
A gradual decrease will be applied on the unused amount for limits above 400,000 lira. For instance, if a card with a limit of 600,000 lira has 400,000 lira spent within the year, the remaining 200,000 lira will be reduced by 50%, bringing the new limit down to 500,000 lira. For total limits above 750,000 lira, 80% of the period with the lowest usable limit will be taken into account, considering the billing periods.
Customers whose total limit falls to 400,000 lira or below after the limit reduction will be able to apply for increase requests up to this amount without submitting income documents. However, banks will still consider the customer's total limit at other banks when making evaluations. For increase requests above 400,000 lira, an official income document will be mandatory.
INCOME LIMIT FOR NEW APPLICATIONS IN 2026
As of 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 increase to a maximum of four times the income. Banks will continue to consider income, credit score, current debt status, and payment performance when determining limits. BRSA aims to align all credit card limits with official income documents by the beginning of 2027.