BRSA announces rules for card limits and housing loans! Who will be affected, who will be exempt?

The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) has issued a public statement to clarify the scope of the macroprudential measures announced on January 30. The agency provided detailed information regarding the background and objectives of the decisions taken.

The statement indicated that these regulations were shaped in accordance with the duties assigned to the BRSA within the framework of the Action Plan for Combating Illegal Betting, Games of Chance, and Gambling in the Virtual Environment, which entered into force with the Presidential Circular dated 31.10.2025 and numbered 2025/18. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the actions were taken in cooperation with the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB), based on the evaluations made at the Financial Stability Committee meeting held on 21.01.2026. It was noted that the main goals of these steps are consumer protection, supporting lower-income groups, combating illegal betting, and compliance with international regulations.

NEW FRAMEWORK FOR CREDIT CARD LIMITS

The statement explained that the "Regulation on Credit Card Limits" was introduced to ensure that individual users spend in line with their income and to maintain sustainable payment performance. The BRSA shared the following information regarding industry data:

'According to December 2025 data, there is approximately 13.3 trillion liras in individual credit card limits in the sector, and while only 21 percent of the total limit is utilized, 79 percent remains unused. As of December 2025, there were 40.7 million unique credit card users in the sector, 30.6 million of whom—or 75 percent—have a credit card limit below 400 thousand liras. In other words, 75 percent of credit card users are not affected by this decision. The share of credit card users with a limit below 750 thousand liras within the total credit card ownership is approximately 90 percent. Those with a limit above 750 thousand liras account for 48 percent of the total credit card limit, and the credit card utilization rates of these users are approximately 20 percent.'

WILL THERE BE A REDUCTION IN LIMITS?

The BRSA announced that to prevent consumer grievances, spending over the last year has been taken into account, and a rule has been introduced to reduce the limit of the month with the highest spending by a certain percentage. Accordingly, there will be no reduction in the limits of credit card users with a 400 thousand lira limit. Additionally, it was stated that if individual customers document their income, it is possible for them to use a credit card limit of up to four times their income. The agency also noted that within the scope of the "Regulation on Overdraft Accounts (KMH)," KMH limits for educational purposes have been exempted from the restrictions.

SUPPORTIVE STEPS IN HOUSING LOANS

It was stated that the "Regulation on the Restructuring of Individual Credit Card Debts and Consumer Loans" aims to protect financial consumers and make their repayment capacity sustainable. Finally, within the scope of the regulation regarding housing loans, it was reported that the distinction between first-hand and second-hand housing has been removed to facilitate the first home acquisition of lower-income groups, and some new criteria included in the decision text have been put into practice. The BRSA emphasized that all these steps were implemented with a holistic approach in line with the evaluations of the Financial Stability Committee.