Credit card spending hits record high

According to data released by the Interbank Card Center (BKM), digital payment systems have begun to surpass traditional cash payments. During the January-November 2025 period, consumers turned to card payments due to the impact of economic conditions.

Credit card spending, which stood at 1.32 trillion liras at the beginning of 2025, exceeded 1.8 trillion liras in November, marking a 47 percent increase. Debit card usage also rose by 39.3 percent, reaching 321.4 billion liras.

Record levels were observed in online shopping. In November, e-commerce spending climbed to 710.7 billion liras. This means that approximately 1 TL out of every 3 TL spent was processed through digital channels.

There was also a notable increase in the number of cards. The number of credit cards has grown by 9.3 percent since the beginning of the year to 142 million, while the number of debit cards has reached 215.1 million, an increase of 10 percent.

Despite tightening policies by banks, consumers continued to meet their cash needs through credit cards. Cash advance usage, which was 68.4 billion liras in January, rose to 77.2 billion liras in November, indicating that consumers' search for liquidity persists.

News Source: 12punto