Regulation on credit card interest rates: To take effect in October

Interest rates for credit card cash advances and overdraft accounts have been reduced by 25 basis points. The contractual interest rate has been lowered from 4.75 percent to 4.5 percent, and the late payment interest rate from 5.05 percent to 4.8 percent.

The communiqué regarding the maximum interest rates to be applied to credit card transactions has been published in the Official Gazette.

The new rates will be valid as of October 1.

The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB) has made a significant change to credit card interest rates with the Communiqué on Maximum Interest Rates to be Applied in Credit Card Transactions (No: 2025/23), published in the Official Gazette dated September 18, 2025, and numbered 33021.

With the aforementioned communiqué, the rates contained in Article 4 of the Communiqué No. 2020/16, which was published in the Official Gazette dated October 31, 2020, and currently in force, have been reorganized.

THE PHRASE '139' REPLACED '164'

Within the scope of the amendment, the phrase "164" in the third paragraph of Article 4 of the communiqué was changed to "139". Thus, the base rates used in calculating the maximum interest rates to be applied to credit card transactions have been updated.

TEMPORARY ARTICLE ADDED FOR THE TRANSITION PROCESS

The adaptation process was also determined with the Temporary Article 7 added to the communiqué. Accordingly:

The TCMB will announce the new rates calculated within the framework of the change on September 24, 2025.

These rates will be valid starting from October 1, 2025.

Existing rates will remain in effect until the date the new rates begin to be applied.

This regulation aims to provide a transition period for credit card users and banks to adapt to the new system.

ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION PRINCIPLES

While Article 3 of the communiqué stipulates that the regulation will enter into force on the date of its publication, Article 4 states that the provisions of the communiqué will be executed by the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye.

News Source: 12punto