Step back on controversial credit card limits: Limit restrictions lifted for two spending categories

The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) has issued a new directive regarding the tightening measures it implemented for credit cards. In the letter dated February 4, 2026, it was emphasized that the previously announced limit reduction and income verification regulations should not negatively affect essential expenditures such as education and healthcare.

EXEMPTION FOR EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES

According to the directive sent by the BRSA to banks, expenditures made in the education and healthcare sectors have been included in the scope of exemptions for practices aimed at reducing credit card limits.

Under the new regulation, credit card limits used in these areas will be considered as "active limits" and will not be included in limit reduction calculations.

3-MONTH COMPLIANCE PERIOD FOR BANKS

Banks have been granted a 3-month period to establish the technical infrastructure capable of separating education and healthcare expenditures from other transactions.

During this process, it was requested that income document verification be carried out through digital channels and that systems be made compliant with the exemption regulation.

DIGITAL PROCESS FOR INCOME VERIFICATION

The new directive also stated that, in order to prevent customer grievances, the processes regarding the procurement and verification of income documents will be accelerated through digitalization.

In this context, banks are expected to improve their digital application and verification mechanisms.

MACROPRUDENTIAL PACKAGE ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 30

The BRSA had announced its comprehensive macroprudential regulation package, prepared to ensure financial stability, on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 23:57.

With this package, not only credit cards but also housing loans, the restructuring of consumer loans, and overdraft accounts (KMH) were reorganized.

One of the most debated topics within the package in question was the mandatory reduction of unused credit card limits.

According to the practice announced by the BRSA:

For limits between 400 thousand TL and 750 thousand TL:

A 50 percent reduction was made based on the card's lowest available limit.

For limits above 750 thousand TL:

Unused limits were reduced by 80 percent.

Banks were given until February 15, 2026, to complete these transactions.

ERA OF INCOME DECLARATION ENDED

With these regulations, the practice of conducting transactions with verbal declarations for credit card limits has ended.

The following rules have begun to be applied for new card applications and limit increases:

For the first year, the card limit is set at a maximum of 2 times the documented income,

And from the second year onwards, it is set at a maximum of 4 times.

These calculations have begun to be made only through documents that verify income, such as salary slips and tax plates.

The BRSA had cited the fight against illegal betting and fraud as the justification for the regulations. The agency had argued that high and unused credit card limits could be used in illegal money traffic.

News Source: 12punto