Cards and cash – how to pay on holiday in Turkey in 2025

Turkey is a beloved destination for tourists from Russia. Families with children come here for all-inclusive hotels, independent travelers plan to explore all of Istanbul, and hiking enthusiasts planning to conquer the Lycian Way. We can stay here for up to 60 days without a visa, and this period is more than enough for a long vacation. Where to buy tickets to Antalya on Kupi.com or for the Saint Petersburg – Istanbul route you know perfectly well – on the Kupi.com website! Another question is how to pay for sweets in Turkish cafes, car rentals, and other adventures. Let's talk about that.

Which cards work in Turkey

Let's start with the sad news: Visa and Mastercard issued in Russia do not currently work here. You won't be able to pay for purchases via terminal or withdraw cash from ATMs with them. However, similar foreign cards will work just fine. By the way, Turkey is one of the countries where you can get bank cards.

The situation with the Mir system is a bit more complicated. Some sources claim it is completely useless in Turkey. Others say that Mir sometimes works in certain tourist areas and allows cash withdrawals from ATMs (Ziraat Bankası, Vakıfbank, Iş Bankası). Alas: you can only find out if this is true through personal experience. Another likely use case is paying for taxis with Mir cards linked to a Yandex Go account.

UnionPay continues to work for now. Cards issued by Rosselkhozbank, All-Russian Bank for Regional Development, Asia-Pacific Bank, and Primorye Bank are among the lucky ones. We recommend topping up your foreign currency account in advance to avoid double conversion.

Which app can be used for payment

There's good news for clients of Sber, VTB, and MTS banks. Starting in 2025, QR codes can be used to pay for purchases in Turkey. Payments are made in rubles, and then an automatic conversion to Turkish liras occurs. There are no fees for such payments. However, the exchange rate cannot be predicted in advance: it is set at the moment of the transaction.

In May 2025, cashless payment via SberPay became available. This allows payments in 30,000 stores and other establishments in Antalya, Istanbul, and on the Aegean coast. Payments are processed through the Turkish payment system Metropol.

Another high-tech option is the Letim service (App Store, Google Play). The app allows you to issue a virtual Troy card, topped up via the SBP (Faster Payments System). The service enables cash withdrawals, money transfers to Russian and Turkish bank accounts, or to other users via QR code. The monthly limit is 250,000 liras. Registration requires your first name, last name, international passport number, and a Russian phone number.

Which currency to take to Turkey: dollars, euros, rubles

It's best to have liras right away. They are accepted absolutely everywhere, and there won't be any tricks due to fluctuating exchange rates. However, buying them in Russian banks isn't that easy: they appear there irregularly, and you can only find out about their availability directly at the branch.

Therefore, most tourists exchange rubles for dollars in Russia, and then dollars for liras in Turkey. It's better to use banks and special exchange offices and not pay directly with dollars, as the exchange rate will be highly unfavorable for you, and change will be given in liras.

Note that from November 2024, some exchange offices in Istanbul and Ankara no longer accept banknotes issued before 2013. Therefore, try to acquire only new banknotes while still in Russia and pay attention to what you receive as change.

Euros are also in circulation in Turkey, but for Russians, this is not the most successful choice. The price in euros and dollars might sound the same, but their exchange rates differ significantly. Depending on the purchase, when converted to rubles, you could lose from several hundred to a couple of thousand.

Directly at the resort, you can even exchange rubles for liras, but such exchange offices are hard to find and are only located in tourist areas. Moreover, the exchange rate will not be in your favor at all. Keep this option in mind only as a last resort. Also, don't forget how much money is allowed to be exported from Russia in 2025.

How much money to take to Turkey for a tourist

Here, everything depends on your personal financial capabilities and plans. If you've chosen an all-inclusive hotel, you might not need to bring cards or cash at all. Especially if you're not interested in excursions and souvenirs, and just want to drink cocktails by the pool and lie on the beach from morning till night.

For budget-conscious independent travelers, 4,000-6,000 ₽ per person per day will suffice. This amount will cover accommodation in an inexpensive hotel and breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Specifically for this purpose, on the Kupi.com Blog, we've gathered all useful life hacks on how to find inexpensive but delicious cafes in an unfamiliar city.

For those planning to stay in at least a 'four-star' hotel, dine in restaurants, and use taxis, it's better to budget based on 10,000-20,000 ₽ per person per day.

General tips

• Found a favorable exchange office? Exchange a larger amount at once, photograph the rate for comparison, and add the location to your map's 'favorites' so you don't lose it.
• Carefully check ATMs for UnionPay stickers and withdraw liras directly, not dollars.
• Hotels and airports will have the most unfavorable exchange rates. It's better to try your luck at post offices and large banks.
• Don't expect every cafe and souvenir shop to accept cards. Always have a backup plan in the form of cash. Or the willpower to decline a purchase without regret.
• Also, don't hesitate to ask about different payment methods. Mir? SberPay? Or maybe a QR code? And haggle where possible – after all, it's the East!