Credit Card Limits to Be Determined by Real Income and Debt Load from January 1, 2027

New Limit Determination From January 1, 2027, credit card limits in Turkey will be set based on customers’ real income and total debt load.
Under the new system, banks will no longer rely solely on verbal or written income statements; they will aggregate all debt and installment obligations across banks to assess repayment capacity.
Assessment Criteria Limits must not exceed twice the net annual income in the first year, and four times in subsequent years.
Accounts with limits above these ratios will be scrutinized under risk analysis.
Calculation Method Banks will integrate data from the Social Security Institution (SGK) and the Risk Center to update risk algorithms.
Requests for limit increases will be evaluated against the customer’s income and debt level, with a phased reduction planned for high‑limit holders.
Implementation Process The transition to the new criteria will be completed by January 1, 2027.
Banks will upgrade technical infrastructure and launch informational campaigns for customers.
Purpose and Expected Impact The comprehensive change aims to make credit card limits more transparent and risk‑oriented, protecting financial stability and preventing consumers from falling into debt traps.
"Risk‑based limit setting will help prevent consumers from entering debt spirals."