Payment Gateways in Turkey: PayPal, Stripe and What Actually Works

If you are doing business in Turkey, you cannot use PayPal to get paid: PayPal has not operated in Turkey since June 2016. Stripe is not available to Turkish businesses either, because Turkey is not on its list of supported countries. Businesses in Turkey take international card payments through a local bank's virtual POS or a payment institution licensed by the Central Bank, such as iyzico or PayTR.

This guide is written for two readers: foreigners who run or are setting up a business in Turkey (a hotel, villa rental, tour company, clinic or online shop), and companies abroad that want to sell to Turkish customers. We do not quote fees, because they change often and depend on each merchant's agreement.

Is PayPal available in Turkey?

No. PayPal's own Turkey page says the company stopped its activities in Turkey in June 2016 and is not permitted to provide its service there. In practice:

• Accounts in Turkey cannot send or receive money.
• Sellers in Turkey cannot accept PayPal from buyers in Turkey or abroad.
• PayPal accounts must be opened in your country of residence, so a Turkish resident using a foreign address breaks PayPal's terms.

The background is Turkey's 2013 Payment Services Law (No. 6493). PayPal did not obtain a licence from the banking regulator under that law and withdrew. Today, payment institutions are licensed by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB). Headlines about a return appear from time to time, but at the time of writing PayPal's official page still says the service is unavailable.

Can I use Stripe in Turkey?

Stripe's global availability page lists the countries where businesses can open an account. When we checked on 19 October 2026, Turkey was not listed as available, in preview or in the extended network. A company or sole trader based in Turkey cannot open a Stripe account directly.

Some founders set up a company abroad and use Stripe through it. That means a separate company, separate tax obligations and separate accounting. Talk to an accountant who knows both countries before you go down that road.

Payment gateways that work in Turkey

Bank virtual POS

Turkish banks provide virtual POS accounts under a merchant agreement. Some banks also offer foreign currency collection. İş Bankası's Döviz POS page, for example, lists 14 foreign currencies besides the lira, with turnover collected in your foreign currency account. That page describes a physical terminal, so ask your bank separately about currency support on the virtual POS.

Payment institutions: iyzico, PayTR and others

Payment institutions let you accept cards from many banks through one integration, and onboarding is usually online. Check that any provider you consider appears on the TCMB list of payment institutions.

• iyzico: its developer documentation sets TRY as the default payment currency and allows USD, EUR and GBP. Ask iyzico which currencies are enabled on your account.
• PayTR: its virtual POS page says it supports payments from international cards and transactions in different currencies, with multi-currency pricing set by business model and volume.

Bank transfer (SWIFT)

For consulting, software, design and other services, or for large orders, the client can wire money straight to your foreign currency account. It is simple, but intermediary bank fees, delays and late payments are common, so it does not suit frequent small payments.

Comparison table

Running a business in Turkey: getting paid by foreign customers

1. Decide the display currency. Foreign guests expect euro or dollar prices. If you show euros but charge lira, their bank converts the amount and they may see a different figure on their statement, which can lead to disputes.
2. Ask your provider in writing whether foreign cards and foreign currency are enabled, which currencies, and when and where funds are paid out.
3. Test 3D Secure with a foreign card and make sure the payment page works in English and your other languages.
4. Publish cancellation and refund terms in every language you sell in. In a chargeback, the first thing checked is what the customer agreed to.
5. Choose between full prepayment and a deposit. We cover this for tour companies in our article on deposits vs prepayment.

If you also sell to consumers in Turkey, Turkish distance sales contract rules apply as well. The tax, company and website documents a provider will ask for are listed in our guide to starting an e-commerce business in Turkey. Clinics treating foreign patients should also check when prices may be advertised abroad; see our medical tourism license guide.

Based abroad: getting paid by Turkish customers

• Cards work. Stripe's card documentation shows Visa and Mastercard with a global customer country, so Turkish-issued cards can pay into an account in a supported country. Other international gateways behave similarly.
• Installments are the gap. Turkish shoppers are used to paying in card installments, and these run on local infrastructure. Without them, conversion on higher-priced items can suffer.
• Card settings. Some Turkish cards have online or international use switched off. A short note on the failed payment screen saves support time.
• Currency. The customer's bank may add a conversion margin or fee. If you price in lira, check that your gateway can charge in TRY.
• Local presence. For steady, high-volume sales, a Turkish company or a local distributor opens up local virtual POS and installments. Take that decision with tax and legal advice.

Checklist before you apply

• [ ] Sales model clear: products or services, one-off or subscription
• [ ] Target countries and currencies decided
• [ ] Provider checked on the TCMB licence list
• [ ] Foreign card and currency support confirmed in writing
• [ ] Payout currency, account and timing confirmed
• [ ] Website live with products or services, prices and contact details
• [ ] Refund, cancellation, privacy and contract pages ready in every sales language
• [ ] Checkout tested with a foreign card, on mobile and in each language

Where the website fits in

Payment providers review your website before approving you, and foreign customers judge it before typing in their card. We are not a payment provider. We integrate the bank or payment institution you choose into your site and build a multilingual, multi-currency checkout. See our e-commerce service or get in touch.

Summary

For a business in Turkey selling abroad, PayPal and Stripe are not direct options today. Local bank virtual POS accounts and licensed payment institutions do the job, and foreign card and currency support depends on the provider. Settle your currency, checkout flow and refund terms first, get written answers from the provider and test the checkout with a real foreign card.