Can I use Revolut in Turkey?

Planning a trip to Turkey from the UK? You may be flying there for a summer holiday, or an extended stay for work, study or to see family. Whichever is the case, you’ll need to figure out the most cost-effective way to spend while you’re there.

If you’re a Revolut customer in the UK or are thinking of signing up, you’ll want to know which countries it works in. In this guide, we’ll look at whether you can use Revolut in Turkey, including whether you can spend in Turkish lira (TRY) on the Revolut card.

We’ll even have a quick look at an alternative for convenient, low-cost spending abroad from the money services provider Wise. Get the Wise card and you can spend in over 150 countries at the mid-market exchange rate, only paying a small, upfront currency conversion fee. This means you can start shopping in TRY from the moment you land at the airport.

Can I use my Revolut card in Turkey?

Yes, you can use your Revolut card in Turkey. It can be used for card payments and ATM withdrawals wherever Mastercard and Visa are accepted.¹

This includes shops, restaurants, airports, hotels and transport services. You can also use it for online shopping in other currencies.

Is Turkish lira supported for spending?

The Revolut card does support spending and ATM withdrawals in Turkish lira (TRY) during your trip to Turkey.¹

You can also hold and exchange Turkish lira in your Revolut account.² This means that if you want to, you can convert money into TRY before your trip - using the Revolut mobile app.

How much does it cost to use a Revolut card in Turkey?

There are potentially some fees involved when you use your Revolut card in other countries. It all depends where you use your card and when - and whether currency exchange is required. Let’s have a quick look at Revolut’s Standard plan fees (fees can differ for other tier plans):

Transaction	Revolut fee (Standard plan)³
Additional merchant surcharge fees (for paying by card)	Set by the merchant (if applicable)
Currency exchange transactions above £1,000	1%
Currency exchanges on weekends	1%
ATM withdrawals over £200 (or more than 5 withdrawals)	2%⁴

When looking at how much it’ll cost you to use a card abroad, it’s important to factor in the exchange rate.

With Revolut, you can pre-load your account with Turkish lira before you travel. This means you can spend while you’re there without a currency conversion being required.

However, the money will first need to be converted from GBP in order to top up your balance with Turkish lira. Revolut uses their own Revolut exchange rate⁴ when you convert your GBP to INR which can be different from the mid-market exchange rate. But more crucially, this is only for converting currency during the week. If you do it on a weekend, an additional 1% charge will apply to whatever you spend or convert.

Also, if you choose to be charged in your home currency when using your Revolut card to shop abroad, the merchant will apply their own exchange rate.³ This usually has a mark-up added on top of the mid-market rate, so it ends up costing you extra.

Can I get a Revolut account in Turkey?

If you’re spending a long period of time in Turkey and aren’t already signed up to Revolut, you may be thinking of opening an account.

Unfortunately, Revolut accounts aren’t currently available in Turkey. You can still use a UK-issued Revolut card there though, and send money from the UK to Turkey.

A great alternative for low-cost spending in Turkey - the Wise card

Checking out alternatives for holiday spending? If you travel a lot, work or study in other countries, the Wise card could be the perfect choice.

Open a Wise multi-currency account online and you can get an international Wise card for spending in over 150 countries, including Turkey.

This clever card automatically converts your GBP to TRY whenever you spend. It does the conversion at the mid-market exchange rate, for just a small, transparent currency conversion fee. Or if you already have TRY in your Wise account, there’s no fee to pay.

Need cash? You can use your Wise card to withdraw up to £200 a month from Turkish ATMs for free (although ATM providers may charge their own fees).

Sign up with Wise today

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Sources used:

1. Revolut Help - What Currencies are Supported for Spending?
2. Revolut Help - What Currencies are Supported For Holding and Exchange?
3. Revolut Help - What Fees Will I Be Charged for Making Card Payments?
4. Revolut - Standard Fees

Sources last checked on date: 12-Apr-2024