Istanbulkart: Istanbul’s Public Transport Card Explained
- Martin
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
Istanbul is a huge city - and if you plan to move around it, you will quickly get to know the Istanbulkart, the city’s public transport card.
Metro lines, trams, buses and ferries tie Istanbul together in all directions - and once you’ve cracked the code, getting around is both easy and surprisingly inexpensive.
In this post I’ll show you how to get hold of an Istanbulkart, what other payment options exist, and what it currently costs to use public transport in the city.
If you plan to move around Istanbul even a little, there is one thing you will quickly realise you almost can’t do without: an Istanbulkart. That small card is your access to the metro, trams, buses and ferries - and trust me, you’ll end up using it sooner than you think.
Often already from the airport. From both Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport, you can use Istanbulkart on public transport into the city, although there are of course also airport buses, taxis and other options.
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Getting an Istanbulkart
An anonymous Istanbulkart can be bought at ferry terminals, metro stations and major transport hubs across the city. Look for the square yellow or blue machines called Biletmatik.
On the screen you simply choose a language you are comfortable with (Turkish, English, Arabic and others) and press “Buy Istanbulkart.”
The card itself costs 165 TL, and after that you need to load money onto it.
The machine will ask how much you want to add. That obviously depends on how much you expect to use public transport, but as a starting point I usually recommend around 200–300 TL per person using the card.
As of 2026, most Biletmatik machines are also set up to accept payment cards.
Travel fares
Every time you hear the small beep - in other words, every time you tap your Istanbulkart when entering public transport - a fare is deducted from the card.
On the small screen next to the gate you can see both the price of the trip and how much credit you have left.
Topping up the card
When the balance starts running low, you simply top up the card at the same type of machine where you bought it.
Choose a language and follow the instructions on the screen. The whole process usually takes less than a minute.
Alternative payment: Visa and Mastercard
It is also possible to pay directly with a contactless Visa or Mastercard. The process is the same as with Istanbulkart: hold the card near the reader, wait for the beep and walk through the gate.
But there are a few things worth knowing:
only IETT-operated transport accepts international payment cards
the Marmaray train line is not part of the system
public toilets also do not accept card payments
your bank may add fees or exchange rates
For that reason, paying directly with a bank card usually only makes sense if you are using public transport a few times.
For most visitors, an Istanbulkart is the easiest way to use public transport in Istanbul.
