How to withdraw cash from ATMs in Istanbul with a foreign bank card?
Based on 2 discussions with 3 participants · Last activity: 20 days ago
TL;DR
ATMs in Istanbul only work with physical chip cards — contactless withdrawal is not supported. For payments in stores, contactless via phone or Huawei Watch sometimes works at POS terminals.
What the community said
Istanbul ATMs only read the physical chip — contactless cash withdrawal is not supported. However, at store POS terminals that accept contactless, payment via phone or Huawei smartwatch sometimes works, including at Migros supermarkets.
20 days ago Migros supermarkets — Huawei Watch contactless payment
Cards from RSHB bank (including the UP card) work at Istanbul ATMs for withdrawing Turkish lira. Currency exchange offices may be scarce in some areas, making ATMs the primary option.
20 days ago RSHB UP card — lira withdrawal at ATMs
American Express cards have limited acceptance in Istanbul, but Istanbul Kart top-up machines (transit card) are often located near ATMs and may accept other cards.
20 days ago Istanbul Kart top-up machine near ATMs