Is it safe to pay by card or cash in Istanbul, and how common are tourist scams or overcharging?

During six days in Istanbul, visitors reported no overcharging in cafés or shops and no menu-price switching after ordering. When buying a leather bag, a seller recounted the cash and returned an extra ₺1,500 that had been handed over by mistake.

At a sweets shop, the cashier noticed that €50 and €20 notes had accidentally been mixed in with Turkish lira and pointed this out. The visitor also reported no overcharging or menu-price changes over five days in Istanbul.

Travelers’ concerns include both using a Kaspi card in Istanbul and carrying cash. The practical approach is not to rely solely on alarming online stories, while still checking the amount charged and counting banknotes when paying.