Which transport card should I buy in Istanbul (Istanbulkart) and how does it work?

Travelers arriving at Istanbul Airport in August 2026 were told that there is a dedicated kiosk on the platform where you can buy a transport card and top it up. That also solves the question of paying for the Havaist airport bus.

Apart from the airport, participants said in August 2026 that you can buy and top up the card at metro entrances. At the airport the kiosk is on the platform next to the Havaist buses, so you do not have to look for the card only at metro stations.

In June 2026 travelers who had bought their card on 10 June wrote that it carries a monthly limit of 2,750 lira and that they had already used it up; in July another traveler also mentioned the same 2,750-lira threshold. How exactly the limit works and what to do once it is used up is best checked at a top-up kiosk or with the card operator.