How to use Istanbulkart — Istanbul's transit card explained

Istanbulkart is the contactless card every visitor needs in Istanbul. One card, one tap, every public transit network. Here is the exact procedure — buy, top up, tap, transfer — in the order you'll do it.

Where to buy

Yellow vending machines are at every metro station, every ferry terminal (Eminönü, Kabataş, Karaköy, Üsküdar, Kadıköy), and most major bus stops. Look for the black-and-yellow machine labelled Istanbulkart Satış. They take cash (₺) and contactless cards. Menu language toggles to English. Avoid resellers offering pre-loaded cards near Sultanahmet — they mark up 40% over face value.

What it costs

₺70 for the card itself (non-refundable deposit), then whatever credit you load on top. Most travellers start with ₺200 — covers about 13 standard rides. Top-ups are unlimited; you can reload right up to the airport gate.

What it covers

• Metro (M1 through M11)
• Tram (T1 Kabataş–Bağcılar, T4, T5)
• Bus (every IETT city bus)
• Ferry (Şehir Hatları city ferries on the Bosphorus and Golden Horn)
• Marmaray (the Bosphorus undersea rail)
• Tünel (the historic Karaköy–Beyoğlu funicular)
• Funiculars (F1 Taksim–Kabataş, F4 Boğaziçi)
• Metrobüs (the dedicated bus expressway)
• İDO sea-bus routes (most, not all — check the gate sticker)

It does not cover taxis, BiTaksi rides, intercity buses, or the airport HAVAIST shuttles (those take a separate ticket or contactless bank card).

Step by step

1. Find a yellow vending machine. Touch the screen, select English.
2. Choose Buy New Card. Pay ₺70 cash or by contactless card. The card drops into the tray.
3. Without removing it, choose Top Up. Place the new card on the reader pad. Add ₺200 (or whatever amount). Pay again.
4. At the turnstile or boat gate, tap the card flat against the reader. Wait for the green light and the fare deduction to display. Walk through.
5. To check your balance: tap the card on any vending machine reader. Balance appears for 5 seconds, no purchase required.

The transfer discount

If you tap a second vehicle within 120 minutes of your first tap, the second fare is roughly half price. A third tap inside the same window is roughly a third. This applies across networks — metro then bus then ferry counts as one journey for fare purposes. Plan multi-leg routes inside two hours when possible.

One card per person — not shareable

If two of you try to tap the same card at one turnstile, the second tap is rejected for 15 minutes (anti-pass-back). At ferry gates with a single attendant, two adults attempting one card will be turned around. Buy one card per traveller. Children under 6 ride free, no card needed.

What to do at the end of your trip

The ₺70 card deposit is not refundable at vending machines. Three options: keep it for your next trip (it never expires), gift it to an arriving traveller at the airport metro station, or drop unused credit at the IETT customer service kiosk in Yenikapı or Taksim — they refund leftover balance over ₺50, minus a small fee, against your passport.

What can go wrong

• Empty balance at a turnstile. Top up at the same station's machine before re-entering — most stations have a vending machine inside the gate area, not just outside.
• Card reads as invalid. Usually a demagnetised card from being kept next to a phone. Swap at any IETT kiosk against your passport.
• Trying to tap a foreign contactless bank card on the reader. Some new metro lines (M11 to the airport) accept this; most do not. Always carry the Istanbulkart as the universal solution.
• Buying a pre-loaded card from a street tout. They charge ₺150 for a card with ₺40 of credit. Use the official yellow vending machine inside the station.
• Forgetting to tap on exit at Marmaray. You'll be charged the maximum fare. Always tap both in and out on Marmaray and Metrobüs.

For everything else first-time visitors should know about getting around the city, see our Istanbul arrival guide.

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