Ödeme ve Elektronik Para Kuruluşları İçin Nemalandırma Dönemi Başladı: TCMB Yönetmeliğinde Önemli Değişiklikler
April 2, 2026
Interest Accrual Period Begins for Payment and Electronic Money Institutions: Significant Amendments to the CBRT Regulation
The “Regulation Amending the Regulation on Payment Services and Electronic Money Issuance and Payment Service Providers” (“Regulation”), prepared by the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (“CBRT”), has entered into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette dated 19 March 2026 and numbered 33201, and the provisions of this Regulation shall be executed by the Governor of the CBRT. With these amendments, in particular, the accrual of interest (earning returns) on payment funds and funds collected in exchange for electronic money has been made possible, and the procedures and principles in this regard have been set out in detail.
With the Regulation, it is regulated that TRY balances held in safeguarding accounts may accrue interest in accounts to be opened with banks, that the principal and the net interest amount shall be monitored separately, and that the net return may be freely used by the institutions; it is also stipulated that such funds may not be used for any other purpose during the interest accrual period, that sufficient liquidity must be maintained, and that only low-risk and liquid assets shall be preferred. In addition, the end-of-day balance calculation hours have been updated and the obligations regarding the monitoring of funds on a customer basis have been reinforced. It is considered a positive development for electronic money institutions and is expected to provide financial benefits.
As a further development, with the amendments made to the annexes of the Regulation, the warning texts to be used in workplaces have also been updated, and it has been clearly stated that buying or selling foreign exchange outside the scope of the provision of payment services is prohibited, and that in case of violation, an administrative fine ranging from TRY 719,000 to TRY 3,595,000 may be imposed pursuant to Law No. 1567. Therefore, foreign currency accounts will not be subject to remuneration.
