Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in Turkey that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
From my experience:
Best: PTT Bank (no fees, high limits)
Good: Is Bank (reliable but sometimes lower limits)
Okay: VakıfBank (works but slower processing)
Avoid: QNB Finansbank and any ATM in airports
Always withdraw larger amounts less frequently to minimize fees. Most bank ATMs allow 5,000-15,000 TL per withdrawal for foreign cards. Remember to decline currency conversion at the machine!
I exclusively avoid Yapi Kredi (9%), TEB (8%), Garanti (7.99%) and QNB Finans Bank (8%) for use with my Canadian cards. ING and HSBC are good and so is halkbank - they have the most reliable English interface and don't charge extra fees beyond what your home bank might charge. Their ATMs clearly show the withdrawal amount in both TL and your home currency before confirming. Avoid standalone ATMs in convenience stores - they often have lower limits and higher fees.
My go-to ATMs in Turkey:
Akbank - Never had a foreign card rejection
Garanti BBVA - Offers clear fee disclosures
Halkbank - Good exchange rates
All three allow withdrawals up to 10,000 TL per transaction (about $300). Watch out for DenizBank ATMs - they've given me trouble with US-issued cards before. Stick to ATMs attached to actual bank branches for best results.
After living here for 2 years, I've found Turkey ATMs to charge some of the most ridiculous fees. Fibabanka charges 8% atm fees, Ziraat Bank will force an 8% currency conversion fee, anadolu bank charges flat fee of 750 lira. Halfbank and ING I have found to be the best without any fees and allow 5000 and 10000 lira withdrawal limits. Always select "Continue Without Conversion" when withdrawing Turkish Lira.Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in Turkey that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
Tried withdrawing at Ziraat Bank in Turkey - it charged an 8% fee and didnt even give me the option to decline.
There are two ATMs at the Turk Ekonomi Bankasi (TEB) location in Turkey. Worked well.
Tried a new AKBANK ATM in Turkey - it worked fine but took a shocking 10% as a withdrawal fee.
AKBANK in Turkey charged a ridiculous 10% withdrawal fee. The ATM was new and worked, but the fee was way too high.