Eskişehir tradesmen leader protests high bank POS commissions

Murat Arnik, President of the Eskişehir Restaurateurs and Butchers Chamber of Tradesmen (ESLOK), has issued a formal protest against high POS device commission rates imposed by banks. Arnik stated that as card payments become essential for daily commerce, the rising commission rates—which can reach between 3% and 4%—are placing an unsustainable financial burden on small businesses.

Arnik highlighted the scale of the issue, noting that a 3.74% deduction on monthly card collections of 1 million lira could amount to nearly 448,800 lira annually. He argued that these costs shrink profit margins at a time when businesses are already struggling with rising operational expenses.

He called upon the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Ministry of Trade, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, and the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) to intervene and implement regulations to lower these rates. Arnik suggested that reducing commission fees could help lower consumer prices and contribute positively to the fight against inflation.