TESK President Palandoken: "Credit Card Commissions Bring Tradesmen and Citizens Against Each Other"

ANKARA - Bendevi Palandöken, President of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), drew attention to the problems experienced due to the recently increasing credit card commissions and stated that this situation caused tension between tradesmen and citizens. Palandöken said, "A ceiling-base range should be put on credit cards. Otherwise, both citizens and tradesmen are victimized," he said and invited the Ministry of Treasury and Finance to find an urgent solution.

Practice Disrupting Market Balance

TESK President emphasized that the market balance is disrupted by banks applying different commission rates to each business. Palandöken said, "Banks impose different commissions on each business by offering various rates, which disrupts the market balance." Stating that credit cards are a secure payment method that eliminates the risk of carrying cash for citizens and makes a great contribution to the registered economy, Palandöken said that this system, which has been established for years, has started to lose its function due to high commissions.

Tension Growing Between Shopkeepers and Citizens

Palandöken stated that especially small tradesmen have difficulty in meeting the high commission rates demanded by banks, so they have to demand additional fees for payments made by credit card. Stating that this situation victimizes both tradesmen and citizens, Palandöken said, "When the citizen extends his card, businesses have to demand a difference. In this case, tradesmen are victimized because the bank cannot afford the commission. And the citizen says, 'Brother, there shouldn't be such a thing on this card.'", revealing the extent of the problem.

Formal Economy Emphasis for the Ministry of Treasury and Finance

TESK President Bendevi Palandöken said that the Ministry of Treasury and Finance should step in to prevent these frictions and support the registered economy. Palandöken emphasized that banks should not demand arbitrary expenses and said, "Each bank should not demand an expense according to its own expenses. Because a credit card is an area where both the deposits and transactions of the customer of that bank are followed. Therefore, such a deduction confronts both citizens and tradesmen. Therefore, this practice should be terminated as soon as possible."

Palandöken stated that the Banks Association and the relevant banks should urgently reach a compromise, and that with the ceiling and base rates to be determined, the victimization of both tradesmen and citizens will be eliminated.