How does the tourist Istanbulkart work — monthly limit, transfers, and refunds?

If taking the bus to the Çatladıkapı/Sultanahmet stop (Istanbulkart isn't accepted there, only cash), exchange money before you leave home so you can board immediately instead of wasting time exchanging currency in Istanbul.

Istanbulkart is accepted at most stops. The exception is the Çatladıkapı stop, where cash payment is available instead.

The tourist Istanbulkart offers no refunds whatsoever. If you plan to use public transport heavily, consider buying at least two cards, since each has a monthly spending cap of 2,750 TRY.

The tourist Istanbulkart works like a standard transit card: tap once per passenger at the turnstile. Unlike some other cards, the red tourist version has no cooldown period between taps. There is no need to tap out after a ride, and no cashback or refunds apply.