Shopping in Turkey is safe, enjoyable, and generally good value. As in any popular tourist destination, a little awareness goes a long way. This article answers the questions that come up most often among foreign residents and visitors.

65a. Till and restaurant tricks – The range is wide

The most common tactics encountered in Alanya and other tourist areas:

• TL price shown, foreign currency demanded: A price is displayed in TL. At payment time, euros or dollars are requested instead. Rule: always confirm the currency before you pay.
• Menu without prices: A classic trap in tourist restaurants. The menu lists the dishes but no prices. The bill arrives after the meal – and the total is a shock. Rule: ask the price of every item before ordering from any menu that has no prices shown.
• Overcharging at the till: Short-changing or charging slightly more than the correct amount. Always count your change and check the receipt.
• Inflated bills: Especially in group settings, the bill may include table cover, service charge, or bread charge that were never mentioned. Ask about these additional items when ordering.
• Supermarket till additions (Migros, Şok, BİM): Even in large chain supermarkets, an item you did not put in your basket can appear on the receipt. This has happened in real life: a 5,000 TL shop included a 250 TL item that was never selected. An objection was raised and the money was refunded – but only because the customer checked. Check your receipt before leaving the store, and do it while you are still under the security cameras. That camera footage is your evidence if you need to dispute anything. Once you leave the premises, it becomes much harder to resolve.

65b. Contactless card – A serious risk in turkey

This is one of the most important warnings in this guide. Some POS terminals operate in foreign currency mode, and you can make a payment in the wrong currency without realising it.

A concrete scenario: you are paying 1,500 TL. The POS screen shows 1,500. You assume it is lira – but the terminal has charged 1,500 Euros. Or the correct 1,500 TL amount has had a zero added to it and 15,000 TL has been taken instead. This happens through a feature called DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion), which can activate automatically when a foreign card is used. The cashier may not even know it happened – or it may be intentional.

How to protect yourself:

• Say I want to pay in TL and only approve the payment after you see both TL and the correct amount on the screen
• If something looks wrong, cancel the transaction immediately and use a different payment method
• Enable instant payment notifications on your banking app – you will see the exact amount charged the moment it happens
• For larger amounts, pay cash

65c. Online shopping – stay local where possible

Shopping on Turkish e-commerce platforms like Trendyol or Hepsiburada is possible, but the language barrier, return processes, and customer service are all Turkish-language only – which creates complications for foreigners. The most reliable platform currently for foreign residents is Amazon Turkey (amazon.com.tr), which operates to international customer service and returns standards. For electronics and technical products, local electronics shops are preferable: pricing is transparent, and warranty and returns can be handled face to face.

65d. Currency at payment – always choose tl

When paying with a foreign card, the cashier or the POS terminal may ask: TL or euros/dollars? Always choose TL. If you pay in foreign currency, both an exchange rate and a DCC commission set by the merchant are applied – almost always at rates far worse than your banks. Paying in the local currency is always the cheaper option. The safest approach for any significant purchase: agree the price beforehand, confirm it clearly, and pay in cash.

Sources: T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı Tüketici Hakları – https://www.ticaret.gov.tr | BKM (Bankalar arası Kart Merkezi) – https://www.bkm.com.tr

EXPERT ADVICE: The vast majority of shopping in Turkey is honest. But in tourist areas, inattention is expensive. Confirm the currency before every card payment, read the POS screen yourself before approving, check your supermarket receipt before leaving – while you are still under the cameras. Enable your banks instant notifications. These habits cost nothing and protect everything.

P.S. The warnings in this article are there for a reason. They are not hypothetical these situations happen, and they happen in tourist areas more than anywhere else. Read them, remember them, and apply them. Awareness costs nothing. The alternative is more expensive.