An investigation was launched into Mastercard and Visa

In a statement on the Competition Authority's website, it was stated that payment institutions operating in the country can provide services to consumers who want to make payments to businesses located abroad through bilateral agreements they have made abroad.

The statement emphasized that international payment transactions have been localized within the scope of these bilateral agreements, and that these transactions can be carried out without being subject to Mastercard or Visa's cross-border transaction fees. "Initial findings from on-site inspections conducted in this context have shown that Mastercard and Visa can prevent the activities of payment institutions that have entered into bilateral agreements through various methods, such as imposing sanctions on banks, on the grounds that they violate the scheme rules they have determined. In this regard, an investigation has been launched into Mastercard and Visa, which operate in the global card payment systems market. As part of the investigation, allegations that Mastercard and Visa prevented merchants from using their card payment/POS infrastructure abroad and excluded alternative payment solutions will be examined," the statement said.

The statement said the investigation in this context focused on whether Mastercard and Visa's scheme rules restrict payment institutions in Türkiye from providing services to businesses located abroad.

The investigation decisions taken by the Board do not mean that the undertakings under investigation have violated the relevant law and are or will be subject to sanctions.