What is Istanbul Kart?
Istanbul Kart (Card) is Smart Card for public transportation fare payment. The card is pre-paid and easily rechargeable. It is well worth it, if you want to travel within Istanbul by public transportation Tram, Metro, Bus and Ferry.
Where to Get an Istanbul Kart
The easiest way to get the Istanbul Kart is at major transit stops such as the airport, Sultanahmet and Eminönü. To buy an Istanbul Kart, you need to pay a non-refundable 10 TL fee (for the actual card and the service), and of course an amount of your choice to load onto the card.
How to Reload the Istanbul Kart ( biletmatik )
To reload the card, you can either go to newsstands and small shops (look for the phrase Akbil Dolum Noktası or biletmatik) which offer this service, or use self-service special purpose machines at major transit stations. The machines accept notes of 5, 10, and 20 TL and have instructions in multiple languages.