Yapı Kredi Starts Charging Retirees EFT and Credit Card Fees
I have been a salary customer of Yapı Kredi Bank since 1998. As of December 9, 2024, I retired, and I am still receiving my retirement pension through this bank. While I was working, I was not charged any EFT transfer fees or annual credit card fees, but after retiring, the bank started charging both an annual card fee and EFT fees. Considering the limited amount of retirement pensions, I would expect that customers who receive their pension through your bank would at least be exempt from EFT fees and annual credit card fees.
Until 2025, I regularly called my account officer every three months and gave instructions, which allowed me to avoid paying EFT fees. However, as of 2026, my request was rejected, and I was told that this exemption can no longer be provided. This morning, when I attempted to make an EFT transfer, I saw that an EFT fee of about $0 USD would be charged to my account, so I decided not to proceed with the transaction.
Our retirement income is already very limited, and charging fees for EFT transfers that we are forced to make to other banks in order to pay our debts only makes it even harder to make ends meet. While retirees are already facing difficult living conditions, I request that EFT fees be completely removed and annual credit card fees not be charged for all customers who receive their retirement pension through Yapı Kredi Bank.
Otherwise, I want to clearly state that many retirees like myself—who currently receive their pension through Yapı Kredi—will seriously consider moving their pension and investment accounts to other banks that offer more advantages to retirees. I request that my complaint be taken into consideration by bank management, that policies be revised in a way that protects retired customers, and that these fees not be charged to me.
