Turkcell, Turkey’s largest mobile operator, says it has launched the country’s first mobile payment system for public transport.

‘Urfakart’, a card used for public transport payments, has been integrated into the Turkcell Wallet platform with the help of Belsan and Asis, plus support from the Sanliurfa municipality where the service is being rolled out first.

Belsan, owned by the Sanliurfa municipality, is the local public transport operator. Asis provides and runs the electronic ticketing system for fare collection.

Turkcell also has an agreement with the local municipality to help inform and educate customers about the service.

Urfakart gives customers the option of carrying out various transactions, such as topping up cash and checking balances, without having to go to an actual payment point.

Smartphone owners can add Urfakart by downloading the Turkcell Wallet application from the App Store or Google Play. Those with NFC-enabled phones can make contactless payments while travelling.

After adding Urfakart to Turkcell Wallet, Turkcell customers can use their debit or credit cards on their Turkcell Wallet to top up cash to their Urfakart. Those who choose not to use bank or credit cards can top up their Urfakart by using Turkcell Mobile Payment. These payments are reflected on their bills or deducted from their pre-paid balance.

“Turkcell hopes that the 207 public transportation vehicles in Sanliurfa [equipped to accept mobile payments] will set an example for other provinces to follow in the near future,” said Turkcell general manager Sureyya Ciliv (pictured).

Turkcell Wallet was introduced in October 2012 and is currently used by 1.2 million people.