Sending Money to Turkey from the US: Lira, Dollars and the Real Cost
Most guides start with which app is cheapest. For Turkey, start one step earlier: does your family want lira to spend or dollars to keep? Once that is settled, the rest is a straightforward price comparison, and the gap between services is bigger than most people expect.
The Short Answer
For money that will be spent in Turkey, send lira to the recipient's IBAN through a money transfer app and pay from your US bank account. On a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is Taptap Send at $3.08 all-in, then Revolut at $5.80 and Instarem at $5.85.
If the money is meant to be saved, talk to your family before you send. Plenty of Turkish households keep a dollar or euro account precisely because the lira has lost so much ground, and sending lira only for them to buy dollars back means paying for two conversions.
The country asked the United Nations in 2022 to use the name Türkiye, and you will see it on Turkish bank documents and in some transfer apps. Turkey and Türkiye are the same destination; pick whichever the app lists.
Today’s Prices for Lira
Compare Money Transfer Services
Sending 1,000.00 USD → TRY from the US · Estimated typical cost · bank deposit, bank-funded
Showing 10 of 17 services we can price for USD → TRY
Estimates only, not live quotes. "Recipient Gets" is for a bank deposit funded from a bank account, on today's mid-market rate: for a "provider quote", minus the rate markup and fee from that provider's own recent quote; for an estimate, minus the provider's typical markup and fee. Rows are ranked by total cost, the fee plus the rate markup, so a fee charged on top of the amount sent counts against a provider even when its recipient gets more. Real cost varies by corridor, amount, delivery and payment method, and promotions (e.g. new-customer offers can be cheaper). Tap a provider to get its live rate before sending. The dot by each provider shows confidence, and the label says how the figure was grounded: "corridor estimate" is a rate we measured for this exact pair; a currency-code estimate (e.g. "USD estimate") is measured for that source currency but not this destination; "typical estimate" is the provider's general figure across all its corridors; "provider quote" is that provider's own recent quote for this pair, its markup and fee applied to today's mid-market rate exactly as its calculator shows them, and a provider whose quote depends on a payment or delivery choice is left out here and priced on its own calculator. Margins are verified against live provider quotes and the World Bank Remittance Prices database; the date above is the most recent collection. Some “Send money now” buttons are partner links: we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you, and rows are ranked by cost whatever the link. See how we collect these prices and our advertising disclosure.
Lira or Dollars? Settle That First
Send lira when…
- the money pays for rent, groceries, bills or school fees in Turkey
- your recipient's main account is a lira account
- you want the exact amount in lira locked in at the moment you send
Consider dollars when…
- the money is savings your family will keep for months or years
- your recipient already holds a US dollar account at their bank
- they would otherwise convert the lira straight back into dollars
The comparison on this page prices transfers that arrive as lira. If you choose to send dollars, make sure the service actually delivers US dollars into a foreign-currency account. If it doesn't, the bank in Turkey converts the money into lira at its own rate, and you lose the point of sending dollars.
What Sending Lira Actually Costs
Every figure in the table below is the full cost of a lira transfer to a Turkish bank account, paid from a US bank account: the fee plus the margin inside the exchange rate, measured against the mid-market USD/TRY rate at the moment each service quoted. Prices collected October 26, 2026.
| Service | Cost shape | $200 | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taptap Send | 0.31% rate, no fee | ≈$0.62 | ≈$1.54 | $3.08 | $15.39 |
| RevolutDelivered by bank transfer | 0.43–0.58% rate + $0.75–$27.50 | ≈$1.90 | ≈$3.63 | $5.80 | $48.93 |
| InstaremPaid by ACH/Direct Debit | 0.59–0.60% rate, no fee | ≈$1.20 | ≈$2.97 | $5.85 | $29.26 |
| WiseDelivered by bank deposit, paid by connected bank account (ACH) | 0.02% rate + $3.57–$25.55 | ≈$3.62 | ≈$5.07 | $7.48 | $26.76 |
| MoneyGram | 1.03% rate + $1.99 | ≈$4.03 | ≈$7.12 | $12.28 | $53.51 |
| Remitly | 0.91–1.01% rate + $2.99 | ≈$4.97 | ≈$7.99 | $13.02 | $48.25 |
| Western UnionDelivered by direct to bank, paid by bank account | 2.04% rate + $0.99 | ≈$5.05 | ≈$11.16 | $21.35 | $102.89 |
| Ria Money TransferDelivered by bank deposit, paid by bank account | 1.97% rate + $1.90 | ≈$5.81 | ≈$11.73 | $21.59 | $100.49 |
| Paysend | 2.10% rate + $1.99 | ≈$6.14 | ≈$12.43 | $22.91 | $106.77 |
| OFX | 2.10–2.59% rate, no fee | — | — | $25.86 | $105.02 |
From our current data, collected October 26, 2026, for a transfer from the US paid from a bank account and delivered to a bank account. Wise’s prices from the US are for paying it from a connected US bank account (ACH). Wise also takes payment by wire transfer, at a different fee. A dash means the provider has no quote at that amount whose fee and rate we can state. ≈ marks a price between two amounts the provider quoted, where its fee and rate are known to hold. How we collect these prices.
Revolut, Instarem, Remitly and OFX charge a different rate margin at different amounts, so their costs can fall as the amount rises rather than climbing steadily.
- We hold no current quote for this route from BOSS Money, Pangea, Sendwave, WorldRemit, XE and Xoom.
All-in cost in US dollars for lira paid into a Turkish IBAN. Green marks the lowest standing price at each amount. A promotional price is labelled but never marked, because a returning customer is not quoted it.
Two pricing styles sit side by side here. Taptap Send, Instarem and OFX charge no separate fee and take their whole cost in the rate, so the cost grows in step with the amount. The rest add a fee on top of their rate margin, which weighs heavily on a small transfer and fades as the amount grows.
Check the exact fee on your amount:
Sending Into a Weakening Currency
Since the start of 2021 the lira has lost more than four-fifths of its value against the dollar, and inflation in Turkey has run far above US levels for most of that time: it peaked above 85% in October 2022 and only slipped below 30% in September 2026. The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye answered with steep rate rises from mid-2023, and on October 22, 2026 it trimmed its policy rate to 36%, its first cut since January. The long slide in the lira has not reversed. On October 27, 2026 the mid-market rate stood at 49.78 lira to the dollar.
A weaker lira means each dollar you send buys more lira, but those lira also buy less each month. For your family, the useful question is not “what will the rate be next week?” but “when do we need the money, and in which currency?”
Trying to time the market on this route is mostly a distraction. What you can control is the margin. With dozens of lira to the dollar, a markup of a couple of percent is easy to overlook in the rate a checkout screen shows. On a $1,000 transfer, a 2% margin is about 1,000 lira that never reach the account. Compare the lira delivered, not the fee line.
The TR IBAN, and the Other Ways to Receive
A Turkish bank account is reached by its IBAN: 26 characters, starting with TR. That one string identifies the bank, the branch and the account, so you don't need anything else from your recipient except their name exactly as the bank holds it. Ask them to copy it from their banking app and paste it into yours. Each currency account has its own IBAN, so lira go to the lira account's IBAN and dollars to the dollar account's; using the wrong one can delay or bounce the payment. Once the money is in, FAST, the central bank's instant system, moves lira between Turkish banks around the clock. Ziraat Bankası, İş Bankası, Garanti BBVA and Akbank are among the names you will see most.
Deposits funded from a US bank account usually reach a Turkish account within one to three business days. Paid by card, some services can deliver within minutes.
Cash pickup exists but is a niche on this route, used mostly by recipients without an account. For cash pickup on a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is MoneyGram at $16.24 all-in, then Ria Money Transfer at $20.04. For delivery to a mobile wallet on a $1,000 transfer, the only standing price in our current data is MoneyGram at $12.28 all-in. If you are offered a payout to a Turkish e-money wallet, bear in mind that in 2025 a court put one of the best known, Papara, under a state trustee, and the central bank suspended the licences of three smaller ones. A bank IBAN is the safer destination.
And skip the wire from your US bank. US banks charge up to $75 to send a $1,000 wire (their published fees, checked October 2026) and a correspondent bank typically takes about $20, before an exchange-rate markup the banks don’t publish and that we could not check on this route.
The US Cash Tax
A 1% US federal excise tax has applied since January 1, 2026 to remittances paid for in cash, by money order or by cashier's check. Pay from a US bank account or with a US debit or credit card and there is no tax to pay. (Tax rules change; check before a large transfer.)
Common Questions
What is the cheapest way to send money from the US to Turkey?
A money transfer app funded from your US bank account, paying lira into the recipient’s Turkish IBAN. On a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is Taptap Send at $3.08 all-in, then Revolut at $5.80 and Instarem at $5.85. A wire from a US bank costs up to $75 in fees, plus a rate markup banks don’t publish.
Should I send lira or US dollars to Turkey?
It depends on what your family will do with the money. For spending in Turkey, lira avoids a second conversion. For savings, many Turkish households prefer a dollar or euro account, and sending dollars to a dollar account avoids converting twice. The prices in this guide are for lira; for dollars, check that the service delivers US dollars to a foreign-currency account rather than converting at the bank in Turkey. Turkish banks give each currency account its own IBAN, so dollars should go to the dollar account's IBAN.
Is it worth waiting for a better USD to TRY rate?
Rarely. The lira has weakened against the dollar year after year, so waiting has more often worked in a sender's favor than against it, but nobody can promise next week's move. If the money is needed for bills or rent, send it when it is needed and pick the service on all-in cost. On October 27, 2026 the mid-market rate stood at 49.78 lira to the dollar.
What details do I need to send money to a Turkish bank account?
The recipient's full name exactly as the bank holds it and their IBAN, which in Turkey is 26 characters and starts with TR. You don't need a separate account number or SWIFT code when sending through a transfer app.
Can someone in Turkey pick up the money in cash?
Some services pay out at counters in Turkey against the reference number and photo ID. The services with a cash pickup price on this route in our latest quotes are MoneyGram and Ria Money Transfer. A deposit to an IBAN is the usual way money reaches Turkey.
Does my family owe Turkish gift tax on money I send?
Possibly, on large sums. Turkey's inheritance and gift tax covers gifts between individuals, including gifts received from abroad by Turkish citizens. In 2026, gifts above 66,935 lira call for a return within a month, and gifts from a parent, spouse or child are taxed at half the usual scale. How strictly this is applied to routine family support is unclear, so before a large gift your family should check with a Turkish tax adviser.
Is there a US tax on money sent to Turkey?
Only on transfers paid with cash, a money order or a cashier's check: since January 1, 2026 those carry a 1% US federal excise tax. A transfer funded from a US bank account or a US debit or credit card is not taxed.
Key Takeaways
- Decide the currency first. Lira for spending in Turkey, dollars to a dollar account for savings, so nobody converts twice.
- On a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is Taptap Send at $3.08 all-in, then Revolut at $5.80 and Instarem at $5.85.
- Get the 26-character TR IBAN and the name exactly as the bank holds it.
- Don't try to time the lira. Send when the money is needed and choose on the lira delivered.
- Fund from a US bank account or card, and the 2026 cash remittance tax never applies.
See What Your Lira Transfer Costs
Price your own amount, with the fee and the rate margin counted together.
Related Calculators & Guides
Every fee on an international transfer, from the exchange-rate markup to card, cash pickup and bank wire charges, and how to see the real price.
How to send money from the US to India in 2026: the main services compared, UPI & bank delivery, real INR rates, and the new remittance tax.
A Wise transfer to a Turkish IBAN, priced on your own amount.
Price a Western Union transfer to a bank account in Turkey.
Sources & References
- Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye
- Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye: Consumer prices
- Revenue Administration (GİB): Inheritance and gift tax
- SWIFT: IBAN registry
- World Bank: Remittance Prices Worldwide
- IRS: Excise taxes
Provider pricing and exchange rates are set by the companies named and can change. Figures in this guide are checked against these official sources. Always confirm the live rate before you transact.