BKM express
BKM Express is a Turkey-wide digital wallet operated by the country's interbank card center, BKM, aggregating cards from 22 banks and e-money institutions into a free consumer app for online checkout, in-store payments, P2P transfers, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersIstanbul
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What BKM express does
BKM Express is a digital wallet and payment service operated by Bankalararası Kart Merkezi A.Ş. (BKM), Turkey's interbank card center collectively owned by Turkish banks. The platform aggregates cards from 22 partner banks and e-money institutions—including Akbank, Garanti BBVA, İş Bankası, Yapı Kredi, Halkbank, Vakıfbank, Ziraat, Papara, HSBC Turkey, and ICBC Turkey—into a single mobile wallet available on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery. Users register via SMS-OTP verification, add cards using only the first six and last four digits (full numbers are tokenized and never stored by BKM), and use the wallet for online checkout, in-store payments via a 5-digit cashier code, 24/7 card-to-card money transfer, and QR-code donations to civil society organizations such as UNICEF Turkey, Kızılay, AKUT, TEMA, and Yeşilay.
The underlying technology centers on tokenization for card storage security and SMS-OTP-based authentication orchestrated with issuing banks; an iPhone X TrueDepth 'Smile and Donate' feature processes face data entirely on-device. Merchant acceptance spans large Turkish enterprises across retail (A101, Migros, Boyner), quick-service restaurants (McDonald's), e-commerce (Hepsiburada), airlines (Türk Hava Yolları, Pegasus), municipal services (Ankara Büyükşehir Belediyesi), and airports (İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen).
The business model is product-led: the service is free for consumers (no membership, subscription, or transaction fees), while revenue is generated through merchant transaction fees charged to businesses that integrate BKM Express checkout on their e-commerce sites and physical terminals. Marketing and acquisition occur primarily through bank partnership channels and app stores, with operational support handled by the BKM Express Destek Merkezi in Istanbul.
BKM express firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BKM express
- Legal name
- Bankalararası Kart Merkezi A.Ş.
- Website
- https://bkmexpress.com.tr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BKM Express is a Turkey-wide digital wallet operated by the country's interbank card center, BKM, aggregating cards from 22 banks and e-money institutions into a free consumer app for online checkout, in-store payments, P2P transfers, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BKM express industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Payments
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General-Purpose Digital Wallets (P2P + Merchant) (FSAMAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Wallet Platforms (Consumer & Merchant) (BPAMAFAC), Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA)
Keywords
Where BKM express is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Istanbul
Offices1 record
Markets served
BKM express business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Merchant Transaction Fees: BKM Express generates revenue through transaction fees charged to merchant businesses that accept BKM Express as a payment method. Merchants integrate BKM Express checkout on their websites and in-store terminals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free digital wallet for consumers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
BKM express product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BKM Express is a digital wallet mobile application that lets Turkish consumers add debit and credit cards from multiple banks and e-money institutions into a single tokenized wallet, then use them to pay online at merchant checkout, pay in-store via a 5-digit cashier code, send or request money 24/7 using just a recipient card number, and donate to civil society organizations via QR codes. The service is free for end users and operated by Bankalararası Kart Merkezi A.Ş., the interbank card center established by Turkish banks.
Product overview
BKM Express is a digital wallet service operated by Bankalararası Kart Merkezi A.Ş. (Turkey's Interbank Card Center). The service provides a unified platform for managing multiple bank cards and e-money accounts, enabling users to make online purchases, in-store payments, and 24/7 card-to-card money transfers. The offering consists of the core BKM Express Digital Wallet platform and its companion mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Huawei devices. Users can link cards from partner banks and e-money institutions, then use them for shopping without revealing full card numbers. The service also includes QR code-based donation capabilities for civil society organizations. Membership and usage are free.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BKM Express Digital Wallet A bank-agnostic digital wallet service that lets Turkish consumers add debit and credit cards and e-money accounts from 22+ banks and e-money institutions, pay online at merchant checkout without sharing full card numbers, complete in-store payments via a 5-digit cashier code, send and request card-to-card money transfers 24/7, and donate to civil society organizations via QR codes. Membership and usage are free for consumers; merchants pay transaction fees.
Companies that use BKM express
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BKM express technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
BKM express partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AkbankcoreAkbank is one of Turkey's largest private banks whose cards can be added to and used through the BKM Express digital wallet platform.
- Garanti BBVAcoreGaranti BBVA, a major Turkish bank, participates in BKM Express enabling its customers to add cards and make payments.
- Türkiye İş Bankasıcoreİş Bankası, Turkey's largest bank, partners with BKM Express for card integration.
- Yapı KredicoreYapı Kredi Bank participates in the BKM Express network.
- HalkbankcoreState-owned Halkbank partners with BKM Express.
- VakıfbankcoreVakıfbank is a partner bank in the BKM Express ecosystem.
- Ziraat BankasıcoreZiraat Bankası, Turkey's largest state bank, partners with BKM Express.
- QNBcoreQNB (QNB Finansbank) participates in the BKM Express payment network.
- PaparacorePapara, a leading Turkish e-money institution, enables its cards to be used via BKM Express.
- AlbarakacoreAlbaraka Türk, an Islamic bank, participates in BKM Express.
- DenizbankcoreDenizbank, now part of Emirates NBD, partners with BKM Express.
- ING TurkeycoreING Turkey participates in BKM Express for card integration.
- Kuveyt TürkcoreKuveyt Türk, an Islamic bank, enables its cards on BKM Express.
- HSBC TurkeycoreHSBC Turkey participates in the BKM Express payment network.
- ICBC TurkeycoreICBC Turkey, subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, partners with BKM Express.
- OdeabankcoreOdeabank participates in BKM Express.
- ŞekerbankcoreŞekerbank is a partner bank in the BKM Express ecosystem.
- TEBcoreTürk Ekonomi Bankası (TEB) participates in BKM Express.
- Vakıf KatılımcoreVakıf Katılım, an Islamic participation bank, partners with BKM Express.
- Ziraat KatılımcoreZiraat Katılım, a state-owned Islamic bank, participates in BKM Express.
- Türkiye FinanscoreTürkiye Finans Katılım Bankası partners with BKM Express.
- Türk Elektronik ParacoreTürk Elektronik Para (Türkpos) e-money institution enables its cards on BKM Express.
- FUPScoreFUPS e-money institution participates in BKM Express.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BKM express competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Papara: Turkey's largest standalone e-money/wallet; while a BKM Express partner for card-adding, Papara also operates its own general-purpose wallet with P2P, bill payments, and investment features, making it the most direct functional competitor.
- PayTR: Leading Turkish payment gateway/e-commerce acquirer offering virtual POS and digital wallet/checkout infrastructure to merchants; competes for the same merchant-side integration that BKM Express monetizes.
- iyzico: Turkey-focused digital payments platform with hosted checkout and marketplace payment solutions; directly competes with BKM Express for merchant checkout integration and consumer payment experience.
- Turkcell Paycell: Mobile-operator-backed Turkish digital wallet offering P2P, bill pay, and merchant payments; competes in the same consumer wallet segment and is distributed via Turkcell's subscriber base.
- İşCep (İş Bankası Mobile): İş Bankası's flagship mobile banking app with built-in wallet, QR-pay, and cardless payments; bank-branded rival that competes head-to-head with BKM Express while also being a key partner bank.
- Garanti BBVA Mobile: Garanti BBVA's mobile banking app with integrated wallet and contactless/QR payments; another partner bank whose branded wallet directly competes for the same merchant-checkout use cases.
Others
- Troy (BKM's card scheme): Domestic Turkish debit/credit card scheme operated by BKM itself; adjacent infrastructure that shares BKM's brand and interbank rails, monetizing a different layer (issuing acceptance) than the wallet on top.
Broad incumbents
- Apple Pay: Global NFC tokenized wallet now available in Turkey; competes at the contactless in-store and online-checkout layers, offering an alternative destination for tokenized Turkish bank cards.
- Google Pay: Global tokenized wallet with NFC tap-to-pay and online checkout; broad incumbent offering Turkish cardholders a global-standard wallet that competes for share of the same transactions.
Emerging players
- Hepsipay (Hepsiburada Wallet): Wallet associated with Turkey's largest marketplace (Hepsiburada, itself a BKM Express merchant); offers marketplace-native payments and partial functionality overlap with BKM Express for online shopping.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BKM express social profiles
Digital presenceBKM express financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BKM express leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
BKM express funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BKM express M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BKM express
What does BKM express do?
BKM Express is a digital wallet mobile application that lets Turkish consumers add debit and credit cards from multiple banks and e-money institutions into a single tokenized wallet, then use them to pay online at merchant checkout, pay in-store via a 5-digit cashier code, send or request money 24/7 using just a recipient card number, and donate to civil society organizations via QR codes. The service is free for end users and operated by Bankalararası Kart Merkezi A.Ş., the interbank card center established by Turkish banks.
Is BKM express a public or private company?
BKM express is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was BKM express founded?
BKM express was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BKM express based?
BKM express is headquartered in Istanbul.
How does BKM express make money?
One revenue line is on record: merchant Transaction Fees.
Who are BKM express's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Papara, PayTR, iyzico, Turkcell Paycell, İşCep (İş Bankası Mobile) and Garanti BBVA Mobile. Troy (BKM's card scheme) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Apple Pay and Google Pay. Hepsipay (Hepsiburada Wallet) is listed as an emerging player.
Does BKM express have an API?
No public API is recorded for BKM express.
What industry is BKM express in?
BKM express's product category is Mobile Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAEAA, General-Purpose Digital Wallets (P2P + Merchant), with a secondary code of BPAMAFAC, Digital Wallet Platforms (Consumer & Merchant). Its NAICS code is 522320.