With the General Communiqué numbered 507 of the Tax Procedure Law (VUK) and related regulations implemented by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, an important transformation process has been initiated in the world of food and beverage and payment systems. Within the scope of this regulation, which aims to accelerate the digitalization of businesses and effectively reduce the informal economy, the integration of EFT-POS devices and payment recording devices (ÖKC) has become mandatory. It has been made mandatory by law for all taxpayers to switch to these devices called “new generation cash registers with POS features” or Android-based ÖKC software.

The Law Made It Mandatory, So Are Businesses Ready?

The starting date of this legal obligation introduced with the VUK 507 circular was determined as July 1, 2024, and the period granted to businesses for compliance ended on January 10, 2025. As of this date, restaurants are obliged to use a new generation cash register with EFT-POS features in accordance with legal regulations.

This regulation aims to prevent tax losses and evasions by ensuring that collections made through mobile POS devices used by businesses are reported to the Revenue Administration (GİB) in a transparent manner. Although the regulation provides conveniences such as the removal of the requirement to have a physical POS device and the ability to receive payments even through Android-based devices, many businesses have still not taken the necessary steps for legal compliance despite the deadline.

What Awaits SMEs That Missed the Next Generation Cash Register Transformation?

With the end of the legal period, businesses that have not completed the new generation cash register transformation and continue to use old type devices face significant risks. Emphasizing that this transformation is not only a technical necessity but also a strategic step for the future of businesses, NarPOS Co-Founder and CEO İlyas Akça“January 10, 2025 was a clear turning point for legal compliance in this area. As we see, hundreds of thousands of devices still need to complete this transformation. Businesses that do not comply with legal regulations risk facing serious penalties for irregularities. The Ministry of Treasury and Finance has tightened its controls in this regard,” he said.

Pointing out that the new generation cash register transformation is an important opportunity for businesses to keep up with the competitive conditions of the age, paleHe continued his words as follows: “Businesses that do not take steps towards digitalization fall behind in the competition by falling behind in operational efficiency, reducing error rates, managing their stocks correctly and, most importantly, providing fast and modern experiences to their customers. Continuing to work with old-fashioned methods carries both legal risks and poses a serious obstacle to the growth and profitability of businesses.”

Defining the new generation cash register transformation as an opportunity for businesses to consider digitalization as a whole pale“The new generation cash registers should not be seen as simple payment receiving devices. When designed correctly, they can be a starting point for digitalizing all processes of the business, from stock tracking to sales analysis, from e-document integration to reporting.” he said.

The Impact of POS Regulation Compliance on the Economy

The VUK 507 regulation and the proliferation of new generation cash registers will also have significant effects on the country's economy at the macro level. These regulations will directly contribute to the reduction of the informal economy by making financial transactions more transparent in many areas, especially in the food and beverage sector. The increase in recorded transactions will allow the tax base to expand and thus public revenues to increase.

Highlighting the impact of regulation on transparency and welfare pale“This transformation, in addition to increasing the state’s tax collection efficiency, reduces unfair competition in the sector and paves the way for transparent businesses that comply with the rules. Digitalized and fully legally compliant businesses not only provide efficiency within themselves, but also contribute to a more equitable and registered economic structure. This contribution is a development that will benefit the entire sector and the country’s economy in the long run.”

Digital Transformation and Adaptation Process Management with NarPOS

In the mandatory transformation process brought about by the Tax Procedure Law, it is of great importance for businesses to choose the right technology business partner. Offering end-to-end digital automation solutions for the food and beverage and service sectors, especially the food and beverage and accommodation sectors, NarPOS helps businesses get through this process smoothly with its new generation cash register and POS solutions compatible with VUK 507.

Thanks to NarPOS’s hybrid structure that combines cash register POS, handheld terminal and business management in a single device, businesses can manage all their operations efficiently and in accordance with legal regulations, from taking orders to instantly issuing official receipts, accepting payments and tracking stock. NarPOS solutions, which can work integrated with banks and financial institutions, enable businesses to increase their operational efficiency and competitiveness while ensuring legal compliance.

Source: HORECA TREND and NarPOS

Protel, which has been providing technological solutions for hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, patisseries and beach businesses for over 35 years, has signed an important collaboration with HRMIM to make hotels’ human resources processes more efficient and fair. As part of the collaboration, two new products, Employee Evaluation Specialist and Recruitment and Promotion Specialist, have been added to Protel’s portfolio. These innovative solutions aim to increase both employee happiness and guest satisfaction by enabling hotels to manage their recruitment, promotion and performance evaluation processes systematically, quickly and transparently.

In the hotel industry, employee satisfaction is one of the most important factors that directly affects service quality. Acting with the understanding of “happy employee, happy guest”, Protel offers new solutions that will provide hotels with a strategic advantage in human resources processes. Thanks to the new products offered in cooperation with HRMIM, recruitment, talent assessment and promotion processes can now be carried out in a more predictable, measurable and fair manner.

The Employee Evaluation Specialist and Recruitment and Promotion Specialist products provide hotel businesses with comprehensive analyses and data-driven insights into determining the most suitable candidates in personnel selection and promotion processes. Evaluations based on criteria such as competence, performance and personality compatibility help place candidates and employees in the most suitable positions.

Designed to meet the specific needs of the hotel industry, these products’ advanced analysis systems allow measurement of not only employees’ abilities but also important factors such as counterproductive behavior potential, emotional balance, and expected performance in return for salary. These assessments help employers make more informed decisions while also supporting employees’ career development processes.

Features Offered by the Products

These solutions, which have a fast and transparent metric system, rank candidates according to their positions and clearly show why hiring and promotion decisions are made. Based on scientifically validated measurement and evaluation principles, they prevent candidates from manipulating the evaluation process and do not leave success to chance.

In addition, the system strengthens corporate human resources strategies thanks to heat maps, and supports employees’ career journeys by identifying their development areas. These solutions, which can be adapted for all service sectors, especially the tourism and accommodation sector, can be optimized in accordance with the human resources goals of each business and make merit-based recruitment and promotion processes transparent.

“We Give Importance to Products That Meet the Specific Needs of Tourism Enterprises”

Speaking about collaboration Protel Digital Transformation Director Oya Türkmen“As Protel, we attach importance to products and collaborations that will meet the specific needs of tourism businesses. In this regard, our collaboration with HRMIM is very valuable. Thanks to these new products, hotels will make their human resources processes more efficient, and will have the opportunity to increase the quality of their workforce by evaluating their employees with more accurate criteria. We will continue to offer solutions and develop collaborations that will meet the needs of the sector in the upcoming period,” he said.

Source: HORECA TREND and Protel

TokenFlex, the brand of Token Finansal Teknolojiler, a subsidiary of Koç Group, has introduced its new service TokenFlex Plus. TokenFlex Plus, which allows employees to use their benefits flexibly, contributes to employee motivation. It facilitates operational processes for employers thanks to its completely digital infrastructure, while providing the opportunity to optimize costs thanks to the tax advantages it offers.

Flexibility for Employees, Convenience for Companies

With TokenFlex Plus, employees can divide their flexible fringe benefit budgets according to their needs and use them at thousands of shopping and dining points. They can shop as they wish from many distinguished brands in different categories such as restaurants, markets and clothing.

For employers, TokenFlex Plus makes processes such as budgeting, loading balance, invoicing and report tracking effortless through a single panel with its completely digital infrastructure.

Digital Infrastructure and Wide Usage Network

With TokenFlex Plus, employees can easily manage their transactions via the TokenFlex mobile application. Users can convert their defined balances into meal cards for use at contracted restaurants and gift cards valid for different brands, all through a single application, and spend them as they wish.

With more than 60 thousand spending points across Türkiye, TokenFlex offers a wide spending network. Thanks to NFC and QR code payment options, transactions can be completed safely and quickly.

Erkin Uzun: “We invite companies to take part in the future of flexibility and digitalization.”

Token Financial Technologies Digital Card Solutions Deputy General Manager Erkin Uzun, said the following about the benefits offered by TokenFlex Plus for employers and employees: “Talent acquisition and employee engagement are more important than ever for companies. Understanding employees better and providing them with personalized experiences are at the top of companies’ agendas. Digital technologies and flexible benefits solutions offer great opportunities to meet employee expectations and provide this at a low cost. TokenFlex Plus provides companies with a powerful solution for digital transformation and flexible benefits, while giving employees the freedom to determine their own spending preferences. For employers, it offers an innovative way to increase employee satisfaction. We invite companies to take part in the future of flexibility and digitalization.”

Source: HORECA TREND and Token Financial Technologies