Contrary to what rising menu prices might suggest, Türkiye's food and beverage sector is experiencing one of the deepest and quietest profitability crises in its history. NarPOS Data shared by the sector shows that 4 out of every 10 businesses established in the sector close down before completing their first 6 months. The main reason behind this striking picture is the profit margins that are rapidly eroding due to rising costs. The profitability level of the sector has decreased significantly compared to a few years ago; margins are stuck at low levels in many businesses.

The consumer is paying the middleman, not the food.

At the root of the crisis that is pushing restaurants' profit margins to the brink of survival lies the high commission rates and long payment terms imposed by marketplaces, food card companies, and banks. Commission rates and collection periods can vary depending on the channel and contract terms. Businesses in the sector pay up to 45% of their sales in commissions, while having to wait between 10 and 45 days for collections.

This cost spiral gripping the food and beverage sector in Türkiye affects not only business owners but also consumers directly. Behind the constantly rising menu prices lies not only food inflation but also other factors. vehicle inflation This is also the case here. Businesses are reflecting this cost in their menus in order to cover the high commission burden.

Today, consumers are paying a significant portion of their restaurant bill not for the quality of the food on their plate or the service, but for the system and intermediaries that deliver the food to them. This structure, which dissatisfies both businesses and consumers, stands out as one of the most important factors causing new players entering the sector to close down.

'NarPOS Model' Against Commission and Payment Term Pressure

NarPOS is pursuing a strategy that combines the worlds of finance and technology to rescue the food and beverage sector from the current cost constraints. Through collaborations with established institutions like Halkbank and Şekerbank, as well as agile players in the fintech ecosystem, the company is reducing the commission burden on businesses and bringing it to sustainable levels. Special discounts applied exclusively to NarPOS member businesses contribute to improved profitability. The company plans to further increase its impact on business profitability by launching its new solution, NarPay, in 2026.

Another critical pillar of this strategy is enabling restaurants to achieve digital independence. NarPOS eliminates one of the biggest cost constraints by providing businesses with the technological infrastructure to take orders directly through their own websites and mobile applications, without forcing them to rely on high-commission marketplaces and food vouchers.

The 'NarPOS Model' has already generated millions of liras in savings for businesses in the field. By making the billing system, one of the biggest expenses for businesses in the digitalization process, completely free, the company has enabled businesses to save a total of 35 million TL in just three months.

NarPOS Founding Partner and CEO İlyas Akça, in his statement on the subject, drew attention to striking data that reveals the state of the sector: “Today, contrary to what is believed from the outside, the food and beverage sector is struggling to survive. The data we have shows that just 6-7 years ago, profit margins in the sector could reach 60 percent, but today this rate has fallen to 10 percent. Commissions and long collection periods are straining profitability and cash flow; this pressure is also reflected in menu prices.”

Akça stated that NarPOS has created a significant improvement in profitability by reducing commission and collection difficulties, and continued: “With the NarPOS system, we can reduce intermediary costs and lower menu prices by 10 percent, while increasing the profit margin of tradespeople by up to 30 percent. In 2026, we will also implement our NarPay solution to further alleviate this cost squeeze and give tradespeople some breathing room. We will continue to improve the profit margin of the sector and contribute to changing this picture.”

Kaynak: HORECA TREND and NarPOS

Craftgate, Türkiye's leading payment orchestration platform, announced online payment data for the beginning of the 2025 summer season in the tourism sector.

The analysis, covering the period between May 15 and July 31, 2025, revealed transactions conducted through Craftgate's infrastructure through contracted payment providers by member businesses operating in various areas, including hotel reservations, car rentals, ticket sales, and tour/event services. During this period, the industry's total online payment volume 17,5 billion TLMore than 5 million payment transactions were made, reaching . Due to the impact of high-amount transactions, the average basket size 3.425 TL was measured as .

Leading brands in the tourism sector have achieved significant cost and turnover advantages thanks to Craftgate technologies during the busy payment traffic at the beginning of the summer season. Smart and Dynamic Payment Routing feature automatically selects the virtual POS that offers the lowest commission rate for each transaction, reducing businesses' cost per payment. Autopilot ve Payment Retry technologies ensured that payments were completed uninterruptedly and cost-effectively, even in the event of interruptions or system problems occurring in virtual POS devices. In this way, Between May and July 31 By preventing possible turnover losses of Craftgate member businesses operating in the tourism sector, 49,94 million TL profit they were able to obtain.

Highlights of Payment Behaviors: Single Payments Preferred, 3, 6 and 9 Months Installment Term Preferred

According to data from Craftgate member businesses in the tourism sector, 58,36% of online payments were made as a single payment, while 41,64% opted for installment payments. 3, 6, and 9-installment payments were particularly prevalent for car rentals and accommodations.

When payment methods were examined, it was seen that the vast majority of payments (81,36 percent) were made by credit cards, while debit cards accounted for 14,23 percent. While international card usage was 3,71 percent, buy now pay later ve digital wallet The share of alternative methods such as was 0,29 percent. The share of prepaid cards was determined as 0,70 percent.

Leading Brands in the Tourism Sector Are Getting Stronger with Craftgate

Many tourism businesses, including leading brands in the industry, are increasing their turnover, reducing their operational burden, and optimizing their payment costs thanks to Craftgate's advanced payment orchestration.

Accelerating the digital transformation of the tourism sector with its superior technology, increasing turnover and providing cost advantages, Craftgate supports the sustainable growth of the sector by offering access to multiple payment service providers, international and alternative payment methods from a single center.

Developed to centralize and flexibly structure restaurants’ contactless ordering processes, Ordering Hub transforms the power of Oracle MICROS Simphony Cloud infrastructure into a special solution for restaurants’ increasing mobile and contactless ordering needs. Offering digital ordering channels such as QR Menu, Kiosk and Waiter App for waiters with special designs for brands, OHUB enables these channels to be managed from a single center, providing a significant increase in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Ohub offers restaurants the ability to activate multiple digital ordering channels simultaneously and control them centrally via Simphony.

Fast, Secure and Flexible Experience with QR Menu

QR Menu, which does not require physical installation thanks to its serverless structure, can be put into operation in just 10 minutes. While menu content is automatically pulled directly from the Simphony system, it offers customers an uninterrupted and easy ordering experience with modern features such as multi-language support and online payment. Businesses can instantly update their menus via QR Menu and quickly publish promotional and campaign content. In addition, the design elements of the menu can be customized to suit the brand identity, allowing brands to reflect their own style.

Maximum Efficiency in Self-Service Orders with Kiosk

The digital ordering experience that started with the QR Menu is completed by the Android-based Kiosk solution. Compatible with hardware of different sizes, the Kiosk automatically transfers products to its screen thanks to the Simphony POS integration, while providing fast and error-free processing by sending orders directly to the kitchen.

The kiosk provides faster service to customers, especially during peak hours and in self-service areas, and minimizes queue-related dissatisfaction.

Digitalized Service Experience with Waiter App

Compatible with Android and iOS, the Waiter App digitalizes waiters’ order and service processes, ensuring speed and accuracy. The application facilitates operations with functions such as table management, order notes and payment transactions, and works integrated with Simphony POS to provide an uninterrupted experience.

Thanks to the Waiter App, waiters can save time and serve more tables at the same time. Advanced features such as room-based ordering, open account management, fast payment and multi-language support enrich the user experience.

Ordering Hub Speeds Up Contactless Ordering Processes in Restaurants

Stating that they aim to make contactless ordering processes in restaurants faster, more flexible and more efficient with Ordering Hub (Ohub), Protel Sales Director Fatih Tenel“As Protel, we have been leading the digital transformation of the sector for over 35 years. Ordering Hub enables operations to be easier and faster by offering the opportunity to manage different digital ordering channels from a single center. In this way, we both simplify the business processes of businesses and meet the expectations of our guests in the best way possible. Technology is not just a tool for us, it is the key to creating a dynamic ecosystem that produces solutions to the needs of the sector. We will continue to develop innovative solutions with this vision in the future, and while adding value to businesses, we will take the guest experience further every day,” he said.

Source: HORECA TREND and Protel