Starting an E-Commerce Site in Turkey: Platform, Payments, Shipping and Legal Basics

You've decided to sell online. Your products are ready and maybe you already have a marketplace store. Now you want your own e-commerce site, but where do you start? Which platform? How do you accept payments? How do you connect shipping? Which legal steps are required?

This guide walks through the decisions and steps involved in launching an online store in Turkey, in order.

Why have your own online store?

Marketplaces give fast access to a ready customer base, but they take a commission on every sale and keep the customer relationship. Your own site offers higher margins, brand recognition and direct contact with your customers. You build your own customer list, run campaigns on your own terms and manage repeat purchases yourself.

The healthiest setup usually combines both: marketplaces bring new customers, and your own site is where they come back.

Step 1: Choose a platform

There are three main options.

Hosted e-commerce platforms

Cloud-based systems paid monthly or yearly. There are many local and international options in Turkey. They're quick to set up, hosting and security are handled by the provider, and they often come with ready connections to local payment and shipping providers. In return, design and functionality stay within the platform's limits.

Open-source platforms

Open-source systems like WooCommerce offer flexibility with low licensing costs. However, hosting, updates, security and plugin compatibility are your or your team's responsibility.

Custom development

If your business rules are non-standard, you expect high traffic, or you need ERP integration or B2B sales, a custom-built platform is the most flexible option. It costs more and takes longer, but it grows with your business.

The right choice depends on your product count, budget, technical team and growth plans. A hosted platform often makes sense for a business starting small, while a manufacturer with heavy integration needs may be better served by a custom solution.

Step 2: Handle the legal basics

Before launching an online store in Turkey, several legal requirements need to be in place. The main ones include:

• Business and tax registration: you need a tax registration to sell and issue invoices.
• ETBİS registration: businesses selling online must register with the Ministry of Trade's Electronic Commerce Information System.
• Distance sales agreement and pre-information form: customers must see sales terms, withdrawal rights and return procedures before ordering.
• Personal data (KVKK) notice and cookie policy: how customer data is processed must be clearly stated.
• E-invoicing: invoicing for online sales is handled electronically.

Step 3: Set up payments

To accept card payments you need a virtual POS or a licensed payment provider. You can get a virtual POS directly from your bank or use a payment institution's service. Payment institutions usually offer faster onboarding and easier setup; bank POS solutions can offer better commission rates as volume grows.

Compare commission rates, settlement times, installment options and 3D Secure support. Installment payments are a strong purchase driver in Turkey, especially for higher-priced items.

Step 4: Plan shipping and logistics

Integrating your site with a shipping carrier lets you use negotiated rates, generate tracking numbers automatically and notify customers. Free shipping thresholds, delivery times and return procedures all influence buying decisions, so state them clearly on your site.

Step 5: Prepare product content

In e-commerce, the product page replaces the salesperson in a physical store. Prepare clear photos from multiple angles, descriptions that answer customers' likely questions, and accurate sizes and specifications. Writing original content for your site instead of copying marketplace text also helps your visibility on Google.

Step 6: Integrate stock and accounting

If you sell on both your site and marketplaces, stock must be accurate in every channel. Entering orders into your accounting system by hand quickly becomes a major workload and a source of errors. Integrating your site with systems like Logo, Mikro, Netsis or Paraşüt is the step that saves the most time as sales grow.

Step 7: Test before launch

Before going live, place a real order from start to finish. Make sure adding to cart, payment, order confirmation emails, invoicing, shipping notifications and returns all work smoothly. Always test on a phone too; most visitors arrive on mobile.

Step 8: Bring in customers

Customers won't arrive on their own after launch. Google SEO, Google Shopping ads, social media, email marketing and AI search visibility are the channels that drive traffic. Ads deliver fast results early on, while SEO and content build a lower-cost customer flow over time.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to launch an online store?

With a hosted platform and ready product content, you can launch within a few weeks. Custom design, large catalogs, ERP integration or multiple languages extend the timeline. The most common causes of delay are missing product content and legal paperwork.

Can a foreign company sell through its own e-commerce site in Turkey?

It's possible, but requirements around company registration, invoicing, taxes and payment providers need careful planning. Many international brands start through marketplaces or a local partner before launching their own Turkish store.

Do I need my own site if I already sell on marketplaces?

Not immediately, but it's a major long-term advantage: commission-free sales, ownership of customer data and brand recognition.

Can my site also sell internationally?

Yes. With multiple languages and currencies, plus international shipping and payment solutions, your site can support cross-border e-commerce.

Conclusion

Launching an online store means choosing the right platform, completing the legal groundwork, connecting payments and shipping, preparing strong product content and then bringing in customers. Taking these steps in order prevents most of the problems that appear after launch.

If you also sell on marketplaces, take a look at our marketplace management guide. We work with businesses across Turkey and abroad; let's find the right path for your online store in a short call.