What it means
کارت به کارت (kârt be kârt) literally means “card to card” and refers to a direct peer-to-peer bank transfer using a 16-digit card number. The word کارت is borrowed from English or French “card,” and به (be) is the pure Persian preposition meaning “to.” The compound phrase describes a transfer method built into every Iranian banking app and most ATMs: you enter the recipient’s card number, the amount, and the funds move instantly between accounts. It is used as both a noun (یه کارت به کارت, a card transfer) and a verb (کارت به کارت کردن, to do a card transfer). The closest formal term is انتقال وجه کارت به کارت (enteghal-e vajh-e kârt be kârt), but nobody says that in conversation.
How to use it
- شماره کارتتو بده، کارت به کارت میکنم. (shomâre-ye kârtat-o bede, kârt be kârt mikonam.) “Give me your card number, I’ll transfer the money.”
- کارت به کارت کردم، رسیدشو فرستادم. (kârt be kârt kardam, residesh-o ferestâdam.) “I did the transfer, I sent you the receipt.”
- کارت به کارتم گیر کرد. (kârt be kârtam gir kard.) “My transfer got stuck.”
- حقوقمو کارت به کارت میکنن. (hoqoqam-o kârt be kârt mikonan.) “They pay my salary by card transfer.”
Cultural note
کارت به کارت is the dominant payment method between individuals in Iran, filling the role that PayPal, Venmo, or bank wire transfers play in other countries. Because international payment platforms are blocked by sanctions, this domestic system handles everything: splitting a restaurant bill, paying a freelancer, buying something from a classifieds app, or receiving rent. Iranians typically share their 16-digit card number freely for this purpose, and most banking apps generate a transaction receipt (رسید, resid) as proof of payment. Delays caused by bank server load, known as ترافیک بانک (trafik-e bânk, bank traffic), are a recurring frustration.