T-money and Public Transport Cards in Korea: Buying, Charging and Using Them

How public transport cards work in Korea

Korea’s urban transit runs on rechargeable prepaid smart cards rather than paper tickets. The standard is the T-money card (timoni, 티머니), which works on subways, city buses, express and intercity buses, taxis and affiliated convenience stores and vending machines nationwide — including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu and Jeju. EZL and WOWPASS are similar alternatives, and Seoul also runs a separate unlimited-pass Climate Card for transit within the city.

The card itself costs about 3,000 to 5,000 won (non-refundable); the money you load on top is separate and refundable. Using a card is usually slightly cheaper per ride than buying single tickets, and it unlocks the transfer discounts below.

Buying and charging a card

Where to buy — the easiest place is any major convenience store (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Emart24), including the stores in the Incheon Airport arrivals hall. Subway station ticket machines and information centres also sell cards.

How to top up — the most reliable method is Korean won cash at a convenience store counter or a subway station machine (minimum top-up 1,000 won; maximum balance 500,000 won). Convenience-store top-ups are generally cash-only for foreign cards, though Seoul Metro has been rolling out newer station kiosks that accept international Visa and Mastercard for transit top-ups in phases from 2026. Do not assume your foreign card works everywhere — carry some cash for the first top-up.

Under-18 travellers who want the discounted child or youth fare need to register their date of birth at the store when buying the card.

Using the card: tap on, tap off

Korea uses a distance-based fare system, so you must tap on entry and off exit:

• Subway — tap the card at the entry gate and again at the exit gate.
• Bus — tap when boarding at the front door and again when getting off at the rear door. This is the step most first-time riders forget.

If you forget to tap off on a bus, the system assumes you travelled the maximum distance and may charge a penalty fare or lose the transfer benefit on your next ride. Seoul’s base subway and bus fare with a transit card is around 1,500 won (2026), with distance add-ons.

The card also works on most taxis that display the T-money logo — tap it on the in-car reader at the end of the ride — and at convenience stores and vending machines that show the logo.

Transfer discounts

The transfer discount is the main reason to use a card instead of single tickets. If you tap off one mode and tap onto another within the allowed window, you pay only the fare difference rather than a new full fare:

• Seoul: transfers within 30 minutes (07:00–21:00) or 60 minutes (21:00–07:00), with up to four transfer discounts on a journey.
• Rules vary by city, and transferring to the same bus route or re-entering the same station does not qualify.

Always tap off before tapping on — the transfer window starts from your exit tap.

Refunds and practical tips

• Refunds — remaining balance can usually be refunded at a convenience store (a small fee, around 500 won, is deducted), and balances over 50,000 won are refunded at the T-money service centre near Seoul Station. The card purchase price is not refunded — you keep the card.
• Multiple riders — on a bus you can pay for two by telling the driver, but on the subway every person needs their own card to pass the gates.
• Mobile options — T-money can be added to Apple Wallet, but topping up in-wallet currently requires a South Korea-issued card, so cash top-up remains the dependable route for most visitors.
• Keep a small cash reserve — while cards cover almost all transit, a few rural bus routes and some taxis still take cash, and having won for the first top-up is essential.

Note — fares, card prices, top-up methods and refund rules change. Confirm the current details on the official T-money or Korea Tourism Organization pages before travelling.