In South Korea, travelers can buy a Single Journey Ticket or a rechargeable card calledT-money Card. We advise you to get aT-money Card as it is a magic wand that will make your journey super convenient!
These cards can be used not only for all the buses, subway, and taxis but also as a method of payment at affiliated stores.
1. Where to Buy Your T-money Card
You can easily purchase the basic T-money Card at retail convenience stores, such as CU, GS25, Ministop, and 7-Eleven. The card itself costs KRW 3,000. There is a variety of T-money cards with cute designs from Kakao Friends, BT21, and many more. These special T-money cards can cost extra money.
If you’re already in Seoul, you can even find T-money cards of your favorite idols and celebrities at vendors in Myeongdong and Hongdae underground shopping centers.
2. How to Reload or Refund T-Money
There are 3 ways to recharge your T-money Card.
1) Use a ticket vending machine that is located inside all the subway stations and train stations.
- Select your preferred language on the screen (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese).
- Click the third button with the T-money logo on the far right and touch the “Reloading the transit card” button.
- Place your card on the loading pad and then select the amount of money you want to add.
- Insert a coin or cash and wait briefly while your T-money card completes reloading.
- Confirm your T-money card’s balance.
2) Newstands near a bus stop with a display of the T-money sign. You can find them usually next to the subway station exits and entrances.
3) Head over to almost any convenience stores. This is the easiest way to recharge your card! Just hand your card to the cashier, let them know how much you’d like to add and pay.
Tip: Some Student IDs offer the T-money card service, but may not be recharged at convenience stores. Therefore, find the closest subway station to reload your card.
Top-up: You can top-up the card in the unit of KRW 1,000, in the range of KRW 1,000 to KRW 90,000. The amount of money deposited in the Tmoney card may not exceed KRW 500,000.
| Convenience Store | GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, MINISTOP, Story Way, Emart24, 365 PLUS |
| Subway Stations (Top-up Only) | – Top-up machine including One-time ticket issuer, Tmoney vending machine, portable reload machine – Information Center |
| Others | Tmoney Town (Seoul Station Exit #10, Seoul City Tower 1F) |
Refunds:You can get a refund at all retail locations, however, the card price and service fee of KRW 500 are nonrefundable. Partial refunds are available only for amounts between KRW 10,000 and KRW 50,000 and will be refunded in units of KRW 10,000. (Plate money cards only) Therefore, it is suggested to charge your T-money card up to KRW 50,000.
3. How to Use T-Money
First, you should keep in mind that you must tap your card when boarding and getting off buses or entering and exiting subway stations. Transfer discounts are available, but they are limited to four times a day, within a transfer time limit of 30 minutes (up to 1 hour from 9pm to 7am the next day). If you are transferring to the bus with the same numbers or re-entering the same subway station after exiting, the transfer discounts won’t be applied even if you are transferring within 30 minutes.
1) Bus: When you get on the bus, place the card on the sensor. It will tell you how much money has been charged and remained. If an error occurs, give it a second or two, and try again. If this continues, the bus driver will let you know what the issue is. When you exit the bus, tap the sensor one more time to get a discount on the transfer. If you don’t tap your card before getting off the bus, you won’t be able to get the benefit of a transfer discount. You can enjoy 4 discount transfers in a day.
- Tip: Make sure you tap your card again and you hear a beep. If you don’t, you will be charged extra for the distance traveled.
2) Subway: When you enter the subway station, place the card on the sensor until it beeps. It will show the amount charged on the top and the remaining balance at the bottom. If you are transferring, you won’t be charged and the amount that appears on the sensor will be zero. Tap your card again upon arriving at your destination and then you will be able to exit the gate. If an error occurs, press the red “help” button, and the staff will come and help you.
3) Taxi: Not all but some taxis do accept T-money as a form of payment. Look out for the signs of the “T money” logo on the taxi and inform the driver that you want to pay with a T-money card. Please be aware that you should have enough balance on your T-money card in advance to pay the full fare.
When you arrive at your destination, simply tap your card on the sensor and the screen above the gray box (see picture below) will let you know your remaining balance.
4. T-Money Only for Foreigners
1) Unlimited Data SIM Card (5~60 Days) + T-money Card
If you need a SIM card and T-money, get this data-only to stay connected 24/7! You can conveniently pick it up at Incheon International Airport Terminals 1 & 2, Gimpo International Airport, and Gimhae International Airport (Busan). You can still use the T-money card even after your SIM card expires. Click here to get 17% OFF on Trazy!
2) Discover Seoul Pass
With Discover Seoul Pass, you can explore the tourist attractions in Seoul with special discounts! You can gain free admission to over 50 major tourist destinations in Seoul including palaces, museums, and more. Check out the free admission attractions here. Also, you can take advantage of getting 10~15% discounts at over 100 tourist sites including traditional experience and DIY activities. Check out the special discount benefits here. The pass duration options are 24, 48, and 72 hours. You can pick it up at Incheon International Airport Terminals 1 & 2, Gimpo International Airport, and Myeongdong Tourist Information Center. The t-money card function is optional.
3) Korea Tour Card
With this card, you can enjoy various discount benefits for shopping, F&B, culture, tour, and entertainment, such as ski resorts, aquariums, theme parks, and many more! It costs KRW 4,000 and you can buy it online on the Korea Tour Card website or on-site at various service points.To pay public transport fares using this card, you should top-up it at a convenience store or a subway station. Up to KRW 500,000 can be loaded and only Korean Won is accepted. Check out more information here.
4) AmazingPay T-money
With this card, you can get a 10% discount when taking an airport limousine! There are also discount benefits for various tourist attractions, F&B, and cultural performances, such as Lotte World, 63 Square, NANTA, and many more. It costs KRW 50,000 (credit KRW 46,000 + card fee KRW 4,000) in cash only (Korean currency). You can buy it at the airport bus ticket office (No. 4 & 9 gates at 1F Incheon Airport Passenger Terminal) or CU Incheon International Airport branch. Check out more information here.
5) Alipay T-money
This is a T-money card for Alipay users, the payment app used by most Chinese people. It’s KRW 23,500 (credit KRW 20,000 + card fee KRW 3,500) and it’s available for purchase on the Alipay in Chinese Yuan. The price in Yuan is subject to change according to the daily exchange rate. It can be used for shopping at retail brands, including convenience stores, marts, bakeries, cafes, theme parks, cosmetic shops, and many more. Check out more information here.
If you’re looking for a train pass that travels throughout all Korean regions, we recommend a KR Pass or an Express Bus! Also, don’t forget to read the blogs below to learn more about the transportation system in Korea for your hassle-free trip.
- A Complete Guide to Public Transportation in Seoul
- Getting Around Seoul: Finding the Right Travel Pass
- How to Travel by Train in South Korea Pain-Free with KR Pass
Don’t forget to visit Trazy.com, Korea’s #1 Travel Shop, for more tips and advice about new locations and things to do in Korea!
[Photo Credit]
- Newsis.com (https://newsis.com/ar_detail/view.html?ar_id=NISX20160502_0014058544&cID=10401&pID=10400)
- Business Korea (https://trazy.com/things-to-do/korea?ch=0004&label=tmoney card guide&link_id=14786)
- inews24.com (http://www.inews24.com/view/738044)
- News Wire (https://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=306729)
- VisitKorea Official Website
- Korea Smart Card
- T-money Official Website
