Visiting Korea? A T-money card is one of the easiest ways to make getting around simple. This T-money card guide for tourists covers the whole journey: buying the card, loading it, tapping correctly, choosing between T-money and newer transportation passes, and getting your leftover balance back before you fly home.
T-money is a rechargeable transportation card that can be used on most subways, city buses, and participating taxis across Korea. It can also be used at many convenience stores and other participating shops. You simply tap the card when entering and leaving public transportation, and the fare is deducted automatically from the card balance. There is no need to buy a ticket for every journey, carry coins, or explain your destination in Korean.
What Is a T-money Card and Why Do You Need One?
T-money is Korea’s most widely used prepaid transportation card. Instead of buying a single-journey ticket each time, you load money onto the card and tap it on a card reader.
One of the biggest benefits is Korea’s public transportation transfer discount. When you transfer between eligible buses and subways within the permitted time, you generally pay only an additional distance-based fare instead of another full base fare.
In Seoul, transfers generally need to be made within 30 minutes after tapping off. The transfer window is extended to 60 minutes between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and you can receive up to four discounted transfers on a single continuous trip. You must tap the card when getting off a bus to receive the transfer discount.
The card also saves time at busy subway stations because you do not need to use a ticket machine before every journey.
Where to Buy a T-money Card
You can buy a T-money card at many convenience stores, including CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, and Emart24. Cards are also sold at selected subway stations, transportation centers, and airport transportation counters.
At a convenience store, simply say “T-money card, please.” You can also show the words “T-money card” on your phone, and the staff will usually understand immediately.
If you arrive at Incheon International Airport, it is convenient to buy a card at a participating convenience store or transportation counter before taking a subway, AREX train, or bus into the city.
How Much Does a T-money Card Cost?
The official T-money Travel Card for international visitors currently costs ₩4,000. This is the price of the physical card itself and does not include any transportation balance. There is also a premium version, the T-money Travel Card+, which costs ₩6,000.
Ordinary T-money cards and special character, K-pop, or limited-edition cards may cost more or less depending on the design and the store. So it is more accurate to say a standard tourist card costs around ₩4,000 than to claim every T-money card costs the same.
The card purchase price is separate from the money you load onto it. Important: the physical card price is not a refundable deposit. You can get a refund of the remaining transportation balance, but the original card purchase price is generally not refunded.
Local tip: Different stores carry different designs — popular Korean characters, K-pop artists, landmarks, or seasonal artwork. Special-edition cards usually work the same as an ordinary T-money card, but they may cost more and make a fun souvenir.
How to Recharge a T-money Card
You can recharge your card at a convenience store counter or at a transportation-card recharge machine inside many subway stations.
At a convenience store, hand the card to the staff and say how much you would like to add — for example, “Ten thousand won, please.” Most subway recharge machines have an English-language option.
T-money cards can normally be recharged in ₩1,000 units. A single recharge can generally range from ₩1,000 to ₩90,000, and the card can hold a maximum balance of ₩500,000.
A good starting balance is:
- ₩10,000 for light transportation use
- ₩20,000 for several days of subway and bus travel
- ₩30,000 or more for a longer stay or frequent travel
The exact amount will depend on your itinerary.
Can You Recharge T-money With a Credit Card?
Most ordinary T-money recharge locations require Korean won in cash. Foreign credit and debit cards are not accepted at every convenience store or subway recharge machine, so it is a good idea to keep some Korean banknotes for recharging.
Since March 2026, Seoul has rolled out around 440 new ticket machines at 273 stations on Lines 1–8 that accept international Visa and Mastercard for buying physical Climate Cards, loading short-term Climate Card passes, and buying single-journey tickets (verify current rollout details; an international-card service fee of about 3.7% applies). However, this does not mean you can recharge an ordinary T-money card with a foreign card everywhere.
How to Use T-money on the Subway
Using the card on the subway is simple:
- Tap the card on the gate reader when entering the station.
- Take the subway to your destination.
- Tap the card again when leaving through the exit gate.
Both taps are important because subway fares may vary according to distance. The card reader screen normally shows the fare charged and the remaining card balance.
How to Use T-money on a Bus
When boarding a bus, tap your card on the reader near the front door. Before getting off, tap the card again on the reader near the exit door.
Tapping off is especially important. It records the distance travelled and allows the system to calculate an eligible transfer discount for your next bus or subway journey. If you forget to tap off, you may lose your transfer discount, pay another full base fare on the next journey, or be charged an additional fare on some services.
Local tip: Locals tap off automatically out of habit, for exactly this reason.
How to Use T-money in a Taxi
Many taxis accept T-money, although acceptance may vary. At the end of the ride, tell the driver you would like to pay by T-money and use the payment terminal near the meter. Before getting into a taxi, it is still a good idea to make sure it accepts transportation-card payments.
T-money vs. Climate Card vs. WOWPASS
Visitors to Korea now have several transportation and payment-card options. The best choice depends on where you are travelling and how often you plan to use public transportation.
T-money Card
T-money is the most flexible option. You pay separately for each journey, and the card can be used on participating public transportation systems throughout Korea. T-money is usually the best choice if you plan to visit more than one Korean city, will travel outside Seoul, use public transportation only a few times each day, want one simple card, or may use buses, subways, and participating taxis.
Seoul Climate Card
The Climate Card, also known as the Climate Companion Card, offers unlimited use of eligible public transportation during a selected period. Short-term Climate Card passes are currently available for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days.
Current short-term pass prices are:
- 1-day pass: ₩5,000
- 2-day pass: ₩8,000
- 3-day pass: ₩10,000
- 5-day pass: ₩15,000
- 7-day pass: ₩20,000
A reusable physical Climate Card normally costs an additional ₩3,000, separate from the short-term pass price.
The Climate Card is a good option if you plan to take several subway or bus journeys each day while staying mainly in Seoul. However, it does not cover every transportation service in the Seoul metropolitan area. It generally covers participating Seoul subway lines and sections, Seoul-licensed city and village buses, and other specifically included services — not every train or bus travelling through Seoul.
Important exclusions can include the Shinbundang Line, intercity buses, airport buses, non-Seoul-licensed buses, and subway journeys outside the designated service area. Ttareungi public bicycles and Hangang Bus services are also not included with short-term passes.
Short-term passes are valid from the day they are loaded, not for a rolling 24, 48, or 72 hours. For example, a one-day pass loaded at 4:00 p.m. is valid only until the end of transportation service that day, not until 4:00 p.m. the next day. You cannot normally load a short-term pass in advance and select a future activation date.
WOWPASS
WOWPASS combines a prepaid shopping-payment function with a T-money transportation function. It can be useful if you want to exchange foreign currency at a kiosk, use a prepaid payment card for shopping, and use the same physical card for public transportation.
However, the WOWPASS shopping balance and the T-money transportation balance are separate. Adding money to the WOWPASS payment balance does not necessarily recharge the T-money transportation balance — you manage each balance separately.
Which Card Is Best for Most Tourists?
For most first-time visitors travelling around Korea, plain T-money is the simplest and most flexible option. Choose the Climate Card when you are staying mainly in Seoul, your routes are within the coverage area, and you expect to take public transportation several times a day. Choose WOWPASS when you also want a prepaid shopping and currency-exchange card and do not mind managing separate balances.
How to Get Your Remaining T-money Balance Back
A standard T-money card does not have a refundable card deposit — only the unused transportation balance is refundable, and the original card purchase price is not normally returned.
Refund limits vary by convenience-store chain and location and can change, so confirm the current limit with the official T-money guide before you rely on it. As a general guide (verify current limits):
- GS25 and 7-Eleven: typically around ₩20,000–25,000 or less
- CU and Emart24: up to about ₩30,000
- Metropolitan subway customer service centers: up to about ₩50,000
To request a refund, visit a participating convenience store or subway customer service center, hand the card to the staff, and ask for a T-money balance refund — you can say “T-money refund, please.” You then receive the refundable balance in Korean won.
T-money Refund Fee
A refund processing fee of ₩500 is generally deducted from the remaining balance. According to T-money’s guidance, this ₩500 fee may be waived when the remaining balance is less than the applicable basic transportation fare. For larger balances or special cases, you may need to visit a designated T-money customer service location rather than a convenience store.
Many travellers choose not to request a refund at all — they keep the card as a souvenir or use it again on a future trip, since the balance stays on it.
Common T-money Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make
- Paying cash for every journey. Buying individual tickets is less convenient and can prevent you from receiving integrated transfer discounts. Use a transportation card whenever possible.
- Forgetting to tap off the bus. Always tap before leaving, or you may lose your transfer discount or be charged an extra fare.
- Assuming every recharge machine accepts foreign cards. Plan ordinary T-money recharging around Korean won in cash; international-card acceptance is currently focused mainly on Climate Card purchases, short-term Climate Card loading, and certain single-journey tickets.
- Confusing the card price with a deposit. The money paid to buy a standard T-money card is generally the non-refundable price of the card, not a security deposit.
- Assuming the Climate Card works everywhere around Seoul. Check your planned subway lines and bus routes first — some routes near Seoul may not be covered.
Final Tip
For most visitors, buying a T-money card and loading it with ₩10,000–20,000 is a simple way to begin a trip in Korea. Keep some Korean cash for recharging, remember to tap when getting on and off, and check your remaining balance before heading to the airport. Once you understand these basics, using public transportation in Korea becomes fast, inexpensive, and surprisingly easy.
Last checked: July 2026. Prices and policies (card fees, refund limits, Climate Card terms, and international-card acceptance) can change — please confirm current details with official sources before you travel.
Official sources: T-money (tmoney.co.kr) · Seoul Climate Card (Seoul Metropolitan Government) · Seoul Metro
Free download: Grab the free Korea Transit Starter Kit — a one-page cheat sheet with T-money steps, fares to expect, and a tap-on/tap-off checklist.
Related: Essential Apps Before Visiting Korea · Seoul Subway for Foreigners
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