Card prices, top-up limits and transfer rules verified 10 August 2026.
T-money is a rechargeable card you tap on subway gates, buses, and taxis. It is the default answer to “how do I pay for transport in Korea,” and for most visitors it still is — but there are now enough alternatives that the answer deserves a sentence more than it used to.
The short version
- Buy it at any convenience store — CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Emart24 — or from machines in subway stations.
- The card costs about 2,500–4,000 KRW (character and novelty designs run higher) and that cost is not refundable. The balance is.
- Top it up from 1,000 KRW upward, to a maximum balance of 500,000 KRW. Convenience stores take cash only; subway station kiosks now accept foreign credit cards. Say “chungjeon haejuseyo” and hand over the card and the money.
- Tap on and tap off. Tapping off matters — see below.
What it works on
| Works | Notes |
|---|---|
| Subway — Seoul and most major cities | Nationwide coverage is good but not universal |
| City buses | Same card, same tap |
| Intercity and airport buses | Most, not all |
| Taxis | Look for the T-money sticker. Most accept it |
| Convenience stores, some vending machines | Small purchases, handy for leftover balance |
It does not cover KTX or intercity trains. Those are booked separately.
The tap-off rule — this is the one that costs people money
Tap when you get on and tap again when you get off. On the subway you cannot avoid it, because the exit gate requires it. On buses you can walk off without tapping, and people do.
If you do not tap off a bus, you are charged as though you rode to the end of the line, and you lose the transfer discount. Korea’s fare system discounts transfers between bus and subway made within 30 minutes — but only if the system knows where you got off.
For a visitor changing between subway and bus a few times a day, this is the difference between a cheap day and an annoying one.
Where to buy, precisely
Convenience stores are the simplest. Ask for “T-money card” — the word is understood everywhere. Staff will sell you the card and load your first amount in the same transaction if you hand over extra cash.
Subway station machines sell and recharge cards, and have English menus. Note that recharge machines are often cash-only, so keep some notes.
Airport — available on arrival at convenience stores in both Incheon terminals. There is no need to arrange one before you fly.
Character and novelty designs cost more and work identically. They make reasonable souvenirs since the card itself is not refundable anyway.
Getting your money back
You can refund the remaining balance — not the card cost — at convenience stores, usually up to a limit, minus a small fee. In practice most visitors spend the balance down at a convenience store on the last day, which avoids the fee entirely.
What about the alternatives?
Korea has added several options aimed mostly at residents and commuters:
- Unlimited-ride monthly passes exist for Seoul. They are excellent value if you are staying weeks and riding constantly; irrelevant for a five-day trip.
- Contactless credit card payment has been rolling out on parts of the Seoul network. Coverage is not complete, and relying on it means discovering the gaps at a gate with people behind you.
- Tourist-specific passes bundle transport with attraction entry. Whether they pay off depends entirely on whether you would have visited those specific attractions anyway — do the arithmetic rather than assuming.
Pass names, prices, and coverage change. Check the current situation on the official Seoul transport site before relying on any of them.
For a trip of a week or less, T-money remains the low-thought correct answer.
Small things worth knowing
- One card, one person. You cannot tap two people through on the same card on the subway. On buses you can tell the driver the number of passengers, and some readers have a button for it.
- Children’s fares require a card registered as a youth or child card — worth doing at a convenience store if you are travelling with kids for more than a couple of days.
- Keep it away from other RFID cards in your wallet. Two cards in one wallet held against a reader will fail, usually at the gate, usually in a hurry.
- Low balance blocks the exit gate, not the entry gate. If you tap in with almost nothing left, you top up at a machine inside the station before leaving.
FAQ
Do I need to register the card? No. It works anonymously straight out of the packet.
Can I use one card for a couple? On buses, usually yes. On the subway, no.
Does it work outside Seoul? On most major city networks, yes. Coverage in small towns is patchier — carry some cash.
What happens if I lose it? The balance is gone, like cash. There is nothing to report and nothing to recover.
Can I use my phone instead? Korean phones can carry a mobile transit card. Foreign phones generally cannot, so the physical card remains the practical option for visitors.