Getting Around Seoul with a T-money Card

Seoul has one of the easiest public transport systems in the world to use as a visitor, and almost all of it runs on a single tap-to-pay card: T-money. Here is everything you need to start using it on your first day.

Where to buy it

You can buy a T-money card at:

• Convenience stores such as GS25, CU and 7-Eleven (look for the T-money logo at the counter)
• Ticket vending machines and service desks in subway stations
• Airport convenience stores, right after arrivals

The card itself costs a few thousand won and does not come preloaded, so add money as soon as you buy it. Many designs exist — including character cards — and they all work the same way.

How to top it up

Top-ups are usually made in cash:

• At the counter of any convenience store that sells the card
• At the recharge machines inside every subway station (they have English menus)

Put the card on the reader, choose the amount, insert notes and wait until the screen confirms. Keep a bit of extra balance — if your balance is too low when you tap out, you will have to add money at the fare adjustment machine before you can leave the station.

Tap in, tap out — on buses too

On the subway you tap at the gate when you enter and when you exit. On buses, tap the reader by the front door when you get on and tap the reader by the rear door when you get off. Forgetting to tap out on a bus is the most common mistake visitors make, because it means you lose the transfer discount.

Free and discounted transfers

The fare is calculated by distance, and transfers between subway lines and buses are discounted or free when you:

• Tap out and tap in again within the transfer window (about 30 minutes in the daytime, longer late at night), and
• Have tapped out properly on the previous ride.

This is why tapping out on the bus matters — it starts the transfer clock.

Taxis and beyond

Most taxis in Seoul accept T-money, which is handy when you have not yet set up a Korean payment card. The card also works on public transport in Busan, Daegu, Incheon and many other cities, and in convenience stores for small purchases.

Quick tips

• Do not keep two transit cards in the same wallet slot. The gate may read the wrong one or refuse both.
• Leftover balance can be refunded at convenience stores before you leave Korea, minus a small fee.
• Use a map app for routes. Naver Map and Kakao Map show bus numbers, platform exits and real-time arrivals in English.

If you are a student arriving for a semester, our first-week checklist explains what to do after you have your transport sorted.