Can I top up T-money with a credit card?

Tmoney's English guide describes top-ups paid in Korean won cash at sales locations and subway station machines. Carry a few ₩1,000 or ₩10,000 notes for reloading.

Do I get the card price back when I refund?

No. Only the stored balance is refunded, and a ₩500 service fee is taken. The ₩3,000 to ₩5,000 you paid for the card itself is not returned.

Does T-money work outside Seoul?

Yes. VISITKOREA says T-money can be used on public transportation and at stores showing the logo, and Tmoney says its travel card covers subways, buses and taxis nationwide.

Is the Korea Tour Card still sold?

No. Tmoney says sales of the Korea Tour Card have ended. Existing cards keep partner benefits that match the Tmoney Travel Card.

Can children pay a lower fare with T-money?

Yes, after registering the card with a date of birth at a convenience store or subway information center, showing the card and ID. Child rates cover ages 6 to 12 and youth rates ages 13 to 18.

T-money Card in Korea: Where to Buy, Top Up and Refund

What to do

Buy one T-money card on arrival, load it with cash, and use it for every subway and bus ride. You tap it at the gate or card reader when you get on and again when you get off. Before you leave Korea, ask a sales point to refund what is left.

A card saves you money as well as time. In Seoul the adult subway base fare is ₩1,550 with a transit card and ₩1,650 with a single-journey ticket, according to Seoul Metro.

Where to buy a T-money card

Tmoney lists these places in its foreigner guide:

Convenience stores: GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, MINISTOP, Story Way, Emart24 and 365PLUS
Incheon International Airport
Tmoney Town, at Seoul Station Exit 10 (Seoul City Tower, 1st floor)
The Tmoney online shop

VISITKOREA adds that information centers in Seoul subway stations on Lines 1 to 8 also sell cards. Subway station machines and counters handle top-ups.

A standard card costs ₩3,000 to ₩5,000 depending on the design. Tmoney also sells a Tmoney Travel Card for foreigners at ₩4,000, at convenience stores and the bus ticket office in Incheon Airport.

How to top up

Hand the card and Korean won cash to the convenience store staff, or use a reload machine in a subway station. Each top-up is in ₩1,000 units, from ₩1,000 up to ₩90,000 at a time. A single card can hold no more than ₩500,000.

VISITKOREA notes that these prepaid cards need no account or sign-up. Load what you expect to spend over a few days rather than a large sum.

Using it on subways, buses and taxis

On the subway, tap the card on the gate reader on the way in and on the way out. On buses, tap the card reader when you board and again when you get off. Seoul Metro’s terms say the second tap is what keeps your transfer discount.

VISITKOREA describes T-money as usable on public transportation and at shops displaying the logo. The Tmoney Travel Card page lists subways, buses, taxis, airport buses and express buses across the country. Check for the Tmoney logo on the taxi’s card reader before you rely on it.

Transfer discounts

When you change from subway to bus, bus to subway, or between bus routes, you pay a combined distance-based fare instead of a new base fare each time. The next ride must start within 30 minutes of getting off the last one, or within 60 minutes between 21:00 and 07:00.

Seoul Metro’s terms allow up to four transfers on one journey. If you forget to tap when getting off a bus, you lose the transfer benefit and each ride is charged separately.

Getting your balance back

Show your card at a Tmoney sales or top-up location and say how much you want refunded. You get cash in won, minus a ₩500 service fee. The price of the card itself is never refunded.

Two limits to know:

VISITKOREA says refunds above ₩50,000 are only possible at Tmoney Town near Seoul Station.
Partial refunds (₩10,000 to ₩50,000, in ₩10,000 steps) are only offered at Tmoney Town and Tmoney service centers in subway stations, and only for plate-type cards.

Costs at a glance

Item	Amount	Notes
Standard T-money card	₩3,000 to ₩5,000	Not refundable
Tmoney Travel Card	₩4,000	Foreigners, adds partner offers
Tmoney Travel Card +	₩6,000	Adds WOWPASS payment function
Top-up	₩1,000 to ₩90,000 per time	Cash, ₩1,000 units
Refund fee	₩500	Balance only
Seoul subway, adult, first 10 km	₩1,550	₩100 cheaper than a single ticket

Other cards for visitors

Mpass: a time-limited Tmoney card for foreigners. VISITKOREA lists 1-day ₩15,000, 2-day ₩23,000, 3-day ₩30,500, 5-day ₩47,500 and 7-day ₩64,500, cash only, sold only at Tmoney Town. It covers Seoul subways, city buses and AREX (not the express train) up to 20 rides a day, and is valid 30 days from issue.
WOWPASS: ₩5,000, bought at kiosks or through its app with a passport. You can load it with won or foreign currencies such as USD, JPY and CNY, and take the remaining balance back as won at a kiosk.
Climate Card: a Seoul city pass with unlimited buses and subways in Seoul for one to seven days. The physical card is ₩3,000 and a 1-day pass starts at ₩5,000. See the Climate Card guide for details.

Common mistakes

Expecting to pay for a top-up by card. Keep some cash.
Skipping the exit tap on buses, which cancels the transfer discount.
Leaving more than ₩50,000 on the card at the end of the trip, which can then only be refunded at Tmoney Town in Seoul.
Letting an adult use a child or youth card. Tmoney says this carries a fine of 30 times the base fare.

When T-money is not the best fit

If you plan many rides inside Seoul over a few days, compare the Climate Card or Mpass against your likely spending. If you want one card for shopping and transit and prefer not to carry cash, WOWPASS may suit you better. For English help with T-money, call Seoul’s Dasan Call Center on 120 and press 9.