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T-money card: buy, top up, tap

The transit card for Korea’s subways and buses — where to get it, how to load it, and what to do with the money left over.

Subway from ₩1,550Top up with cash

Quick answer

Buy a T-money card at a convenience store or station machine, load it with cash, and tap it in and out at every gate.

The one catch: foreign credit cards can’t top up T-money. Get some won from an airport ATM first — or buy a card online that already has credit on it.

Skip the cash: buy before you land

T-money card with ₩5,000 loadedPay by card on Klook, pick the card up when you arrive. Top up with cash later as usual.See on Klook ↗

WOWPASSPrepaid card for visitors: exchange money, pay in shops, and a T-money part for transit. Its app loads money from a foreign card.Klook ↗KKday ↗

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Step by step

1
Buy the card at a convenience store (look for the T-money logo at the counter) or a station ticket machine. At Incheon Airport, the airport railroad station on B1 has machines; not every airport store sells cards. The card costs a few thousand won and starts empty.
2
Top up with cash: put the card on the machine’s reader, choose English, then insert ₩1,000 or ₩10,000 notes. Or hand card and cash to the store clerk.
3
Tap in at the gate when you enter and tap out when you leave — on buses too, or you lose the transfer discount.

Where to top up

Station machineCash only — ₩1,000 and ₩10,000 notesEvery subway station. Put the card on the reader, choose English.
Convenience storeCash, ₩1,000–90,000 at a timeGS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Emart24 counters. Say “T-money charge”.
WOWPASS appVisa, Mastercard, JCBOnly for a WOWPASS card: load it in the app, then move money to its T-money part.

A card can hold up to ₩500,000.

Riding a lot? The Climate Card pass

Seoul’s unlimited pass for the subway and Seoul city buses. Buy it at Line 1–8 station machines — foreign credit cards work there — plus ₩3,000 for the card.

1 day₩5,000≈ US$3.8

2 days₩8,000≈ US$6.05

3 days₩10,000≈ US$7.55

5 days₩15,000≈ US$11.5

7 days₩20,000≈ US$15

Days are calendar days, not 24-hour blocks.
Not for the airport trip in: it doesn’t cover airport limousine buses, and on the airport train you can’t board at Incheon Airport with it.

Leaving Korea: get your money back

Convenience stores refund the leftover balance for a ₩500 fee: up to ₩20,000 at GS25 and 7-Eleven, up to ₩30,000 at CU and Emart24.
Bigger balances: bank ATMs that handle T-money refunds, or T-money customer centers.
The price of the card itself isn’t refunded — keep it for your next trip.

Common questions

Can I tap my Visa or Mastercard at the subway gate?

No. Seoul subway gates and buses take transit cards, not foreign bank cards. New ticket machines on Lines 1–8 do accept Visa and Mastercard, but only to buy a single-journey ticket or a Climate Card pass (a small card fee applies).

How much should I put on the card?

A subway ride in Seoul starts at ₩1,550 with T-money, and the airport train from Terminal 1 to Seoul Station is ₩4,750. ₩20,000–30,000 covers a few days of normal sightseeing.

What is a single-journey ticket?

A one-ride card from the station machine: the fare plus ₩100, and a ₩500 deposit you get back from the refund machine after you exit. Fine for one trip, a hassle for many.

Does T-money work in taxis and shops?

Most taxis and convenience stores accept T-money, and it works on subways and buses across Korea, not just Seoul.

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From Incheon Airport to…

Myeongdong →Hongdae →Gangnam →Insadong & Jongno →Dongdaemun →Itaewon →Jamsil →Yeouido →Seongsu →Seoul Station →Gwanghwamun →All Incheon Airport transfers →