← Arrival, payments, transportAll of Korea · Right after arrival
Compiled from travel guides and news articlesSubway and Bus: How to Get a Transit Card
Foreign cards and Apple Pay don't work right away in many places, so on day one a physical transit card (T-money, Climate Card, WOWPASS) is the surest option.
Checked on Source date
- T-money card
- Buy and top up (in won) at convenience stores. Works for taxis, buses and subways
- Climate Card (Gihu Donghaeng)
- Short-term passes can be bought at station machines without an app (Seoul public transit)
- WOWPASS
- Physical card issued at kiosks. Combines currency exchange, payments and transit
- Apple Pay
- The plan for Seoul City and T-money to let foreign cards top up via Apple Pay fell through (reported February-March 2026). For iPhone users who are foreigners, topping up by registering a foreign credit card in the Mobile T-money app was announced as an alternative (sign-up required)
- T-money GO
- The T-money GO app requires Korean phone number verification, so it is hard for short-term travelers to use
Transfer conditions, deposits and top-up limits differ by card type. Check the information where you buy.
How to do it
- Buy T-money or WOWPASS at the airport, a station or a convenience store. On an iPhone, topping up with a foreign card in the Mobile T-money app is also an option.
- Top up with won using cash or a card (the top-up machine has English and Japanese).
- Tap the card at the ticket gate and on the bus terminal, and tap again when you get off (for transfer discounts).
Korean to show on the spot
티머니 카드 한 장 주세요.
One T-money card, please.
충전해 주세요. 만 원이요.
Please top it up. 10,000 won.