T-money card: the only transit guide you need

T-money is Korea’s rechargeable transit card, and it’s the single most useful thing you can buy in your first hour here. One card covers the subway, every city bus, most taxis, and even convenience-store purchases — no fumbling for cash or single tickets.

Where do you buy a T-money card?

Any convenience store — CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, eMart24 — sells them, as do subway station machines and the airport. The blank card costs 2,500–4,000 KRW, and you load travel credit separately. Character and designer editions cost a little more but work identically. Just say “T-money card” at the counter; staff at tourist-area stores hear it constantly.

How do you top it up?

Reload with cash at any convenience store counter or at the silver top-up machines in every subway station (they have an English menu). Cards are cash-only for top-ups in most places, so keep some bills on hand. A good starting load is 20,000–30,000 KRW for a few days of city travel.

What does it actually save you?

A single subway ride is 1,400–1,600 KRW with T-money, and transfers between subway and bus within 30 minutes are discounted or free — a benefit you lose entirely if you buy single-journey tickets. Over a week of city travel, the card pays for itself many times over and removes the queue at ticket machines.

How do you get a refund?

This is the step most visitors miss. Convenience stores refund any remaining balance up to 20,000 KRW, minus a small fee of around 500 KRW. For larger balances you’ll need a T-money customer center, found at major stations. The card’s purchase price (the deposit) is not refundable, so there’s no point buying several cards for one trip.

Frequently asked questions