T-money Card: Price, Where to Buy, Load & Use in Korea

Quick Answer: Buy, Load, Use T-money in 3 Steps

1. Buy: Pick up a physical T-money card for roughly ₩3,000-5,000 at any subway station convenience store (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) or station ticket machine — including at Incheon Airport before you even leave the terminal.
2. Load: Hand cash to the cashier or feed bills into a ticket machine and select "Charge"/"충전" — most loading is cash-only.
3. Use: Tap on subway turnstiles, bus card readers, and taxi meters. Tap in and out on the subway and AREX so the correct distance-based fare is charged.

The rest of this guide covers each step in detail, plus refunds, balance checks, mobile alternatives, and what to watch out for.

What Is a T-money Card and Why You Need One

T-money is Korea's rechargeable transit card, used for subways, city buses, intercity buses, taxis, and even some ferries. It works nationwide, not just in Seoul. While tourists can technically buy single-journey subway tickets, T-money is faster, cheaper (thanks to transfer discounts), and works on buses where cash payment is often awkward or not accepted for foreigners without exact change.

If you're arriving via Incheon Airport, it's worth picking one up before you even leave the airport — see our guide on getting from Incheon Airport to Seoul for where it fits into that trip. For getting around once you're in the city, pair this card with our guide on using the Seoul subway.

Where to Buy a T-money Card

You can buy a physical T-money card at:

• Convenience stores near any subway station: CU (씨유), GS25 (지에스25), 7-Eleven, and Ministop all sell them. Just say "T-money card" (티머니 카드) at the counter.
• Subway station ticket machines: Look for the machines with an English-language option near the turnstiles. Select "T-money Card Purchase."
• Incheon Airport: Available at convenience stores in both terminals, arrivals and departures level.
• Tourist versions: Some stations sell special-edition cards (K-pop themed, city mascots, etc.) at the same price, just cosmetic differences.

Buying and Loading T-money at CU (and Other Convenience Stores)

CU (씨유) is one of the most common places tourists actually get their first T-money card, since its stores cluster around subway exits and Incheon Airport arrival halls just like GS25 and 7-Eleven. Here's what to expect if you're walking into a CU — or any of the other chains — specifically to sort out T-money:

1. Find the counter rack or ask directly. Blank T-money cards are usually displayed near the register; if you don't see one, just say "T-money card, please" (티머니 카드 주세요).
2. Pay cash for the blank card — expect roughly ₩3,000-5,000, confirmed on the register screen before you pay.
3. Ask to load it immediately by saying "charge, please" (충전해 주세요) and handing over cash — most tourists buy and load in the same visit so the card is ready to tap on the way to the platform.
4. Keep the receipt if the cashier offers one, in case of a dispute over the balance later.

The table below summarizes what you can expect at each major chain. Availability can vary slightly by individual franchise location, so if one store is out of stock, another chain's store is usually within a block or two near any station.

How Much Does a T-money Card Cost?

Expect to pay around ₩3,000-5,000 for the blank card itself — this is separate from your travel balance and is non-refundable. Special-edition or character-design cards sometimes sit at the higher end of that range. Because T-money periodically revises pricing, treat this as an estimate and check the price displayed at the register or on the machine screen before you pay — it's a small enough amount that it's rarely worth stressing over, but worth knowing so you're not surprised.

How to Load (Charge) Your T-money Card

Loading, called "충전" (chungjeon) in Korean, is simple:

1. Insert or tap your card on any subway station ticket machine.
2. Select "Charge" or "Recharge" in English mode.
3. Insert cash (bills only at most machines — coins are rarely accepted).
4. Confirm the amount; the balance updates instantly.

You can also load at any convenience store counter by handing over cash and your card — tell the cashier the amount you want added. Minimum loads are typically around ₩1,000, and machines generally cap the total balance you can hold on a single card — commonly cited as somewhere in the ₩50,000-90,000 range. These minimums and caps are set by T-money and can be adjusted, so if you're loading a large amount, the machine or app screen will show the current limit before you confirm.

Note: Most T-money top-up machines and convenience store loads only accept Korean won cash. Credit cards usually don't work for loading a physical T-money card, so keep some cash on hand. If you're figuring out payment methods more broadly, check our guide on how to pay in Korea as a tourist.

How to Check Your T-money Balance

You don't need to load blindly — there are several ways to check how much is left on your card:

• Subway ticket machines: Tap your card on the machine's reader; the balance shows on-screen without needing to start a transaction.
• Convenience store counters: Ask the cashier to check the balance ("잔액 확인해 주세요") — most POS terminals display it instantly.
• Bus card readers: Many display the remaining balance for a second or two after you tap in.
• T-money mobile app: If you have a compatible NFC Android phone, the official T-money app can show balance and recent transaction history directly.

Keeping at least ₩2,000-3,000 loaded at all times avoids the awkward situation of tapping in and finding out you're short.

How to Use T-money on Transit

Using the card is a simple tap-and-go system:

• Subway: Tap on the turnstile reader entering, tap again exiting. Fare is calculated by distance.
• Bus: Tap when boarding. On some intercity or express buses, you also tap when alighting — an audio prompt or screen will indicate if this is required.
• Taxi: Tell the driver you'll pay by T-money, or tap the reader near the meter yourself when the ride ends.
• AREX (Incheon Airport Railroad): T-money works on the all-stop AREX commuter line between Incheon Airport and Seoul the same way it works on the subway — tap in, tap out. It does not work on the separate AREX Express nonstop train, which requires its own paper or app ticket.
• Transfers: If you tap onto a bus or subway within about 30 minutes of your last tap, the transfer is discounted or free depending on distance, as long as you don't exit the paid subway zone in between. This works across bus-to-subway, subway-to-bus, and bus-to-bus combinations in most cities.

T-money vs Single Journey Ticket

For anyone staying more than a day or two and planning to use buses at all, T-money is clearly the better option.

T-money vs Other Transit Cards and Passes

Seoul and other cities also offer alternative cards and unlimited-ride passes. Here's how they generally compare to a standard T-money card for a short-term visitor:

If you're only in Korea for a few days and want the simplest option that works everywhere from Seoul to Busan, a standard T-money card is still the default recommendation.

Where Else T-money Works

Beyond transit, T-money doubles as a stored-value payment card at:

• Convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) for small purchases
• Some vending machines
• Certain amusement parks and attractions offer T-money-linked discounts or entry
• Taxis and public transit city-wide in Seoul and in most other major cities, including Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Jeju — though the exact transfer-discount rules and fare-calculation windows can differ slightly from city to city

It does not work as general payment at restaurants, department stores, or larger retail purchases — it's strictly transit and small convenience purchases.

Getting a Refund on Your T-money Balance

Before you leave Korea, you can refund any unused balance:

• At convenience stores: On-the-spot refunds are available up to a capped amount (commonly cited around ₩20,000-50,000 per transaction), minus a small service fee — often cited as around ₩500, though fee schedules are occasionally revised, so confirm the exact amount with the cashier before you agree to the refund.
• At subway station machines: Look for "T-money Refund" in the English menu — this is often fee-free for smaller balances but may cap the amount refundable per transaction.
• T-money Town (in COEX underground, near Gangnam) has historically offered fuller refunds, including the card deposit in some cases — check the official T-money site for current hours, location, and rules before making a special trip, as hours and services at dedicated refund counters can change.

Keep in mind refund machines and store staff may not always process foreign cards flawlessly, so try to spend down your balance naturally on your last day if possible.

Mobile T-money Alternatives

If you have a Korean-compatible NFC Android phone, you can add T-money digitally via certain apps, skipping the physical card entirely. Apple's support for local transit cards in Korea has been evolving, and availability can depend on your Apple ID region and device settings, so iPhone users should check Apple's current Korea support information rather than assume it will work — in practice, most short-term tourists are still better off with the simple, cheap physical card. If you're also setting up connectivity, our guide on getting a Korea eSIM covers the data side of your trip prep.

Common Mistakes to Watch Out For

• Forgetting to tap out: On the subway and AREX, not tapping out at your exit station can trigger a maximum-distance fare deduction or block you at the turnstile. Always tap both ends.
• Assuming all intercity buses work the same way: Some require a second tap when alighting; others don't. Watch for on-board signage or ask the driver if unsure.
• Letting the balance run too low: A card with too little balance can fail at the gate or force a cash top-up mid-trip on a bus. Reload before you're down to your last ₩1,000-2,000.
• Buying a new card at every city: One T-money card works nationwide, so there's no need to buy a separate card in Busan, Daegu, or elsewhere.
• Expecting card payment for loading: Most machines and store counters want cash for top-ups, not credit cards, so carry some won.
• Losing the card: A basic anonymous T-money card generally can't be replaced with its remaining balance if lost, so treat it a bit like cash — don't overload it with far more than you'll use.
• Assuming every CU, GS25, or 7-Eleven is identical: The vast majority of branches near subway stations and Incheon Airport sell and load T-money without issue, but a very small, independently run branch occasionally runs out of stock — if so, simply try the next convenience store, which is rarely more than a short walk away.

Final Tips

• Buy your card as soon as you land, ideally at Incheon Airport or your first subway station.
• Load more than you think you'll need if you're heading somewhere with fewer convenience stores late at night.
• Keep the physical card as a souvenir or refund it — either is fine, there's no penalty for keeping it.
• Always carry a bit of cash since loading is cash-based at most machines.