[LOCALS]No Cash on Buses! How to Use Bus in Korea ( update guide )

KOREA by LOCAL
28 May 2025
Views 12186

As of March 1, 2023, cash is no longer accepted on Korean city buses not even for tourists!

Hereโ€™s what you need to know to ride the bus or subway smoothly in Seoul and beyond. ย If youโ€™re traveling in Seoul, a Tmoney card is your best companion for using buses, subways, and even taxis! Hereโ€™s everything you need to know about current fares, top-up, and refund tips.


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Step 1: Get a T-money Card Or T-money App


Where to Get and Recharge Tmoney Cards

You can buy and top-up your Tmoney card easily at many places across Seoul.ย 


โœ”๏ธ Buy & Top-up Locations

  • Convenience Stores: GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, MINISTOP, StoryWay, Emart24, 365PLUS

  • Subway Stations: Use ticket machines, portable reload machines, or visit information centers

  • Tmoney Town: Located at Seoul Station Exit #10, Seoul City Tower 1F

๐Ÿ’ณ You can top-up your card from โ‚ฉ1,000 to โ‚ฉ90,000, in โ‚ฉ1,000 increments. Maximum balance per card is โ‚ฉ500,000.


๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ โ€œI want to get a T-money card.โ€
๐Ÿ’ณ It costs around 4,000โ€“5,000 KRW (card only).



๐Ÿ’ก You can skip the card fee.
Download the app T-money Pay (works with NFC-enabled phones).ย 



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ย (Photo. T-money Pay)


2. ย Step 2: Recharge the Card


How to recharge the T-money Card?ย 

At the convenience store counter or subway station

๐Ÿ’ฐ Recharge with 10,000โ€“15,000 KRW to start.
โžก๏ธ When the balance runs out, just top it up again!


๐ŸŸข Bonus Tip

T-money cards are also usable for!ย 


  • ๐Ÿ›๏ธ Some stores & vending machines

  • ๐Ÿ™๏ธ Seoul city bikes (Seoul Bike "Ddareungi")

  • ๐Ÿง‹ Some cafรฉs or convenience stores

  • Of course Seoul subway Station!ย 


How much is the fare?

๐Ÿ’ธ Fare Guide (Seoul Standard)


Bus TypeT-money Fareย 
Blue/Green Bus (Main & Branch) โ€“ Adult1,500 wonย 
ย - TEEN900 won
- CHILD550 wonย 
City Express Bus (RED)ย 3,000 wonย 
- TEEN1,700 wonย 
- CHILD-1,500 wonย 
NIGHT Busd2,500 wonย 
Village Bus (Small & Green)1,200 wonย 


How to Get a Refund T-money Card?ย 

If you're leaving Korea or simply done using public transport

  • Visit a Tmoney sales or top-up location and request a refund.

  • Refunds are provided in cash (KRW), minus a service fee of โ‚ฉ500.

  • Note: The card cost is non-refundable.

โš ๏ธ Partial Refunds

Partial refunds (โ‚ฉ10,000 ~ โ‚ฉ50,000) are only available

  • At Tmoney Town

  • At Tmoney Service Centers in some subway stations
    โ†’ Refunds will be given in units of โ‚ฉ10,000. (For plate-style Tmoney cards only.)


๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™€๏ธ Need help or still confused?
Ask in our Korea Travel Chat Room on Kakao or Send us a message by Chatbot!ย 


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