# Tmoney Card Guide: Topping Up and Refunds for Foreigners

> A Tmoney card costs 3,000 won at a convenience store, and you top it up with cash in 1,000 won steps at a store or subway station. The subway base fare is 1,550 won and you must tap off for transfer discounts. Leftover balance comes back at a convenience store for a 500 won fee, up to 20,000 or 30,000 won depending on the chain.

- URL: https://formthrow.com/en/travel/tmoney-card-guide/
- Published: October 19, 2026
- Data as of: October 19, 2026

A Tmoney card is Korea's transit card, and using it is simple. Buy one at a convenience store for 3,000 won, top it up with cash, then tap on the reader when you board and again when you get off. The subway base fare on it is 1,550 won.

Where first-timers get stuck is not buying the card but topping it up and getting the money back. Topping up a plastic Tmoney card with a foreign credit card is hard, and each convenience store chain has a different refund limit. So I'll start with those two.

## Tmoney vs Climate Card vs WOWPASS: Transit Pass Matrix

Choosing the right transit card depends on the length of your stay, whether you are staying within Seoul or traveling nationwide, and whether you carry Korean Won cash. Use this quick comparison matrix to pick the right transit pass before heading to a convenience store:

| Feature | Tmoney Card | Climate Card (Tourist Pass) | WOWPASS Card |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Best For** | **Nationwide travelers** (Seoul, Busan, Jeju), frequent transfers | **Seoul-intensive tourists** taking 4+ transit trips per day | **Shopping + transit all-in-one** (foreigners-only card) |
| **Coverage Area** | **Nationwide** (All subways, city buses, taxis, KTX) | **Seoul public transit only** (excludes Gyeonggi/Incheon lines) | Nationwide (built-in Tmoney chip) |
| **Card Fee** | 3,000–5,000 KRW (non-refundable) | 3,000 KRW for physical card | 5,000 KRW membership registration |
| **Top-Up Method** | **KRW Cash only** (Convenience stores & subway kiosks) | **KRW Cash only** (Subway station machines) | **Foreign currency cash directly** (Custom unmanned kiosks) |
| **Core Advantage** | Automated transfer discounts (up to 4 transfers in 30 mins) | Unlimited rides (1-day 5,000 KRW ~ 7-day 20,000 KRW) | Debit payment at all stores + favorable FX rate + Tmoney |
| **Crucial Caveat** | Foreign credit cards cannot top up physical cards | Does not work on Shinbundang Line or AREX Express | Debit shopping balance and Tmoney transit balance are separate |

You can purchase a physical Tmoney card for 3,000 KRW at any convenience store checkout (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Emart24). While some airport or station service desks also carry them, convenience stores offer the most consistent stock.

## How do you top up a Tmoney card?

With cash, at a convenience store register or a top-up machine in a subway station. You can add from 1,000 won to 90,000 won at a time in 1,000 won steps, and the card holds up to 500,000 won.

I opened Tmoney's top-up page, and it says credit card top-up works only with Woori Card. Foreign cards are not mentioned at all. So keep a few 10,000 won bills in your wallet.

Remember that physical Tmoney cards must be topped up exclusively with cash (Korean Won paper bills); foreign credit cards are not accepted at top-up machines or convenience store card terminals. Always keep a few 10,000 KRW notes in your wallet for transportation.

One small perk: at GS25 and CU, the cashier can load your leftover change onto the card, down to the last 10 won. Handy if you hate carrying a pocketful of coins.

## The foreign-card kiosks

Since March 17, 2026, stations on Seoul subway Lines 1 to 8 have kiosks that accept foreign cards. According to the city's announcement, they sell climate card short-term passes and single-use tickets with cards like Visa and Mastercard, and foreign cards carry an average 3.7% fee.

I read through the city's FAQ as well, and nothing says these kiosks top up a regular Tmoney card. If you want to fund Tmoney with a foreign card, mobile Tmoney on an iPhone is the route. SBS Biz reported that from March 2026 it accepts Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay, with Visa left out.

## How to use a Tmoney card: fares, transfers and tapping off

| Item | Fare with a transit card (Seoul) |
| --- | --- |
| Subway base fare | 1,550 won (since June 28, 2025) |
| City bus (trunk and branch lines) | 1,500 won |
| Village bus (maeul bus) | 1,200 won |

You keep the transfer discount if you board the next vehicle within 30 minutes of getting off. Between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. you get 60 minutes. You can transfer up to four times per trip, and past the base 10 km, 100 won is added for every 5 km (per Seoul's transfer guide).

If you skip tapping off a bus, the transfer chain breaks and the next ride may charge you the base fare again. The reader by the exit door is part of the ride.

A single-use ticket exists too, but it comes with a separate 500 won deposit that you reclaim at a refund machine after your trip. If you are staying more than three days, one Tmoney card is much less hassle.

## Outside Seoul and in taxis

In 2014 Seoul announced that Tmoney had become usable nationwide, covering buses, subways and taxis in other regions. So you can bring the same card to Busan.

Tmoney's foreigner guide says nothing specific about taxis or other cities, though, so for a taxi it's worth checking for a card reader before you get in.

## How do you get your leftover balance back (tmoney refund)?

At a convenience store, in cash, for a 500 won fee. I looked up Tmoney's refund table and the limit depends on the chain.

| Where to refund | Balance you can get back |
| --- | --- |
| GS25 | Under 20,000 won |
| 7-Eleven | 20,000 won or less |
| CU, Emart24 | 30,000 won or less |
| Tmoney head office, bank ATM | Balances over 50,000 won (ATM pays into an account in your own name) |

With a large balance you can also take a partial refund of 10,000 to 50,000 won in 10,000 won steps. That works only at Tmoney Town or a subway station service center, and only for flat plate-type cards. So in your last few days, top up only in small amounts.

An independent English guide to Seoul travel, [Seoul Tourism Guide](https://www.seoultourism.org/t-money-card-guide/), agrees with the table above on the fee: "A ₩500 service fee comes off what you get back." I checked it against Tmoney's own table because English guides often disagree on the exact limits, and when they do, go by Tmoney's table.

If you get stuck, the Tmoney foreigner guide says to call the foreign-language service center at 120 and press 9. It is run by the Dasan Call Center in Seoul.

## Climate card vs Tmoney: which is better for a short trip?

If you ride four or more times a day, the short-term climate card pass pays off. Per the city, a 1-day pass is 5,000 won, 2-day is 8,000 won, 3-day is 10,000 won, 5-day is 15,000 won and 7-day is 20,000 won.

A 1-day pass at 5,000 won is almost the same as three rides at the 1,550 won base fare. If your day is palaces, Myeongdong and Hongdae back to back, get the pass. If you ride two or three times a day at a relaxed pace, Tmoney is the better fit.

The pass covers Seoul subways, Seoul buses, and getting off at Incheon Airport Terminals 1 and 2. The Shinbundang Line, GTX, intercity buses and airport buses are not covered, and the pass starts the day you load it.

## What other travelers reported

The official pages did not tell me where people actually get stuck, so I went looking for traveler accounts. I searched for English Reddit threads first, but what came up were mostly travel guides, so I read the comment section of a travel site's guide instead. It had a couple of useful stories.

A [traveler who went in fall 2024](https://blog.trazy.com/korea-subway-t-money-card-guide/) asked at several CU stores and could not find a clerk who knew how to refund the card. "We asked in multiple CU stores and there's noone who knew how to refund the travel card." Station staff did help with a card error.

Another [traveler from that spring](https://blog.trazy.com/korea-subway-t-money-card-guide/) ran short of balance and got stopped at the exit gate. "i had no xhoice but to exit and reload my card.." They had to walk out, top up and come back in.

## Reality check

If your balance is too low, you get stopped when you exit, not when you enter. To avoid the awkward moment at the gate with a queue behind you, top up as soon as the balance drops under 5,000 won.

Even convenience store clerks don't always know how to do a refund. Do it at a neighborhood store the day before you leave, not on the way to the airport on departure day.

If you are also sorting out mobile data, see the [Korea eSIM guide](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/korea-esim-guide/). LG U+ says it hands out a free Tmoney card at the airport when you buy an eSIM for 3 days or more. More trip planning lives in the [travel posts](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Where do I buy a Tmoney card and how much is it?

Convenience stores such as GS25, CU, 7-Eleven and Emart24 sell the basic card for 3,000 won. You can also buy one at Incheon Airport. The price of the card itself is not refunded later.

### Can I top up a Tmoney card with a foreign credit card?

Treat the plastic card as cash-only. On Tmoney's official page, credit card top-up works only with Woori Card, and the foreign-card kiosks that opened in March 2026 sell climate card short-term passes and single-use tickets, not Tmoney top-ups.

### Where can I get my leftover Tmoney balance refunded?

At a convenience store, in cash, for a 500 won fee. GS25 refunds balances under 20,000 won, 7-Eleven up to 20,000 won, and CU and Emart24 up to 30,000 won. Larger balances need Tmoney's head office or a bank ATM.

### Do I have to tap my card when I get off the bus?

Yes. If you skip it, you may lose the transfer discount and pay the base fare again on the next ride. A transfer counts if you board within 30 minutes of getting off (60 minutes between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.).

### Is a Tmoney card or a climate card short-term pass better?

If you will ride the subway and buses four or more times a day, the climate card pass wins. The 1-day pass is 5,000 won, almost the same as three rides at the 1,550 won base fare. It only covers Seoul, though, and not the Shinbundang Line, intercity buses or airport buses.

## Sources

- [티머니 카드 소개(카드 종류와 가격)](https://www.t-money.co.kr/ncs/pct/tmnyintd/ReadTmnyIntd.dev), 티머니
- [티머니 구매 안내](https://www.t-money.co.kr/ncs/pct/ugd/ReadPrchGd.dev), 티머니
- [티머니 충전 수단 안내](https://www.t-money.co.kr/ncs/pct/ugd/ReadChgMnsGd.dev), 티머니
- [티머니 일반카드 환불 안내](https://www.t-money.co.kr/ncs/pct/ugd/ReadNrmlCardRyGd.dev), 티머니
- [T-money guide for foreigners](https://www.t-money.co.kr/ncs/pct/ugd/ReadFrgnGd.dev), 티머니
- [대중교통 환승할인 안내](https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/transfer_discount), 서울특별시
- [시내버스 요금 안내](https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/archives/1706), 서울특별시
- [1회용 교통카드 보증금 안내](https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/archives/1763), 서울특별시
- [지하철 기본요금 1,550원으로 인상(2025.6.28 시행)](https://www.etoday.co.kr/news/view/2480312), 이투데이
- [외국인 기후동행카드 단기권과 1회권, 해외 카드로 구매(2026.3.17부터)](https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/archives/516544), 서울특별시
- [기후동행카드 단기권 FAQ](https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/public/climatecard-faq/faq-short), 서울특별시
- [기후동행카드 단기권 요금과 이용 범위](https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/archives/510651), 서울특별시
- [모바일 티머니, 해외 카드 충전 허용(2026.3.19)](https://biz.sbs.co.kr/amp/article/20000298518), SBS Biz
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- [Korea Subway T-money Card Guide(독자 댓글, kybo 2024.9.6, Navigator 2024.4.28)](https://blog.trazy.com/korea-subway-t-money-card-guide/), Trazy 블로그
- [All About T-money Card in Korea: How & Where to Use It (last updated 2026-08-24)](https://www.ivisitkorea.com/all-about-t-money-card-in-korea-how-where-to-use-it/), IVisitKorea
- [T-money Card Guide (last updated 2026-10-22)](https://www.seoultourism.org/t-money-card-guide/), Seoul Tourism Guide