Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in South Korea - cash only, or do cards work too?
You can’t use your foreign Visa or Amex directly on buses or subways - only Korean-issued contactless cards work that way. I used a T-money card throughout Seoul and Suwon during a short study program this March, and it was fast and reliable. You can even use it for snacks at convenience stores. If you forget to tap off on a bus, you’ll be overcharged, so pay attention to the beeping sound. Honestly, the system is more streamlined than in London or NYC.
Don't bother with cash - metro and buses in Korea are built around tap cards. I grabbed a Cashbee card in Busan and it worked in Daegu too. The machines at the stations don’t take foreign cards for top-ups, so you’ll still need to load it using won. Each ride is like ₩1,250 to ₩1,350 depending on distance. No one expects exact change anymore. The cards are reusable - I kept mine as a souvenir.
Riding the metro in Seoul is super smooth with a T-money card - mine cost ₩2,500 and I reloaded it in subway machines using cash. Most subway stations have English menus. On buses, you just tap the same card when boarding and exiting. I never saw anyone using cash, honestly. If you're visiting for more than a day or two, grab a card at the airport or any convenience store. Also worked on AREX airport train, which was a bonus.
You absolutely want a T-money card or Cashbee - I picked one up at a GS25 right in Incheon Airport. You load it with cash and just tap in and out on buses and metros. No need to fumble with coins or bills. I used mine from Seoul to Busan, even on local buses in smaller towns like Gyeongju. You can also use Korean credit/debit cards with contactless, but foreign cards won’t work directly on readers. Cash is technically accepted, but slower and not ideal.