T-money Card in Korea: Where to Buy It and Why There's No Student Discount

A T-money card is the easiest way to ride Seoul's buses and subway — and it's worth knowing upfront that there's no university student discount on it, despite what you might assume.

Where to Buy and How Much

Available at GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, and most other convenience stores, plus subway station machines — including right at Incheon and Gimpo airport arrival halls.

• Plain card: roughly ₩2,500–3,000
• Character/design cards: roughly ₩3,000–5,000
• Official tourist "Tmoney Travel Card": ₩4,000 (₩6,000 for the version with WOWPASS IC payment)

The card price is separate from your balance and isn’t refunded. Top up with cash at any convenience store or subway machine, in ₩1,000 increments, ₩90,000 max per top-up, ₩500,000 max balance.

Why T-money Is Worth It: The Transfer Discount

With T-money, transferring between subway ↔ bus ↔ bus within 30 minutes of tapping out (60 minutes late at night) doesn’t charge a new base fare — up to 5 transfers, you only pay a small distance surcharge beyond 10km. Paying cash for a single-journey ticket gets none of this, plus you pay a refundable ₩500 deposit on top of a higher base fare.

No, There’s No University Student Discount

This is worth stating clearly because it’s commonly assumed otherwise: Korea’s transit discount tier is

• strictly age-based, not enrollment-based: children are 6–12, youth (청소년) is 13–18. There is no "university student" fare tier at all — this applies to Korean students too, not just foreigners.

Since virtually all university students are 19 or older, you’ll be charged the full adult fare regardless of your student status. Don’t register your card expecting a discount that doesn’t exist for your age group.

💡 Separate from T-money itself, Seoul's 기후동행카드 (Climate Card) or K-Pass — a flat-rate monthly unlimited pass — has its own discounted registration tier for ages 19–39. That's a different product with its own signup process, not a T-money fare discount.

Mobile Options

• iPhone (iOS 17.2+): Apple Wallet supports a native T-money card; as of March 2026 foreigners can top up with Mastercard, Amex, or UnionPay (Visa not yet supported).
• Android/any phone: the official "KOREA TOUR CARD Tmoney" app is built for visitors without a Korean phone or ID, accepting major foreign cards (around a 3.2% fee).

Still looking for a place to live? Browse verified, foreigner-friendly rooms on CheckmateKorea →