Foreign tourists visiting Seoul will soon be able to purchase Climate Card passes and single-use subway tickets using credit and debit cards issued overseas, eliminating the need for cash.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 15th that 440 new ticket vending machines installed at 273 stations across subway lines 1 through 8 will accept foreign-issued credit and debit cards starting January 17. Mobile payment services including Kakao Pay and Naver Pay will also be available.
The payment system upgrade addresses longstanding inconveniences faced by foreign visitors who previously had to carry cash or locate currency exchange services to use the machines. The service will initially apply to short-term Climate Card passes (1, 2, 3, 5, and 7-day options) and single-use tickets. The city plans to evaluate expanding the service to 30-day passes based on foreign visitor demand. A service fee averaging 3.7% will be charged for overseas card transactions.
Seoul city collaborated with Hana Card Co., T-money Co., NICE Information Service Co., and Seoul Metro to upgrade the payment and settlement systems.
The timing also reflects preparations for an anticipated surge in foreign visitors ahead of the BTS comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square on January 21. Seoul city and T-money will operate promotional booths at major stations including Seoul Station, Hongdae Station, and Myeongdong Station on January 17 and January 20-21, providing on-site assistance and multilingual promotional materials. The city also plans to leverage social media influencers and platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to promote the Climate Card's convenience.
"The Climate Card is Seoul's flagship policy, having surpassed 18 million cumulative top-ups," said Yeo Jang-kwon, Director of Transportation at Seoul Metropolitan Government. "We will continue to improve services so that foreign tourists can conveniently use public transportation."