Climate Companion Card and Single-Use Subway Tickets Now Available for Purchase with Overseas Credit Cards, No Cash Needed

Overseas-issued Credit and Debit Cards, Simple Payments Now Accepted
New Ticket Machines Installed at 273 Stations on Lines 1 to 8
No More Hassle of Finding Currency Exchange to Buy Climate Companion Cards

From now on, foreigners visiting Seoul will be able to purchase and reload Climate Companion Cards and single-use subway tickets using credit cards or simple payment methods.

On March 16, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that, starting from March 17, new transportation card vending machines (440 units) installed at 273 stations on Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 8 will accept payment using overseas-issued credit and debit cards (including Visa and MasterCard). Simple payment methods such as KakaoPay and Naver Pay will also be available.

A promotional flyer for the Climate Companion Card is posted at Gwanghwamun Station on Subway Line 5 in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

This service enhancement was introduced to address the inconvenience faced by foreign tourists who were often left flustered at ticket vending machines due to a lack of cash or had to search for currency exchange offices. In particular, with the "BTS Comeback Concert" scheduled to be held at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, the overseas credit card payment system is being preemptively implemented to significantly improve transportation convenience for foreigners.

Overseas-issued card payment will first be available for the purchase and reloading of the Climate Companion Card as well as short-term passes (1, 2, 3, 5, and 7-day passes). The application of this service to 30-day passes will be considered later, based on demand from foreign visitors. Single-use subway tickets will be available for immediate purchase and use from the first train on March 17.

When purchasing or reloading with an overseas-issued credit or debit card, an average service fee of 3.7% will be charged. To add the overseas credit card payment function, the Seoul Metropolitan Government worked closely with overseas card acquirer Hana Card, Tmoney, NICE Information & Telecommunication, and Seoul Metro to actively improve systems such as payment and settlement.

On the launch day, March 17, as well as on March 20 and 21 (the day before and the day of the BTS Comeback Concert at Gwanghwamun Square), the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Tmoney plan to install and operate promotional booths at Seoul Station, Hongdae Entrance Station, and Myeong-dong Station, which are frequented by foreign tourists. At the booths, staff will provide onsite guidance for purchasing and reloading the Climate Companion Card and distribute multilingual promotional materials to minimize congestion among foreign tourists. Additionally, the convenience and benefits of the Climate Companion Card will be promoted to foreign visitors through videos by overseas influencers on TikTok and Instagram.

Yeojangkwon, policy chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Transportation Bureau, stated, "With cumulative reloading surpassing 18 million times, the Climate Companion Card is a ten-million-seller policy representing Seoul. We will continue to improve services to further enhance public transportation convenience for foreign tourists."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.