One Month of Overseas Card Payments in Seoul Subway... 9,000 Users Daily

Climate Companion Card Short-Term Pass Recharges Double
Improved Subway Convenience for Foreign Tourists

It has been one month since it became possible to purchase transportation cards on the Seoul subway using international credit cards and mobile payment services. Over 9,000 people per day, on average, have used this service. As tourists can now buy and recharge transportation cards without the need for separate currency exchange or preparing domestic payment methods, the accessibility of subway travel for international visitors has significantly improved.

A tourist is pulling a suitcase on the platform of Myeongdong Station. Provided by Seoul Metro.

Seoul Metro announced on April 22 that, based on an analysis of payment trends at new transportation card kiosks installed on subway lines 1 through 8, from March 17 to April 17, an average of 9,158 people per day made payments totaling approximately 70 million won using international credit cards and mobile payment methods. International card payments are available for purchasing single-journey tickets, Climate Companion Card purchases, and recharging short-term passes (1, 2, 3, 5, and 7-day passes) only.

By station, Seoul Station had the highest daily average payment amount at 5.26 million won (961 transactions), followed by Hongik University Station (4.99 million won, 880 transactions) and Myeongdong Station (2.82 million won, 893 transactions). Usage was concentrated at key stations frequented by international tourists.

By payment method, Visa was the most commonly used international card, accounting for an average of 3,788 transactions per day. Among mobile payment options, WeChat Pay dominated, with a daily average of 2,069 transactions, far surpassing domestic mobile payment services (628 transactions).

The effectiveness of the new service is particularly evident in the number of Climate Companion Card short-term pass recharges. During the same period last year, there were only about 120,000 short-term pass recharges on lines 1 to 8. However, with the introduction of international card and mobile payment support, this number nearly doubled to about 240,000 transactions. By pass type, the 3-day pass was the most popular at 35%, followed by the 5-day pass (24%), 1-day pass (15%), 2-day pass (13%), and 7-day pass (13%).

Seoul Metro believes that improved payment accessibility for short-term users has led to increased actual usage, and the company plans to continue enhancing the service to match the needs of international tourists and changes in the payment landscape.

Haekeun Ma, Head of the Operations Division at Seoul Metro, stated, "The introduction of international credit card and mobile payment options has not only improved payment convenience for domestic users but also enhanced subway accessibility for international tourists. We will continue to improve our services so that visitors to Seoul can use the subway easily and conveniently."

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