T-money vs WOWPASS vs Climate Card
Which card to carry in Seoul depends on how many days you ride, how often, whether you leave the city, and whether you also want to turn cash into a payment card. Enter your plan to see a recommendation and the reason. Everything is calculated in your browser.
Fare per ride: use the amount your card is charged for your usual trip. Fares depend on distance and change, so we do not list them; the Seoul city transport page points to a page on fares. The tool multiplies days × rides × fare and ignores transfer discounts, so the pay-per-ride total is an upper estimate.
How this tool decides
The tool works out the cheapest way to cover your riding days with Climate Card short-term passes (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days), adds the one-time ₩3,000 physical card, and compares that total with your pay-per-ride total on a standard T-money card. Rules, all of them ours unless a source is named:
- Many uncovered trips: if you say many of your trips are outside Climate Card coverage, the Climate Card is not recommended, because you would need a second card anyway.
- Cost: the Climate Card is recommended only if (pass total + ₩3,000 card) is strictly lower than days × rides × fare. A tie goes to T-money. The T-money card's own price was not stated on the official foreigner guide we opened, so it is left out of the T-money total, which makes this comparison lean toward T-money.
- Pass combination: the cheapest total that covers at least your number of days; if two combinations cost the same, the one with fewer passes is shown (then the one with fewer total days). This assumes you recharge a new pass when one expires, because the official page says short-term passes cannot be charged in advance.
- WOWPASS: it is only suggested when you tick the box about turning cash or a foreign card into a payment card. If you do not need that, it is not recommended over T-money. It is never scored on price, because its card price and fees were not stated on the pages we opened.
- Consecutive days: a pass runs on consecutive days. If you will ride on only some days of a longer stay, a pass pays off less than the tool shows.
The tool does not know your actual fares, so "Typical fare per ride" decides the result. Try a low and a high value if you are unsure.
What the official pages say
| Card | What the official pages say (checked 2026-10-27) |
|---|---|
| T-money (pay-per-ride card) | Top-ups of ₩1,000 to ₩90,000 in ₩1,000 units; maximum balance ₩500,000. Bring the card and cash in won to a sales location. Refund: cash in won plus the card, the card's own cost is not refunded, and a ₩500 service fee applies. Partial refunds (₩10,000 to ₩50,000 in ₩10,000 units) only at T-money Town and subway service centers, and only for plate-type cards. Transfer discounts: a transfer discount (the T-money page gives the amount), up to four a day, if you transfer within 30 minutes (1 hour from 9 PM to 7 AM), not between buses on the same route. Sold at convenience stores (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, MINISTOP, Story Way, Emart24, 365PLUS) and T-money Town (Seoul Station Exit 10, Seoul City Tower 1F). The card price is not stated on that page: confirm it where you buy. |
| Climate Card short-term pass (Seoul) | 1-day ₩5,000, 2-day ₩8,000, 3-day ₩10,000, 5-day ₩15,000, 7-day ₩20,000 (a 7-day youth pass is ₩13,000 with verification). Physical card ₩3,000, bought separately. Covers Seoul subways (including Gimpo Airport Station, which is within Seoul; at Incheon Airport Terminals 1 and 2 you can only alight, not board) and Seoul-licensed city and town buses including late-night and circular buses, effective October 1, 2026. Not covered: Sinbundang Line, GTX, subway stations outside Seoul, express and airport buses, buses licensed in other regions. Boarding at Incheon Airport stations is not permitted. The charge date is the start of use; the pass runs from the first train (4:00 AM) on the start date through the last train on the expiry date. Refund: total charged minus total used minus ₩500, requested before the period ends. The 1-day pass does not include Seoul Bike or the Hangang Bus. |
| WOWPASS | WOWPASS's own site says cash can be loaded in 16 currencies, mobile top-up works with international cards and e-wallets, and card payments carry "0 fees"; cash withdrawal is ₩1,000 per withdrawal, up to ₩100,000 each time. The card includes a T-money function for subway and bus, but the T-money balance is topped up separately from the WOWPASS balance. The card price, issuance fee, exchange fee and refund fee are not stated on the pages we opened (the terms say fees "may vary" and refunds of the transit balance follow the partner issuer's terms, with a fee possible). Terms: the maximum chargeable amount on the transportation card is ₩500,000 (the terms refer to an 'allied transportation card issuer' and do not name T-money). |
Prices, coverage and rules change. WOWPASS, T-money and Seoul each publish their own terms; confirm on those pages before you buy.
What this looks like when you actually arrive
Your first ride from the airport
The Seoul page says a Climate Card can be used to get off at Incheon Airport stations but not to get on there. So the Climate Card cannot cover the train ride out of the airport into the city (that is boarding), although it does cover a ride that ends at the airport (alighting). Its coverage list also excludes airport buses. Plan to pay the ride from the airport another way, such as a T-money or WOWPASS balance, or a ticket. Gimpo Airport Station is inside Seoul, so boarding there is covered.
Paying for the Climate Card
The Seoul page says physical Climate Cards can be bought at new vending machines in Seoul Metro Lines 1 to 8 stations or at convenience stores near other stations, paid by cash or a domestic credit or debit card. The mobile version needs Android 12 or higher and a bank transfer or a domestic card in your own name. The T-money Climate Card page also warns that overseas-issued cards may be restricted or carry extra fees. Cash in won is the safest assumption.
Getting your money back
T-money refunds are in cash with a ₩500 fee, and partial refunds need a station service center. The Seoul page says a Climate Card refund must be requested before the period ends, that it may be difficult if the card is not in your name, and that foreigners without a Korean bank account can visit T-money headquarters. The T-money Climate Card page describes the steps: suspend the card within the usage period, then submit the refund on the T-money website within 15 days after it ends; it says the card price is not refundable. Check both pages and start the refund before your last day.
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 days, 6 rides a day, ₩1,500 per ride, no uncovered trips | Climate Card: passes ₩15,000 + card ₩3,000 = ₩18,000, versus ₩45,000 pay-per-ride. |
| 3 days, 2 rides a day, ₩1,500 per ride | T-money: Climate total ₩13,000 vs ₩9,000 pay-per-ride. |
| 10 days, 8 rides a day, ₩1,500 per ride, many trips outside Seoul coverage | T-money, because the Climate Card is not recommended when many trips are uncovered. |
FAQ
Is the 30-day Climate Card still available to tourists?
Not according to either source. The Seoul English page says the 30-day pass could be recharged until August 31, 2026, while the June 17, 2026 Seoul press release gives July 31 for recharging and August 29 for use; the two sources differ, but both dates are before 2026-10-27. The press release also says the 1-, 2-, 3-, 5- and 7-day short-term passes for visitors continue as before. This tool only covers the short-term passes.
Does WOWPASS replace T-money?
Per WOWPASS, it includes a T-money function for subway and bus, but that balance is separate from the card's payment balance. Whether it is the better deal depends on its card price and fees, which you should check on its own site.
Is my information sent anywhere?
No. The comparison runs entirely in your browser.
Sources (checked 2026-10-27)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government – Climate Card Short-Term Pass (prices, card ₩3,000, coverage from Oct. 1, 2026, exclusions, refunds)
- T-money – Climate Card guide (Korean) (short-term pass prices, card ₩3,000, overseas card warning)
- T-money – Foreigner guide (top-up limits, refunds, sales locations, transfer discounts)
- Seoul press release, June 17, 2026 – Climate Card Plus (short-term passes for visitors continue; 30-day pass end dates differ from the English page)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government – Public transportation (T-money, transfers, fares page pointer)
- WOWPASS and WOWPASS guide (loading, withdrawal, T-money function)
- WOWPASS Service Terms of Use (balance limits, refund terms)
This page is a planning aid, not a purchase or a quote. Confirm prices and rules with each provider.