T-money is a revolutionary payment system which can be used in subway stations, buses, taxis, convenience stores, fleet management sale vending machines, and other businesses like Lotte World. Currently, the T-money system has been implemented into the metropolitan cities of Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon, as well as some other areas like Gyeonggido and Incheon. So, how do you get started?
First, you need to purchase a rechargeable T-money card which you can hover over a scanner to pay. Because they don’t require physical contact with the scanner, you can just scan your wallet or purse. The card itself costs 2,500 won (a little over USD $2) but some bank cards can act as a T-money card if you’re looking to save a little cash. You can also pay a little more instead and get your hands on really cool T-money cell phone charms, dolls, watches, memory sticks, rings, wrist bands, and mp3 players. A newer option for those of you with NFC-enabled smart phones is to download the T-money app and just scan your phone. The app includes a widget so you can easily check your balance. All of these options are equally rechargeable and scannable. They can be recharged inside subway stations by payment window attendants and recharging kiosks. They can also be recharged at convenience stores, banks, and by credit or check card via the T-money cell phone app.
Are there any other benefits to using this system aside from convenience? Absolutely. When you use T-money, you get at least a 10% discount on subway and bus fares. You also get free transfers between subway lines, so you don’t have to pay more than once if your route requires a transfer or two. Also, transfers from subway to bus, bus to subway, and bus to bus are free as long as 30 minutes doesn’t pass after scanning out of your prior mode of transportation (up to an hour before 7am and after 9pm). In other words, you can take a bus to a post office to ship some packages, hop on another bus to a subway station, take the train to your favorite restaurant to grab some take-out, and then hop on another bus back home for the price of a single fare as long as you don’t spend more than 30 minutes at each destination. Clearly, this system was developed with the interest of the people in mind.