The steps
- Open Mobile Tmoney (모바일티머니). Choose the visitor setup described below to create a card without Korean identity verification.
- Tap the Foreigner (외국인) button.
- If you do not have a card in the app yet, create a prepaid transit card — “Can I add a Tmoney transit card to my iPhone?” covers that and adding it to Apple Wallet.
- Choose the foreign-card top-up and enter your **Mastercard, Amex, UnionPay
or JCB** details.
- Review the currency and total charge on the payment screen. A markup may be included in the amount rather than listed separately.
The current developer listing confirms Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay and JCB. The release history names overseas-card charging by March 18, 2026, and JCB on July 1. Check the current payment screen for your card and charge amount.
What it costs
Travellers have reported a fee around 4.5%. Check the actual charge before confirming. Do not compare it with Seoul’s 3.7% foreign-card fee as though both buy the same service. Seoul’s announcement covers Climate Cards and single-journey tickets, not ordinary Tmoney balance top-ups.
If your card is a Visa
Visa is not listed for the current in-app foreign-card top-up. The phone card still works; only the reload has to happen elsewhere:
- At a supported station machine, hold the phone on the reload pad and add cash. “Can I top up a Tmoney card at a subway station?”
- At a participating convenience store, ask the cashier to reload your phone’s Tmoney card and pay in cash.
- On Android, the separate KOREA TOUR CARD Tmoney app accepts supported Visa cards — “Android: how do I set up a Tmoney card?”.
