One card works across many regions
Korea's transit cards have shared one national standard since the early 2010s, so Tmoney and EZL cards work on many of the same transit networks. You normally do not need to change cards when travelling between cities. Tmoney has broad acceptance on public buses and the six metropolitan subway systems — Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju. A card you bought at a Seoul convenience store works in Busan, and on many supported services in other regions. Intercity trains and special services have separate ticket rules.
Cashbee is now EZL
The regional card most guides still call Cashbee (캐시비) changed its name. Its operator merged with Roca Mobility and announced the new brand, EZL (이즐), on 21 December 2023, introducing it formally on 20 March 2024. An existing Cashbee card and the Cashbee app keep working unchanged; only the name on new cards and the customer-service address (myezl.com) moved.
EZL is the local card in Gyeonggi, Busan (sold there as the Hanaro Card), Ulsan, Gangwon, the Chungcheong provinces, Jeonbuk, Gwangju and Jeonnam, and parts of Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam. Incheon, which ran its own cards, is moving to Tmoney's management during 2026. None of that changes what you do: check that the card sold at the counter covers the services you plan to use.
Where a transit card still does not work
| Gap | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Baengnyeong Island | Outside the national zone; carry cash |
| A few rural county and private-operator bus routes | Slower to install readers; cash may be the only fare |
| Sensepass Tmoney, a specific hardware variant | Not fully compatible with standard readers — a quirk of one card type, not of a region |
Payment arrangements can change. Yeongyang County in Gyeongbuk switched its buses to card-only payment on 1 July 2025. The "Tmoney does not work outside Seoul" warning on older forums is out of date for nearly every route a visitor rides.
What still differs between the two
Transit compatibility does not mean the cards have identical features.
- Shops. Tmoney is taken at more convenience stores and vending
machines; EZL leans on its own app rewards and regional shop tie-ins.
- Apps. Tmoney works with Samsung Wallet and Kakao Pay; EZL has its own
app for balances, top-ups and the K-Pass fare rebate.
- The plastic. A Busan card says EZL or Hanaro, a Seoul card says
Tmoney. Both can pay fares at compatible gates.
