Start with your planned purchases
For a typical city day, ₩20,000–50,000 in cash can be a useful starting amount alongside your card. Increase it for purchases you expect to make at markets, street-food stalls or other cash-only businesses. Reduce it if you have little need for cash and easy access to a compatible ATM.
These are planning suggestions, not official limits. A resident's average wallet balance does not determine how much a visitor needs.
Carry smaller notes
Korean banknotes come in ₩1,000, ₩5,000, ₩10,000 and ₩50,000 denominations. A small seller may have limited change for a ₩50,000 note, especially early in the day.
Keep some ₩1,000 and ₩10,000 notes for inexpensive purchases. Coins can be useful for machines that accept them, but check the actual machine rather than assuming all lockers require coins.
Allow for transit top-ups
Tmoney is a rechargeable transit card. Keep won for an ordinary cash top-up at a participating convenience store or supported station machine.
A shop accepting your bank card for groceries may still require cash for a Tmoney top-up. Foreign-card support for a particular ticket machine can also be limited to specified tickets and passes.
Understand a bank-transfer request
A seller may display 계좌이체, meaning bank transfer, with an account number. This is different from a card-payment terminal. If you cannot make the requested domestic transfer, ask whether another payment method is accepted or use cash.
Confirm the price and quantity before ordering. A business's appearance or age does not reliably tell you which payment methods it accepts.
Get more cash when needed
Use a compatible Global ATM displaying your card network, or compare exchange quotes at registered exchange businesses. Review the displayed charge, and remember that your own bank can add withdrawal or conversion fees.
For an airport arrival, allow for the transport, food and transit-card purchases you actually plan to make. Check which can be paid by card instead of assuming every arrival requires the same cash amount.
Avoid carrying more than you need
Keep cash secure and separate enough from your main card that losing one does not remove every payment option. Replenish according to your plans. If you are carrying a large amount across the border, check the separate currency-declaration rules.
