Check the property’s deposit policy
Paying for the room in advance does not necessarily remove the need for a deposit or card authorisation. A property may still require security for incidental charges or damage. Before arrival, ask whether it requires a credit card, how much it will hold, and what alternatives it accepts.
A booking page that says nothing about deposits does not confirm that no deposit is required. Check directly if the answer will affect the funds or cards you need for the trip.
Where you will meet a card hold
Some hotels place a temporary authorisation on your card at check-in and request its release after check-out. That is an authorisation, not a charge — it reduces your available balance without taking money — but on a debit card it can sit for several days after you leave, which is the practical reason to present a credit card if you have one. Release timing depends on the hotel’s processing and your card issuer. Ask both if the hold remains longer than expected.
At the budget end the opposite applies: some motels and small properties prefer cash, and a few take only cash. Whether your particular card works at a given Korean merchant is “Will my foreign card work at restaurants and shops?” and “Are Amex, Discover and UnionPay accepted?”; if the terminal offers a choice of billing currency, always choose won, for the reasons in “Pay in Korean won or my own currency?”.
Understanding Korea’s consumer dispute standards
Read your booking’s cancellation terms before paying. The Fair Trade Commission’s Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards provide a basis for resolving accommodation disputes, with different recommendations depending on the season, day of the week, cancellation timing and reason.
These standards do not mean that every booking has the same refund entitlement. Do not assume you can cancel free of charge within 24 hours, or that a weather disruption automatically cancels a non-refundable booking. Ask the property or booking platform which terms apply, and keep its reply.
If travel is disrupted, retain the airline or transport operator’s cancellation notice and contact the accommodation promptly. If the property cancels your booking, ask for written confirmation and an explanation of the refund or alternative offered.
If you dispute the terms or their application, seek consumer counselling. A booking marked non-refundable is a reason to examine the conditions carefully; it does not settle every possible dispute about the service or contract.
Non-refundable rates: where the money actually goes
The Korea Consumer Agency (한국소비자원) issued an accommodation advisory on 19 June 2026, and its numbers are stark. Over 2023–2025 it received 6,224 accommodation complaints, rising to 2,662 in 2025 alone, a 38.7% jump. 72.8% involved an online booking platform rather than the property. 65.5% were about cancellation, and of those, 44.3% concerned non-refundable (환불 불가) rates. One recurring type of complaint is that a traveller buys a rate marked non-refundable, asks to cancel, and is refused on the strength of the terms — in one documented case three hours after booking a ₩120,000 room.
Choose a refundable rate if you need flexibility, and check its deadline, time zone and refund amount. Do not assume a general online-purchase cancellation period applies to your accommodation booking without checking the relevant conditions.
If it goes wrong
Keep the booking confirmation, the payment record and the message thread. Photograph any room defect when you discover it and tell the operator promptly. Keep a record of its response. The route for a complaint is 1372, the Fair Trade Commission's national consumer counselling centre, with telephone charges paid by the caller, with an online counterpart at ccn.go.kr. Being overcharged more broadly — including the compensation scheme Seoul runs for foreign visitors — is “I was overcharged or scammed”.
