- Tap the same card when entering and leaving buses and subways.
- Transfer within 30 minutes, or within 60 minutes from 9 PM to 7 AM.
- Return a single-journey card at the destination refund machine to recover its ₩500 deposit.
2026 Seoul Transit Pass & Daily Fare Calculator
Enter the number of separately charged ride groups you expect each day. A bus-to-subway transfer inside the official window normally belongs to one distance-based journey, not two full base fares.
This is a planning estimate, not a fare quote. Distance surcharges, transfer pairing and excluded routes can change the result.
1. T-money, Climate Card or a Single Ticket?
| Option | Best use | Important limit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-money | Flexible subway, bus, taxi and participating retail payments | Stored value; it is not a KTX ticket | Buy the card, then add value |
| Tourist Climate Card | Repeated trips inside its Seoul service area | Excluded operators and out-of-area exits may require another fare | ₩5,000/1 day; ₩8,000/2; ₩10,000/3; ₩15,000/5; ₩20,000/7, plus physical card |
| Single-journey card | One subway ride without a reloadable card | Subway only; return the card after use | Fare plus refundable ₩500 deposit |
2. Tap Out and Protect the Transfer Discount
Use one transit card for the whole journey and tap when leaving a bus as well as when leaving the subway. The integrated-fare transfer window is 30 minutes after tapping off, extended to 60 minutes from 9 PM to 7 AM. The same bus route does not qualify as a discounted transfer, and extra distance can still add fare.
3. Recover the ₩500 Single-Journey Deposit
At your destination, insert the orange single-journey card into the machine labeled Deposit Refund Device (보증금환급기). The machine returns the ₩500 deposit. Do this after passing the exit gate; the refundable deposit is separate from the subway fare.
4. Wrong Platform or Direction
Do not climb over a gate. Some Seoul Metro stations allow a same-station tap-out and re-entry within 15 minutes without another base fare, but availability depends on the station and operator. Ask station staff if the gate rejects the card or if you need to cross outside the paid area.
Official sources
Time-sensitive details were checked against the original sources below on 2026-08-30.