NOW

When you buy a single-use card for the Seoul metropolitan subway, the machine adds ₩500 on top of the fare. That money is a refundable deposit designed to get the reusable card back. Insert the card into the refund machine after your trip and the ₩500 is returned.

WHY TAKE A DEPOSIT?

Despite the name “single-use,” the physical card is reused. The deposit encourages passengers to return it undamaged instead of taking it away.

EASIER FOR VISITORS IN 2026

Since March 17, 2026, new ticket machines across Seoul Metro Lines 1–8 have accepted overseas-issued cards such as Visa and Mastercard for single-ride tickets.

Sources & context

2026-09-18

news.seoul.go.kr ↗news.seoul.go.kr ↗