Yes. Since March 17, 2026, Seoul’s new ticket machines accept foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, and that includes single-journey subway tickets. You buy the ticket at the machine. This is not a way to tap your bank card at the fare gate. When comparing a single-journey ticket with a transit card, account for the KRW 100 higher fare and the refundable KRW 500 deposit.
It suits a visitor who has no transit card and plans to stay on the subway. The ticket works on the subway only, so if buses are part of your plans, a reusable transit card is the better pick. The comparison is further down.
Single-journey ticket machines: what changed on March 17
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the change on March 17, 2026. International credit and debit cards such as Visa and Mastercard are accepted at 440 new transit card vending machines installed at 273 stations on Lines 1–8. Mobile payment services, including Kakao Pay and Naver Pay, are supported too.
The city’s stated aim was to end the need to exchange currency before buying or recharging a Climate Card. At the start, international card payment applied to Climate Card purchases and to recharging its short-term passes, which come as 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day versions. The city said it would consider adding 30-day passes later, depending on demand from international visitors. Single-journey tickets could be bought and used immediately from the first train that day.
The announcement describes new machines, so do not assume every machine in a station takes foreign cards. If the one in front of you shows no foreign-card option, ask station staff where the supported one is. For a single-journey ticket paid with a foreign card, check the displayed total: the city reports an average service fee of about 3.7%, not a guaranteed rate for your purchase.
Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government, March 17, 2026: Climate Cards and Single-Journey Transit Tickets Now Accepting International Credit Cards, No Cash Needed
How to buy your single-journey ticket
Have your destination station name ready. Seoul’s transport guide says the ticket machines have foreign-language settings, and that you pay the fare and a deposit together. Menu labels and payment steps may differ from machine to machine, so follow what the screen shows.
- Choose a language you can read, then pick a single-journey ticket and your destination.
- Check the fare, the deposit and the total payment amount before you confirm.
- Select the foreign-card payment option where it is offered and follow the machine’s instructions.
- Keep the ticket for the whole trip. At your destination, insert it into a deposit refund device to get the deposit back.
Separate the service fee from the refundable deposit
Seoul’s March 17 announcement says that buying or recharging with an internationally issued credit or debit card carries an average service fee of about 3.7%. That is the city’s average, not a rate promised for your transaction. The announcement does not say whether the deposit counts toward the amount the percentage is applied to, so read the total on the machine before paying.
The deposit is a different charge. The city’s Public Transportation guide lists a KRW 500 deposit for a single-journey ticket, paid along with the fare and refunded at the deposit refund device once you arrive. It is not a fee.
The same guide says a single-journey ticket costs KRW 100 more than the regular transit-card fare. Use the fare shown for your chosen destination instead of budgeting a fixed total from these figures.
Single-journey ticket or transit card?
According to Seoul’s guide, one transit card works on the whole subway system regardless of operating company or line. It recommends single-journey tickets for tourists who have not bought a card, or who prefer the subway over buses. The trade-offs are the extra KRW 100, the subway-only limit, and the stop at the refund device at the end.
The guide names two transit cards, T-money and Cash-bee. Both are sold at convenience stores and subway stations and must be loaded before use. Besides the subway, the guide says the card also works on buses, taxis and public bikes. Reload devices in subway stations offer several languages and take cash, debit or credit cards, or mobile bank transfer, though the guide says certain cards are accepted only on select devices.
The foreign-card support described above covers purchases at the new machines. Nothing in the announcement says an ordinary T-money balance can be topped up with a foreign card, so check the machine before counting on it. Our T-money guide covers the card itself.
If you do take a bus, the guide says to enter by the front door and tap your card, then tap again at the reader by the back door when you get off. Tapping at both ends is what earns the transfer discount.
Plan the route with the city’s app
The city has run an app called Seoul Subway since April 2023 for international visitors. It gives route information, location-based route suggestions, directions inside stations and nearby tourist attractions. It also shows how crowded each train car is and where the exits and restrooms are. It is available on Google Play and the App Store.
The guide adds that every subway station in Seoul has public restrooms, which is useful to know before a long ride. After refunding a single-journey ticket’s deposit at your destination, the app’s exit directions can help you find your way out.
If your card payment does not work
Ask station staff to point you to a machine that supports foreign-issued cards and whether you can pay cash instead. Two questions are usually enough: “Where can I buy a single-journey subway ticket with a foreign Visa or Mastercard?” and, if that is not possible, “Can I buy this ticket with cash here?”
What can change
Machine availability, accepted cards and fees can change. The coverage and the average service fee above come from the March 17, 2026 announcement, and the Public Transportation guide shows no update date. Check the prompts and the amount on the machine, and ask your card issuer about any extra charges on its side. Last checked: October 16, 2026.