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Apple Wallet App Now Supports Tmoney Card in South Korea

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today announced that South Korea's Tmoney card can now be added to the Wallet app, allowing users to pay for public transportation with a tap of their iPhone or Apple Watch at subway stations and on most buses throughout the country. The card is also accepted at many major convenience stores in the country.

Apple-Wallet-Tmoney-Card.jpg

Express Mode allows users to simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment reader to pay for their ride, without needing to unlock or wake the device. This mode even works for up to five hours after your iPhone runs out of battery power.

Funds can be loaded onto the card directly in Apple Wallet with Apple Pay, and there is an all-new automatic top-up option for when the card's balance drops below a set amount. Alternatively, funds can be loaded via the Tmoney app.

To add a prepaid Tmoney card to the Wallet app, tap on the plus sign in the top-right corner, select Transportation Card, and follow the on-screen instructions. Then, carrying around the physical card is no longer necessary.

Adding a Tmoney card to the Wallet app requires an iPhone XS or newer running iOS 17.2 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later with watchOS 10.2 or later.

Article Link: Apple Wallet App Now Supports Tmoney Card in South Korea
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/21/apple-wallet-tmoney-card-south-korea/
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T-Money integration doesn't support foreign credit cards (according to the press release, "in order to add money to the T-money card from Apple wallet, such as top-up or automatic top-up, you must have a credit card or debit card issued in Korea."

I don't know why South Korea makes things so hard for foreign travelers. For instance,
  • Government mandates hosting detailed maps only in South Korea, so driving and transit directions in Apple Maps and Google Maps do not work. If it's North Korean spys they are concerned with, they can get around using VPN.
  • Many vendors require ID verification (citizens and permanent residents), such as food delivery and restaurant reservation. Why?
  • Until very recently, no Apple Pay and Google Pay. I am guessing Naver, Kakao, and/or Samsung were behind the move, to protect their own payment service.
  • Most international money transfer services do not work.
  • Until 2020, many websites required using Internet Explorer with Korean government's ActiveX plugin.
 
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nutmac said:
T-Money integration doesn't support foreign credit cards (according to the press release, "in order to add money to the T-money card from Apple wallet, such as top-up or automatic top-up, you must have a credit card or debit card issued in Korea."

I don't know why South Korea makes things so hard for foreign travelers. For instance,
  • Government mandates hosting detailed maps only in South Korea, so driving and transit directions in Apple Maps and Google Maps do not work. If it's North Korean spys they are concerned with, they can get around using VPN.
  • Many vendors require ID verification (citizens and permanent residents), such as food delivery and restaurant reservation. Why?
  • Until very recently, no Apple Pay and Google Pay. I am guessing Naver, Kakao, and/or Samsung were behind the move, to protect their own payment service.
  • Most international money transfer services do not work.
  • Until 2020, many websites required using Internet Explorer with Korean government's ActiveX plugin.
Click to expand...
Agree! In SK right now and was excited to see this but can’t add funds as I only have US credit cards. Useless for tourists.
 
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I’m looking forward to being able to put my US passport into my Apple wallet either iOS 26 !
 
nutmac said:
T-Money integration doesn't support foreign credit cards (according to the press release, "in order to add money to the T-money card from Apple wallet, such as top-up or automatic top-up, you must have a credit card or debit card issued in Korea."

I don't know why South Korea makes things so hard for foreign travelers. For instance,
  • Government mandates hosting detailed maps only in South Korea, so driving and transit directions in Apple Maps and Google Maps do not work. If it's North Korean spys they are concerned with, they can get around using VPN.
  • Many vendors require ID verification (citizens and permanent residents), such as food delivery and restaurant reservation. Why?
  • Until very recently, no Apple Pay and Google Pay. I am guessing Naver, Kakao, and/or Samsung were behind the move, to protect their own payment service.
  • Most international money transfer services do not work.
  • Until 2020, many websites required using Internet Explorer with Korean government's ActiveX plugin.
Click to expand...
This is the fact.
- In June, there were reports that Apple would comply with government requests. Google? Still NOT.
- If liquors included.
- They didn't try. Google does not even operate Google Store.
- You can use PayPal, Wise, WU. I don't understand what you're trying to say.
- ActiveX is trademark of Microsoft(U.S. Company). And the plugin was made by 3rd party cyber security company(AhnLab, INCA and so on), not the goverment.
 
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jholzner said:
Agree! In SK right now and was excited to see this but can’t add funds as I only have US credit cards. Useless for tourists.
Click to expand...
Transit agencies should be working on doing it New York/London/and heck even DALLAS AND SPOKANE, and let you tap credit cards/credit card in Apple Pay directly at the fare gates and readers on buses.

Seriously. SPOKANE. If Spokane can do it, I would imagine cities like Seoul can do it.
 
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