Seoul Climate Card: pass prices and whether it saves you money
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
The Seoul Climate Card is an unlimited-ride pass for Seoul's subway, Seoul-licensed buses, Ttareungi bikes and the Hangang Bus. For a short visit the useful part is the short-term pass: ₩5,000 for 1 day, up to ₩20,000 for 7 days. The 30-day pass is being discontinued: the official page says it could be recharged only until August 31, 2026, so this page and its calculator focus on the short-term passes.
Break-even calculator: pass or pay per ride?
Enter how many rides you expect to take while the pass is valid. The calculator compares the pass price with the card fares printed on the Seoul subway and bus pages (₩1,550 adult subway, ₩1,500 adult blue/green bus).
Not covered: the transfer discount (a transfer within 30 minutes costs less than two full fares, so real pay-per-ride totals can be lower than shown), the extra ₩100 per 5 km beyond 10 km, rapid (red) buses, youth or other discounts, and Ttareungi use. Child and teen fares are not modelled; the fares used are adult card fares.
How many rides to break even
This is our arithmetic on the official prices: the number of single rides at which the card fares add up to at least the pass price. Above that number, the pass is cheaper.
| Pass | Price | Subway-only rides | Bus-only rides |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-day | ₩5,000 | 4 | 4 |
| 2-day | ₩8,000 | 6 | 6 |
| 3-day | ₩10,000 | 7 | 7 |
| 5-day | ₩15,000 | 10 | 10 |
| 7-day | ₩20,000 | 13 | 14 |
A 1-day pass pays for itself on a fourth ride. Over three days, 7 rides break even, about two and a third a day. These are the counts before the ₩3,000 physical card and before transfer discounts.
Pass prices
| Pass | Price | Notes from the page |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day, Ttareungi not included — discontinued (recharge until Aug 31, 2026) | ₩62,000 | Youth (19 to 39): ₩7,000 discount; youth (13 to 18): ₩7,000 discount; parents with two or more children: ₩7,000 to ₩17,000 discount; low-income individuals: ₩17,000 discount. The page sends you to the 120 Dasan Call Center for details. |
| 30-day, Ttareungi included | ₩65,000 | |
| 30-day, Hangang Bus included | ₩67,000 | |
| 30-day, Ttareungi and Hangang Bus included | ₩70,000 | |
| 1-day | ₩5,000 | Ttareungi and Hangang Bus not included. The valid term begins on the date of charging. A 1-day pass charged on a given day is valid until the last bus or subway of that day. You cannot charge a card in advance. |
| 2-day | ₩8,000 | |
| 3-day | ₩10,000 | |
| 5-day | ₩15,000 | |
| 7-day | ₩20,000 |
Where it works, and where it does not
- Included: Seoul-based subway lines plus part of the Gyeonggi-run subway routes, Seoul-licensed city and town buses (night buses included), Ttareungi, and the Hangang Bus.
- Excluded: the Sinbundang Line, subway lines outside Seoul, intercity and airport buses, and buses not licensed in Seoul.
- Buses: you can ride Seoul-licensed buses even if you board or get off outside Seoul.
- Subway: you cannot use the card if you get off outside the service range, even if you boarded inside it. The page's example is boarding at Jongno 3(sam)-ga and getting off at Indeogwon in Gyeonggi-do: staff collect the fare from the boarding station to the exit station.
- Airport rail: the AREX section from Gimpo International Airport Station to Seoul Station is in range, and since September 13, 2024 you can get off at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. You cannot board there.
- Tap on and off: failing to tap when getting off two times suspends use of the service for 24 hours from the time of the last boarding.
The subway section list is long (Lines 1 to 9, the Sillim Line, parts of the Gyeongui-Jungang, Suin-Bundang, Gyeongchun, Gyeonggang and Seohae lines, and the Gimpo Goldline). Station-by-station coverage is on the official page and its linked service-range search (Korean only).
How to get one: steps
- Choose the card type. The page lists mobile cards (Android, OS 12 or higher) and physical cards (for iOS users and the digitally vulnerable).
- Mobile: download the Mobile Tmoney app, sign up, then issue and charge the Climate Card. Payment is by bank wire transfer or a domestic credit or debit card issued in your name.
- Physical: buy the card from a new-card vending machine in a subway station (Lines 1 to 8), or from convenience stores near Line 9, Ui-Sinseol Line and Sillim Line stations. The card is ₩3,000, bought separately.
- Register a physical card online on the Tmoney Card & Pay website, one card per person. An unregistered card cannot be refunded and cannot use Ttareungi.
- Charge at a kiosk inside a station with cash or a domestic credit or debit card (corporate cards not accepted). Since March 20, 2025, Climate Cards can also be bought and recharged with international credit and debit cards, and the page says short-term passes can be bought with international credit cards.
The page also says you may set the start date within five days of charging (this excludes short-term passes).
Refunds
Refund amount = total charged amount, minus the total used on public transport, minus a ₩500 fee. Ask before the end of the use period; the same terms apply to short-term passes. No refund is possible after the expiry date. Refunds can be difficult if the card is not in your own name, and foreigners without a Korean bank account can visit the Tmoney headquarters to receive a refund.
Where the sources need care
| Item | What the sources say | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day pass | The price table still lists four 30-day prices. The notice above it says the 30-day card could be recharged "until August 31, 2026". | The page was not updated to remove the price rows. Do not plan a trip around the 30-day pass without checking the page again. |
| Fare dates | The ₩1,550 subway fare is from a table "as of Sat, Jun. 28, 2025". The ₩1,500 bus fare is from a table "as of 3 AM on Sat, Aug. 12, 2023". The bus table also has an "Old" column (₩1,200 for a blue bus). | The calculator uses the current ("After" and "New") columns only. |
| Who can get the new Climate Pass | The notice says "Eligibility is based on place of residence, and the Climate Pass is available to Seoul residents", and that you can sign up "if you have a foreigner registration number". | Visitors without a registration number should look at the short-term passes. |
Official sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — Climate Card — pass prices, ₩3,000 physical card, service range and exclusions, purchase steps, refund formula, notice on the 30-day card and the Climate Pass (page has no revision date) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — Subway — adult card fare ₩1,550 (table as of Jun. 28, 2025) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — Bus — adult trunk/branch bus card fare ₩1,500 (table as of Aug. 12, 2023, New column) (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.