T-money Card for Kids in Seoul: How to Register the Child Fare

T-money Card for Kids in Seoul: How to Register the Child Fare

 

If your child is 6 or older, buy them their own T-money card and register their age before the first ride.

An unregistered T-money card charges the adult fare of 1,550 won, while a registered child card pays 550 won and a youth card 900 won per subway ride, as of November 2026.

Children under 6 do not need a card at all.

We live in Seoul with kids, and the registration step is the one thing almost every visiting family we meet has missed.

Nobody at the counter mentions it, and the card works fine either way, so you never get a warning.

Below is the simple version: which card to buy, how to register it, and what it costs.

Do kids need their own T-money card in Seoul?

One card pays for one person.

You cannot tap one adult card twice for a parent and child on the subway the way you sometimes can on a bus.

So every child aged 6 and older needs a card or a single-journey ticket.

Children under 6 ride free with a paying adult, up to three children per adult, and simply walk through the wide gate with you.

 

Age (international age)	Subway fare with card	What you need
Under 6	Free	Nothing, ride with a paying adult
6–12 (child)	550 won	Own card, registered as child
13–18 (youth)	900 won	Own card, registered as youth
19 and older	1,550 won	Any T-money card

 

These are base fares for about the first 10 km.

Longer rides add a small distance charge, and the discount carries over to transfers between subway and bus within the transfer time.

Where can I buy a T-money card for my child?

Convenience stores such as CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and emart24 sell T-money cards at the counter, and so do ticket machines in many subway stations.

You pay for the card itself, then add money separately.

There is no special «child card» to buy.

A normal T-money card becomes a child or youth card once you register it.

Kids usually love picking a character card, and many convenience stores have a rack of them by the register.

Just check the back says T-money before you pay.

How do I register a T-money card as a child card?

Registration links the card to a birth date, so the system knows which fare to charge.

Here are the ways we have seen work:

1. On the T-money website (tmoney.co.kr): log in or use the non-member menu for registering a card, enter the card number on the back and the child's date of birth.

2. At a subway station information center: show the card and something that proves the child's age, such as a passport, and ask staff to register it.

3. At some convenience stores: staff can sometimes register at the counter, but it depends on the store and the clerk, so we treat this as a bonus, not a plan.

After registering, ride once and look at the gate screen.

It shows the fare charged.

If it still says 1,550 won, the registration has not gone through yet.

Keep the card number photo on your phone, since you will need it if the card goes missing.

How do I top up a kids T-money card?

Top-ups are cash only at most places.

Hand the card and cash to a convenience store clerk and say how much, or use the recharge machines in subway stations, which have an English menu.

For a few days of sightseeing, 10,000 won per child goes a long way at 550 won per ride.

You can check the balance on the machine screen or every time you tap in.

 

Task	Where	Payment
Buy a card	Convenience store or station machine	Cash or card, depends on store
Register child or youth age	T-money website or station information center	Free
Top up	Convenience store or station recharge machine	Usually cash
Refund leftover balance	Convenience store or T-money service point	Small fee may apply

 

Does the child fare work on buses and in other cities?

Yes.

Once registered, the same card pays the child or youth fare on Seoul city buses and on subways and buses in most other Korean cities.

T-money also works in many taxis, but taxis have no child fare.

For trains like KTX, kids' tickets are bought separately, and T-money is not used as the ticket.

What about a single-journey ticket for kids?

Subway ticket machines can issue single-journey tickets with a child option.

You pay a refundable deposit on top of the fare and get it back at the deposit refund machine after the ride.

For one or two rides it is fine.

For a whole trip, the extra steps at every station get tiring fast with children, and a registered card is far easier.

Is there a family or tourist pass for kids?

Seoul has the Climate Card for unlimited rides and various tourist passes, and their rules and prices change often.

For most families on a short trip, a registered T-money card per child is the cheapest and simplest choice, because the child fare is already low.

If you are staying longer, compare the current pass prices on the Seoul city website before buying.

What mistakes do families make with kids' T-money cards?

The big one is not registering the card.

The second is buying a card for a toddler who rides free.

The third is letting a child hold their own card in a crowd.

Cards fall out of pockets on escalators all the time, and once lost, the balance is usually gone unless the card was registered online.

We clip the kids' cards to a lanyard or keep them in a phone case slot with an adult.

What does a typical day of rides cost for a family?

Here is a real example from a day we spent with visiting cousins, two adults and two kids aged 8 and 14.

We rode the subway four times: hotel to the palace, palace to a market, market to the river, river back to the hotel.

 

Rider	Per ride	Four rides	Unregistered card would cost
Adult	1,550 won	6,200 won	6,200 won
Adult	1,550 won	6,200 won	6,200 won
Child (8)	550 won	2,200 won	6,200 won
Youth (14)	900 won	3,600 won	6,200 won

 

Base fares only; longer distances add a little.

Registering the two kids' cards saved 6,600 won in one day.

Over a week, that pays for a lot of snacks.

Can I use a credit card instead of T-money for my kids?

Some foreign credit cards with contactless payment work at subway gates and on buses, but they always charge the adult fare.

There is no way to tell a credit card that the rider is a child.

So for kids, a registered T-money card is the only way to get the discount.

Adults can use whatever is easiest.

What happens to the card when we leave Korea?

You can ask for the leftover balance back at a convenience store or a T-money service point, usually with a small fee and a cap on the amount refunded at stores.

Many families just keep the cards for their next trip, since T-money cards do not expire quickly and keep their balance.

Our relatives abroad have a drawer of them.

If the balance is low, it is easier to spend it on a drink at a convenience store on the way to the airport, since T-money works as payment at most of them.

Are there airport and intercity details to know?

The airport railroad from Incheon Airport accepts T-money, and the child fare applies on registered cards.

Airport limousine buses have their own fares and children's rates; some accept T-money and some sell tickets at a counter.

For trips to Busan or Gyeongju, buy KTX or express bus tickets separately, and use T-money once you arrive for local buses and subways.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do kids pay on the Seoul subway?

From age 6. Children under 6 ride free with a paying adult.

Can I register a T-money card for a foreign child?

Yes. Registration uses the date of birth. Station staff can help with a passport if the website gives you trouble.

How do I know the child fare is working?

Look at the gate screen when your child taps. It should show 550 won for a child or 900 won for a youth on a basic ride.

Can my child use my T-money card?

Not at the same time on the subway. Each rider needs a card.

You will buy and top up cards at convenience stores almost every day here, and MARU has a fun piece on the corner store Koreans treat as a kitchen, a pub and a lifeline.

 

Related on MARU Magazine: Why Are Korean Convenience Stores So Popular?

Sources: T-money (tmoney.co.kr) card registration and fare guide; Seoul Metro fare table; Korea JoongAng Daily, «Seoul subway prices rising to 1,550 won on June 28» (2025).