Seoul Subway Single Journey Ticket (2026): How to Buy One and Get Your 500 Won Back

A single journey ticket (일회용 교통카드) is the simplest way to take one subway ride in Seoul without buying a T-money card. You pay the fare plus a 500 won deposit at a machine in the station, tap the card at the gate, and get the 500 won back from a refund machine when you arrive. Here’s exactly how it works in 2026, including the new option to pay with a foreign card.

Last checked: October 2026. Fares are for adults on the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Dollar figures use about 1,330 KRW = 1 USD (October 2026).

First time in Korea? Start here: our step-by-step guide from landing to your first day.

Single journey ticket at a glance

How to buy a single journey ticket

1. Find the machine. Look for the machine labelled 1회용 발매·교통카드 충전기 (single ticket and card top-up) near the ticket gates.
2. Switch to English. Tap English on the first screen.
3. Choose Single Journey Ticket. Then pick your destination station, by line or by searching the name. The screen shows the fare plus the 500 won deposit.
4. Choose how many tickets. Each traveller needs their own ticket.
5. Pay. Insert cash (1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 won notes and coins are accepted), or tap or insert a foreign Visa or Mastercard if the machine shows card logos.
6. Take your ticket and change. The ticket is a reusable plastic card.

Riding with it

• Tap the card on the gate reader going in and coming out, exactly like a T-money card. Keep it until you have left the gates at your destination.
• Transfers between subway lines inside the gates are included. You can’t transfer to a bus with it.
• If you went further than the station you paid for, an excess fare machine near the exit gates lets you pay the difference.

Getting your 500 won back

1. After leaving the gates, find the deposit refund machine. It’s labelled 보증금 환급기 (deposit refund) and is usually right next to the ticket machines.
2. Insert the card. The machine keeps the card and returns a 500 won coin.
3. That’s it. Do it at the station where you get off, right after you exit, so you don’t forget.

Forget to claim it and you simply lose the 500 won. It’s not a big deal, but it adds up over a trip.

Single ticket or T-money?

• Only one or two rides? A single journey ticket is fine.
• Riding several times a day, or taking buses? Get a T-money card: each trip is 100 won cheaper, transfers to buses are free within 30 minutes, and you skip the machine every time. Here’s how to top up T-money.
• For everything else about riding (maps, transfers, last trains), see our Seoul subway guide.

FAQ

How much is a single journey ticket in Seoul?
1,650 won for a basic trip plus a 500 won deposit, so you pay 2,150 won at the machine and get 500 won back at the end.

Can I buy a Seoul subway ticket with a credit card?
Since March 2026, yes, at about 440 newer machines on Lines 1–8 using a foreign Visa or Mastercard, with a service fee of about 3.7%. Older machines take cash only.

Can I use a single journey ticket on the bus?
No. Buses need a transit card such as T-money.

Sources: Seoul Start – transit cards and single tickets (Aug 2026) · Seoul Metropolitan Government – subway fare change (June 2025) · Creatrip – Seoul subway for visitors
Photos: LandAndTree / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 · ZKang123 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0