Korea’s Tmoney transit card now available on Apple Pay

(Apple)

The South Korean pre-paid transit Tmoney card is now available on Apple iPhone.

Starting Tuesday, iPhone users can add a Tmoney card to their Apple Wallet app and tap their iPhone or Apple Watch on bus or subway readers to use public transportation.

Only pre-paid Tmoney cards are supported, and post-paid transportation cards and other transit products are not available.

Users can top up their balance using Hyundai Card, the only card supporting Apple Pay in Korea, directly in the Apple Wallet app, while the Mobile Tmoney app allows recharging with other payment methods.

If a user’s balance falls below a set threshold, the system will automatically recharge the card via Apple Pay, a world-first feature.

Since its launch in Korea in March 2023, Apple Pay’s expansion has been limited by acceptance mainly at convenience stores and large franchise chains, along with the absence of key smartphone payment features such as transit card support.