Traveling around Jeju Island just got a whole lot easier for foreign visitors! 🚍✨
Starting this August, tourists can now hop on any Jeju bus without needing to buy a T-money card or carry cash – all you need is your Visa card. Whether it’s a credit, debit, or prepaid card issued overseas, you can simply tap and ride.
This new open-loop transit payment system, powered by Visa, is now live across the island – the first of its kind in Korea’s public transportation. It’s part of a collaboration between Visa and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, announced earlier this year in March. The project aims to upgrade Jeju’s payment infrastructure and make travel more seamless for international visitors.
💳 So how does it work?
The system uses the EMV global payment standard, meaning you can pay directly using your card or even a smartphone or smartwatch – just like you would in London, New York, Hong Kong, or Singapore, where similar systems are already running.
Visa shared that in 2024 alone, it processed over 2 billion contactless transit payments worldwide, more than double the total in 2022. The trend is spreading quickly across Asia too – Beijing, for example, recently introduced open-loop payments across its entire subway network.
In Korea, though, public transport has long relied on PayOn, a closed system used since 1997. Because it doesn’t connect with international payment networks, tourists have often had to either pay in cash or buy separate T-money cards, which can only be topped up in Korean won. For many, this was a frustrating experience in an otherwise tech-savvy country.
Now, Jeju is leading the way to change that. 🌊
By introducing Visa’s open-loop payment system, the island hopes to make travel simpler, smarter, and more welcoming for its growing number of global visitors.
“With global interest in Korean culture on the rise, the need for open-loop transit payments is becoming clearer” said Patrick Storey, Visa Korea’s regional manager. “We hope this rollout not only improves convenience for foreign tourists, but also strengthens Jeju’s position as a world-class destination.”
So next time you’re in Jeju – skip the ticket counters, tap your Visa, and enjoy the ride. 🚌💙
Source: The Korea Times