iPhone users in South Korea can now use their devices to pay fares on public transportation, as Apple Pay began supporting Tmoney’s prepaid transit card feature on Tuesday.
By adding a Tmoney card to the "transit cards" section in Apple Wallet, users can tap to pay with their iPhone or Apple Watch to ride buses and the subway.
Until now, iPhone users could not make contactless payments with their phones without a separate device or a physical credit card.
Currently, only prepaid Tmoney cards are supported. Other options — such as postpaid cards, pre-loaded commuter passes and government-subsidized cards like the Climate Card or K-Pass — are not yet compatible.
Users can top up their balance through the Tmoney app or Apple Wallet using a credit card, but only for Hyundai Card holders. Hyundai Card is currently the only card issuer in Korea that supports Apple Pay. An automatic top-up feature — replenishing the balance when it falls below a preset amount — has also been introduced for the first time globally.
To use tagless payments without unlocking the device, “Express Mode” must be enabled. The feature is available on iPhones running iOS 17.2 or later — standard on iPhone XS, XR and newer devices — and Apple Watches with watchOS 10.2 or later, including the Apple Watch Series 6, SE (2nd generation) and newer models.
Tmoney emphasized that the service maintains Apple’s standard security protocols. “Apple Pay Tmoney benefits from the robust security and privacy features built into iPhone and Apple Watch,” the company said in a statement, adding that transit card information is neither stored on Apple’s servers nor shared with the company.
“South Korea boasts one of the world’s most advanced public transportation systems,” said Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. “Our users can now access it nationwide through simple, secure payments.”
The addition of public transit payments is expected to strengthen Apple Pay’s foothold in Korea. Since launching in March 2023 through an exclusive partnership with Hyundai Card, the service has seen sluggish adoption due to limited acceptance at retail locations and relatively high commission fees.
jwc@heraldcorp.com
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