Korea is close to cashless. Cards work almost everywhere, but a back-up plan saves awkward moments at a market stall or ticket machine.
Bring two ways to pay
International Visa and Mastercard cards are widely accepted in shops, but an overseas card is occasionally declined by a local terminal. Carry a second card and a small amount of won in cash for market stalls.
Prepaid travel cards
Prepaid cards made for visitors, such as WOWPASS, combine currency exchange, card payments and transit in one card. You load them at machines in airports, stations and hotels, then pay like a local debit card and tap in on the subway.
Avoid paying in your home currency
If a terminal offers to charge you in your own currency, choose won instead. The conversion offered at the till usually costs more than your bank’s rate.