The Busan Metro is the easiest way to move around much of the city, but the payment options can confuse a first-time visitor. You can buy a single-use QR ticket, use a transport card, or use a mobile ticket, and the fares differ. This guide explains each option, where to buy and recharge, and what the operator says about refunds.
All facts come from the Busan Transportation Corporation (the metro operator) and Visit Busan, read on 30 September and 1 October 2026. Fares change, so treat every won figure as a snapshot and confirm it with the operator. What we could not confirm is listed near the end.
The Network at a Glance
According to Visit Busan, Lines 1 to 4, the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit and the Donghae Line operate from 05:00 to 23:59, with first and last trains varying by station. (The operator’s own light rail page says 05:00 to 24:00, so sources differ by a minute.) Check your station’s timetable before planning a late train.
The operator’s line map lists these lines at popular stations:
| Station | Lines | |—|—| | Busan Station | Line 1 | | Nampo | Line 1 | | Seomyeon | Line 1 and Line 2 | | Haeundae | Line 2 | | Gwangalli (listed as Gwangan) | Line 2 | | Centum City | Line 2 (also the Donghae Line, listed as EastLine) | | Sasang | Line 2 and the light rail to Gimhae |
The operator’s customer line is 1544-5005.
Three Ways to Pay
1. Single-use QR ticket
Buy it from the automatic ticket machine at the station: choose your destination on the route map, confirm the fare, insert bills or coins, and take your ticket and change. At the gate you scan the QR code. The operator adds that each person must use only one ticket.
2. Transport card
You tag the card on the gate reader. The operator says cards can be bought at automatic card machines in stations and at convenience stores, and recharged at ticket or charging machines in stations. Choose “Recharge a transit card”, place the card on the machine, and pick an amount or enter one in increments of 1,000 won.
3. Mobile ticket
The operator’s app is found by searching “Busan Urban Railway” on Google Play or the Apple App Store (Visit Busan calls it the “Busan Subway” application). Options include Metro Pay (prepaid balance) and season tickets for 1, 3 or 30 days. The operator lists the 1-day pass at 6,000 won (unlimited trips that day), the 3-day pass at 13,000 won (unlimited for 3 consecutive days) and the 30-day pass at 45,000 won (up to 45 trips in 30 days). It says mobile tickets are only valid for the urban railway, and Visit Busan says the passes are not valid on the Donghae Line or the light rail. If you are heading to or from the airport, that matters.
Hanaro Card vs T-money
Visit Busan says the Hanaro Card is the official transit pass used in Busan. You also get transfer discounts with other regional cards: Mybi, T-money and Cashbee, including the Gimhae-for-you Card. The operator’s transfer page lists Hanaro, Mybi, eb, T-money and Cashbee cards, and deferred-payment cards, as eligible.
So a T-money card you already own is listed as accepted for transfer discounts. We found no official page on the price of a new card, the deposit, or differences between the cards, so we do not state those.
Where to buy and recharge, per Visit Busan: ticket machines in Busan Metro stations, railway stations along the Donghae Line, convenience stores and Busan Bank branches.
Fares (Snapshot)
The operator’s English fare page lists two sections and three boarding methods. For adults, section 1 is 1,600 won with a transport card or mobile ticket and 1,700 won with a QR ticket. Section 2 is 1,800 won with a card or mobile ticket and 1,900 won with a QR ticket. The page defines an adult as 19 or older, an adolescent as 13 to 18 and a child as 6 to 12; children are shown as free with a transport card. It also lists multi-child-family fares.
So a card or mobile ticket is 100 won cheaper per adult trip than a QR ticket. The page’s English is compressed, so confirm the fare at the machine.
Transfers
The operator says that with a Hanaro, Mybi, eb, T-money or Cashbee card, or a deferred-payment card, you can transfer between urban rail and buses within 30 minutes, and the fare is based on the highest fare among the services used. Its example: an adult going from urban rail to an ordinary bus pays 1,600 won in total. Extra fare applies when using a second urban rail section. The operator’s metropolitan-area page says the 30-minute transfer discount also covers the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail. Visit Busan notes there is no transfer discount for the Airport Limousine.
Refunds and Damaged Cards
From the operator’s FAQ:
- Refunds can be made at Busan Bank, the relevant transport card company, or the Seomyeon Traffic Card Service Center.
- At Busan Bank or a card company a service fee of 200 won applies.
- The Seomyeon centre is in the Seomyeon Station waiting room, opposite the customer service centre, open Monday to Friday 10:00 to 19:00 (closed weekends and holidays). It handles exchange, balance transfer, and refund or donation of balances under 1,100 won without a service fee, but the FAQ lists its target cards as Hanaro, Mybi and Cashbee. T-money is not listed.
- Convenience stores (Seven Eleven, CU, GS25) can refund a remaining balance; the operator says it does not process card refunds itself.
- A card in good condition can be exchanged free at Busan Bank or the card company. For partnership Hanaro or dual-purpose cards, contact the Hanaro card company.
For mobile tickets, 200 won per 10,000 won is deducted for Metro Pay refunds. Unused 1-day and 3-day passes are refundable, and 30-day passes are refunded according to the remaining trips.
First-time visitor tips
- Do not buy a second card by reflex. Our suggestion: if you already own a T-money card, check it first, because the operator lists T-money as eligible for transfer discounts.
- Use a QR ticket for a one-off ride. It needs no card and is sold at the station machine, though the page lists it at 100 won more per adult trip than a card.
- Take only one ticket per person. The operator says each person must use only one ticket at the gate.
- Check the pass before the airport. The mobile passes are not valid on the light rail or the Donghae Line, which matters if you are heading to or from the airport.
- Plan refunds before your last day. The fees differ by where you go, and the Seomyeon centre lists Hanaro, Mybi and Cashbee as its target cards but not T-money.
FAQ
Can I use a T-money card on the Busan Metro?
The operator’s transfer page lists T-money among the cards eligible for the 30-minute transfer discount. We found no official page on the price of a new card, so we do not state it.
Which is cheaper, a QR ticket or a card?
A card or mobile ticket. The operator’s fare page lists adult section 1 at 1,600 won with a card or mobile ticket and 1,700 won with a QR ticket. Confirm the fare at the machine, as the page’s English is compressed.
Does the 1-day pass work on the airport light rail?
No. Visit Busan and the operator both say the mobile passes are not valid on the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail or the Donghae Line. Card transfers are a separate matter, and the metropolitan-area page says the 30-minute discount covers the light rail.
Can I get a refund on a T-money card at the Seomyeon centre?
We could not confirm this. The FAQ lists Hanaro, Mybi and Cashbee as its target cards and does not list T-money. Busan Bank, the card company or a convenience store are the other places the operator names.
What We Could Not Confirm
- The price of a new Hanaro or T-money card, and any deposit.
- Which vending machines sell cards at which stations.
- Whether the fares above are current. They are the operator’s English pages as read on 30 September and 1 October 2026.
- Exact last-train times for your station.
- Whether T-money can be refunded at the Seomyeon centre. The FAQ does not list it.
Before You Go
A QR ticket is available at any station and needs no card. If you will ride often or use buses too, a transport card gives the lower fare and the transfer discount. Suggestion: check whether a T-money card you already have works before buying another. If you want a refund of a leftover balance, the fees differ by where you go.
For a quick card version of this guide, follow @your.koreaguide on Instagram.
Related guides
Sources
All checked 30 Sep 2026 and re-checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Busan Transportation Corporation, How to Use (tickets, cards, mobile, refunds): https://www2.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/chs/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=1006010501
- Busan Transportation Corporation, Fare guide: https://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/english/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=100601040101
- Busan Transportation Corporation, Downtown transfer fare: https://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/english/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=100601040201
- Busan Transportation Corporation, Metropolitan area transfer fare: https://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/english/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=100601040202
- Busan Transportation Corporation, FAQ: https://www2.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/chs/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=10060401
- Busan Transportation Corporation, line map and light rail page: http://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/cyberstation/mapeng.do and https://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/english/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=10060108
- Visit Busan, Preparing for a Trip: https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000303012002000 and https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000304011003000
