One Card for Transit, Payments, and Transfers in Korea

Once you start living in Korea, you’ll notice more and more cards piling up in your wallet. You use a prepaid transit card for public transportation, and then a debit or credit card with better perks at supermarkets or restaurants. Before you know it, you're already carrying three or four cards. The more cards you carry, the harder it gets to keep track, with each one tied to a different account and its own balance to monitor.

If you’ve already received your Alien Registration Card (ARC), a Toss Bank debit card simplifies all of that. It works online and offline, functions as a transit card, and keeps your rewards all in the same app. Here's how it works.

(1) One card for payments everywhere

Many people run into trouble using a foreign-issued card on Korean shopping sites. These cards often can't be registered in shopping apps, or transactions fail at checkout more often than not.

A Korean-issued card cuts through that. The Toss Bank debit card registers easily on major Korean shopping platforms. At shopping websites that support Toss Pay, there's no need to enter your card number at all as payments go through the Toss app directly.

You can even start shopping online before your physical card arrives. Once you finish applying for one, a digital card on the app is automatically activated, and it can be used immediately on online shopping sites.

Offline payments work just as smoothly. Since it’s issued domestically, it's accepted everywhere including supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants.

(2) No need to carry a separate transit card

Prepaid transit cards need to be topped up before use. And nobody wants to find out their transit card is empty at the turnstile. Carrying a separate card just for transit also means one more item to keep track of.

The Toss Bank debit card comes with a postpaid transit function, so one card covers subways, buses, and taxis. Fares are automatically debited from your linked Toss Bank account, and as long as you have sufficient funds, you never have to think about topping up before going out.

If you want to earn cashback on transit costs, you can sign up for K-Pass. It's a government-run cashback program that refunds part of your transit costs each month, as long as you ride a minimum number of times.

Signing up for K-Pass through Toss Bank is simple. All you need to do is select the K-Pass design when you apply for your Toss Bank debit card. And there’s no need for extra paperwork or a branch visit, because it’s all done right in the app. After you receive your card, if you use public transportation, like the bus, subway, GTX, and more, at least 15 times a month, a portion of your spending will be automatically refunded to your account on the 25th of each month.

(3) All rewards in one app

Using multiple cards means you have to keep track of which one to use where to maximize your benefits. But the Toss Bank debit card simplifies this with a cashback feature called “Switch Cashback,” which lets you choose the categories you spend on most. Once you do, whether you’re paying at a convenience store, café, or supermarket, a portion of your spending is automatically returned as cash. There’s no annual fee, so it’s all upside.

Use it as your go-to card for everyday expenses in Korea, and keep using the same card when you travel abroad. If you link it to a foreign currency account, you can make overseas payments without foreign transaction fees, which also removes the need to carry a separate card when you’re traveling or on a business trip.

How to Issue a Toss Bank debit card

To get started, open a Toss Bank account and apply for the debit card through the Toss app. Your passport and ARC are all you need, and the whole process is online, without in-person bank visits.

STEP 1. Open the Toss app → Tap “Open Account” and open a Toss Bank account

STEP 2. Apply for a debit card. You can choose between an international card (Mastercard) or a domestic-only card. Then select a design you like, and enter a delivery address. Your card will arrive within a few days.

Now all you need is this one card for shopping, transit, and rewards. Trimming your wallet down from three or four cards to one goes a long way in making life in Korea simpler.

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준법감시인 심의필 제2026-1256호 (2026.04.07. ~ 2027.04.06.)

Written by 유서진 Graphics by 조수희