Does Apple Pay Work in Korea? Contactless Payments in 2026

Contactless payment is still hit-and-miss in Korea. NFC terminals are installed at only some shops, and even those have to be certified separately for each card brand, so many of them accept only Visa and Mastercard. Apple Pay itself launched here in 2023, but as of October 2026 Hyundai Card is still the only Korean card issuer that supports it.

I first wrote this in June 2026 and have since added what changed, plus the timeline for paying for Seoul public transport with a foreign card. (Updated October 2026)

At a glance

Reason 1: NFC terminals arrived late. Samsung Pay (MST) worked on the old card terminals, so shops had little reason to upgrade, and an NFC terminal costs about 150,000–200,000 KRW.
Reason 2: a contactless logo is not enough. Terminals need separate certification for each card brand, so many take Visa and Mastercard but not Amex or UnionPay.
Korean Apple Pay issuers: only Hyundai Card as of October 2026 (Shinhan Card and Toss Bank fell through or were put on hold; KB Kookmin Card has no date yet).
Transit: Apple Pay T-money since July 2025. It needs a Korean-issued card, but visitors can top up through the T-money app (see below).
Tapping a foreign card to ride: Seoul city buses planned for 2027, subway gates targeted for December 2027.
Tip: look for the Apple Pay or contactless mark and the card brand logos on the terminal. If tapping fails, just insert the chip.

Why contactless often fails even where there is a terminal

Most people know Korea has few NFC terminals, so I will cover the numbers further down. What I want to point out first is that even the contactless terminals Korea already has fall short.

If you have been to Japan, you know how many payment options a shop counter lists there.

Payment methods at a shop in Japan

Card brands accepted for contactless at a shop in Japan

There are chip-based and barcode-based methods, and next to the contactless icon (the sideways Wi-Fi symbol) in the second photo you can see Visa and Mastercard, but also JCB, Amex, UnionPay, and even Discover and Diners Club, which you rarely see in Korea these days.

I use an Amex card, and paying contactless in Japan has never failed me once.

Now look at a terminal in Korea.

Contactless sign on a Korean terminal (Visa and Mastercard only)

Only Visa and Mastercard. You might think a contactless terminal takes any contactless card, but each global card brand has to certify contactless payment on the terminal separately.

Anyone who used Apple Pay in Korea early on has seen it: one terminal takes only Visa, another only Mastercard, another Visa and Mastercard but not Amex. So people try to pay because the counter says “Apple Pay accepted”, and the payment fails.

As of June, the SPC group (Paris Baguette, Dunkin’, Baskin-Robbins and others) was still like this: nothing but Visa and Mastercard.

Toss Front terminal

Toss terminals are now everywhere and accept most global brands for contactless. But with some terminals, Toss included, Apple Pay works while tapping the physical card does not.

Toss terminals in particular make it hard to find where to tap. I have moved my card around the screen more than once and ended up inserting the chip as usual.

When I see foreign visitors struggling at a counter, it is often exactly this: their physical card simply won’t tap.

Bottom line: even the terminals already installed often refuse a payment because they only accept certain card brands.

It is getting better, but next to Japan it still feels far too slow. Maybe Korea just hasn’t had a big global event like a World Cup to force the change.

Why Korea was late to contactless

NFC was skipped in the switch to chip terminals. Shops had to replace their terminals with IC (chip) terminals by 20 July 2018, but most new ones also read magnetic stripes, so Samsung Pay (which uses MST) kept working. There was little reason to buy NFC terminals.
A shared standard fizzled out. In August 2018 seven card companies launched a common NFC standard called “Justouch”, but it never took off because of disputes over costs and Samsung Card pulling out.
Terminals are expensive. An NFC terminal costs about 150,000–200,000 KRW. According to National Assembly data, Hyundai Card and merchants split 8.65 billion KRW of installation costs in 2022–2023.
Fees complicate things. When Korea’s Financial Services Commission allowed Apple Pay in February 2023, it required that the fees not be passed on to consumers or merchants. The fee card issuers pay Apple (about 0.15%) is also tangled up with Samsung Pay’s fees, so other issuers have been slow to join.
Each brand needs its own certification. To add EMV contactless, a terminal has to pass terminal certification, certification for each card brand such as Visa and Mastercard, and Korean security certification in turn. That is why “Visa and Mastercard only” terminals exist.

Here is how far adoption has come.

As of	Status
April 2025	About 530,000 NFC terminals (just over 10% of merchants)
August 2026	About 400,000 Toss Front + about 100,000 Naver Connect terminals, roughly one in six credit card merchants

Apple Pay in Korea in 2026

Apple Pay launched with Hyundai Card on 21 March 2023. From July that year, Hyundai Card Amex cards could be added too.
As of October 2026, Apple’s official list of Korean issuers still shows only Hyundai Card.
Shinhan Card was reported to launch in March but it fell through. Toss Bank set a launch for 24 March and put it on hold that same day.
KB Kookmin Card has mostly finished preparing but has no date, and a July report said more issuers were unlikely to join this year.

Apple Pay T-money and transit cards

Apple Pay T-money has been available since 22 July 2025. Express Mode works, and it needs a card issued in Korea.
You can top it up with a Hyundai Card, a bank account or T-mileage, and KakaoPay is due to be added.
Visitors can use the “foreigner login” in the T-money iOS app and top up with a Mastercard, Amex or UnionPay card. Visa is not accepted.
On Android, Naver Pay has offered an NFC transit card since May 2024.

When can you tap a foreign card on the Seoul subway and buses?

Tapping your own foreign card at the gate (open-loop payment) does not work in Seoul yet. Here is the timeline.

Subway ticket machines: since 17 March 2026, 440 machines at 273 stations sell single-journey tickets and short-term Climate Card passes for foreign cards. From 1 October they accept five brands, Amex included.
City buses: T-money has signed agreements with Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB and Hana Card to start foreign-card tap-to-ride on Seoul city buses in 2027. Hana Card has announced January 2027.
Subway gates: Seoul Metro is replacing 6,101 gate readers at 276 stations with EMV-capable ones, targeting December 2027. When foreign cards will be accepted is still to be agreed with the authorities.

Outside Seoul, Jeju city buses started accepting Visa contactless in August 2025. Busan buses use a Zero Pay QR system rather than EMV.

Tips for paying by tap in Korea

Check the terminal for the Apple Pay logo or the contactless symbol, and also the card brand logos next to it. If you only see Visa and Mastercard, Amex and UnionPay will probably fail.
If you mainly use Amex or UnionPay, carry a Visa or Mastercard as well. It saves a lot of stress.
If tapping your physical card doesn’t work, don’t keep trying. Inserting the chip is faster.
It varies from shop to shop. When in doubt, ask before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Does Apple Pay work in Korea with a foreign card?

Only on terminals that accept contactless for your card’s brand. Many Korean terminals take only Visa and Mastercard contactless, so an Amex or UnionPay card in Apple Pay may be declined. Check the logos on the terminal and keep a chip card as a backup.

Which Korean cards support Apple Pay?

As of October 2026, only Hyundai Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex and domestic-only cards). Shinhan Card and Toss Bank launches fell through or were put on hold, and KB Kookmin Card has no date yet.

The terminal shows an Apple Pay sign. Why did my payment fail?

Contactless has to be certified separately for each card brand. If the terminal is only certified for Visa and Mastercard, an Amex or UnionPay card can fail. Look at the card brand logos on the terminal.

Can I ride the Seoul subway or bus with a foreign card?

As of October 2026, you can’t tap a foreign card at the gate. You can buy a single-journey ticket or a short-term Climate Card pass with a foreign card at subway ticket machines. Tap-to-ride on city buses is planned for 2027, and subway gates are targeted for December 2027.

Can I use Apple Pay as a transit card in Korea?

Yes. Apple Pay T-money has been available since July 2025. It needs a Korean-issued card, but visitors can top it up in the T-money app with a Mastercard, Amex or UnionPay card.

Sources (in Korean): Apple Support: Apple Pay issuers in Korea, Seoul Metropolitan Government: foreign cards at subway ticket machines

This is a translation of my original Korean article: 애플페이 안 되는 이유 – 한국 컨택리스 결제 2026년 현황. Last checked: October 2026.