Comparing the two payments apps to help you pick the right one for South Korea.
| WOWPASS | Kakao Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | A prepaid card and app built for foreign visitors to Korea. Load it with your own currency at kiosks and pay where foreign credit cards often fail. | Korea's dominant mobile wallet from the maker of KakaoTalk, used for QR and barcode payments in convenience stores, cafes and online checkouts nationwide. |
| Essential? | Yes | No |
| Pro Tip | Grab the physical card at airport counters or subway kiosks, which take cash in 16 currencies and increasingly foreign cards. The built-in T-money transit balance is separate from your spending balance, so top up both before riding the subway. | Registration needs a Korean phone number and bank account, so short-term visitors cannot use it. Korea is notorious for terminals and online shops that reject foreign cards, which is exactly the gap WOWPASS and ATM cash are there to fill. |
| App Store | Download | Download |
| Play Store | Download | Download |
We recommend WOWPASS for payments in South Korea. Grab the physical card at airport counters or subway kiosks, which take cash in 16 currencies and increasingly foreign cards. The built-in T-money transit balance is separate from your spending balance, so top up both before riding the subway.
WOWPASS is our top recommendation for payments in South Korea. A prepaid card and app built for foreign visitors to Korea. Load it with your own currency at kiosks and pay where foreign credit cards often fail.
WOWPASS vs Kakao Pay in South Korea