Community News
Busan launches nation’s first foreigner-friendly local currency Busan Pay
haps Magazine Korea
June 19, 2024
Busan Pay (City of Busan/Busan Pay website)
The city of Busan has announced the launch of Busan Pay, the country’s first local currency service tailored specifically for foreigners.
Starting today, tourists can register for the Busan Pay service through a mobile app and prepaid card, enhancing their travel experience with seamless transactions and extensive support.
Busan Pay offers a range of features designed to cater to foreign visitors. These include Dongbaekjeon payment and cashback benefits, tourism information guides, the ability to purchase and use the Mobile Visit Busan Pass, and mobile QR season tickets for Busan’s urban railway (One-Day and Three-Day tickets).
To further support foreign users, Busan Pay provides a multilingual call center (English, Japanese, Chinese) and a one-to-one inquiry function within the mobile app, ensuring comprehensive customer service.
Foreign visitors can use Busan Pay by downloading the mobile app from the Play Store or App Store. The prepaid cards are available for purchase at kiosks located at Gimhae Airport and Busan Station, as well as major tourist information centers across the city.
Busan Pay’s main features include the ability to load funds using overseas credit cards and make payments via card or QR code. Cashback benefits are equivalent to those offered to Korean users. Additionally, payments can be made at large shopping malls, department stores, and duty-free shops, although cashback benefits are not available for these transactions.
The app also provides detailed tourism information in multiple languages — English, Japanese, and Chinese — making it easier for tourists to navigate the city. Tourists can access guides to major attractions, restaurants, and other travel content, as well as purchase and use the Mobile Visit Busan Pass.
For transportation, the app allows users to purchase mobile QR tickets for Busan’s urban railway system. The Busan Pay card, which includes transportation card functions for buses and taxis, can be issued at designated Busan Bank branches.
With the launch of Busan Pay, Busan City aims to enhance the travel experience for foreign visitors, making it more convenient and enjoyable.
For more detailed information, users can visit the Busan Pay website at busanpay.busanbank.co.kr.