note that enduring contents over the Korean Peninsula can be found on informative Pages on Top and Top-Right Menu on this BLog, while newer and changing trends in the central Post section of this BLog . Thus more historic back-ground as well as the Big Picture found on the former .
the what-ever a foreigner sees local swipe when they pass subway entrances and exits as well as when they ride and get-off buses : are smart-cards . many variations, such as stand-alone cards, ones implimented inside credit or cash cards, then also those input into cell phones and smart-phones via chips or apps . but here we’ll introduce the difference between the two types of cards which come from different companies :
CashBee started earlier in December 2010 and T-Money later June 2014 but used much more as they are compatible with more places geographically as well as type of stores . so deciding which will largely depend upon upon where you mostly commute, then where you use it whether only for transportation or also for shopping . once you have that you have more choices as some cards come printed with photos of your favourite K-Star then some even as USB-memory dongles .
for stand-alone cards, you purchase the cards first then add money into it, where the most convenient place to do it is at convenience stores all around the Peninsula .
CashBee began more as cash cards and T-Money for transportation and both have evolved much and their usage area and stores have widen incredibly that it is safe to say both are almost the same, but still there are a few regions and stores (convenience stores are common but coffee shops and restaurants differ much still) that don’t accept the other .
first of all : CashBee is administered by Lotte Conglomerate and is lessly compatible throughout Korea, especially if you are in GyeongSang NamDo regaion and less trying to use for out-of-city buses .
– Korea Tech BLog come Spring 2018 –
I have Cashbee through my Galaxy Active 2 smartwatch. Unfortunately, the watch died after 14 months, and is too expensive to fix (warranty ended). I am addicted to Cashbee for subway use. I see there are various cards and armbands for Cashbee and T-money. With my Galaxy watch, I could automatically charge using my smartphone app. Is it the same with other cashbee cards or devices? Can I charge myself to my credit card directly with Cashbee when using a different Cashbee or T-money device, or was that only a function of the Galaxy watch? Will I have to charge by going to a store or kiosk every time, instead?