EasyTicket If you’re a Seoul commuter who used the Seoul Climate Companion Card, the order matters. Finish your payback application and make your final top-up by August 31, then register your card for Everyone’s Card (Climate Companion Pass), which starts on September 1. Your existing 30-day Climate Companion Card pass won’t carry over automatically.
What’s changing on September 1?
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Metropolitan Area Transport Commission are launching Everyone’s Card (Climate Companion Pass) for Seoul residents on September 1. It builds on the existing Everyone’s Card with benefits exclusive to Seoul residents, so the name is new but the framework is the nationwide Everyone’s Card.
Existing 30-day Climate Companion Card passes will run for one more month before being phased out. Here’s the timeline at a glance.
| Category | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Final top-up | August 31 | 30-day pass top-up deadline |
| Prepaid card use | Through September 29 | Unavailable after this date |
| Postpaid card use | Through September 30 | Unavailable after this date |
| Climate Companion Pass launch | September 1 | Seoul-resident benefits begin |
Existing Everyone’s Card users will receive Seoul-resident benefits automatically without reissuing their cards. However, people who used only a 30-day Climate Companion Card pass aren’t eligible for automatic linking, so they need to issue and register a card themselves.
Two things to finish first in August
When I mapped out the switch in order, the August deadlines came before the September prep. Once I put it on the calendar, one deadline was already right around the corner.
① Payback application (deadline: August 31)
If you used a 30-day pass topped up between April 1~June 30, 2026, through its expiration, you can get 30,000 won per month, up to 90,000 won, back. Applications are accepted only on the T-money Card & Pay website, from June 10~August 31 (source: Seoul Metropolitan Government). If you haven’t signed up on the website and registered your card number, you won’t qualify, so check those first. For questions, call the T-money customer center at 1644-0088.
② Refund the prepaid card balance
The balance left on a physical prepaid card won’t be returned automatically. First suspend the card at a subway self-service top-up machine or in the Mobile T-money app, then submit a refund request on the website within 15 days of the pass’s expiration date. The fee is 500 won, but it’s waived if you’ve used at least 80% of the topped-up amount; cash top-ups arrive in your bank account within 5 days. The request won’t go through if you do the steps out of order, so I read the instructions twice myself.
How to switch to the Climate Companion Pass in 5 steps
- Choose a card type — Pick postpaid (credit or debit) or prepaid (mobile or physical).
- Get a card — Apply through a partner card issuer or get a physical prepaid card.
- Sign up — Join through the K-Pass app or website (korea-pass.kr). The steps are: card validity check → terms agreement → identity verification → address, low-income, and multiple-child verification → member information entry.
- Register the card — Register the card number you received so your usage counts toward benefits.
- Confirm your address — Climate Companion Pass benefits kick in only after you’re verified as a Seoul resident.
Usage starts counting from the moment you register the card, so it’s best to finish steps 3~5 before your first commute on September 1.
Refund rates and the youth age expansion to 39
Everyone’s Card issues a refund when you use it at least 15 times from the first through the last day of the month. The system automatically applies whichever is more favorable: a percentage-based or fixed-amount refund.
| Type | Standard refund rate | With staggered commuting |
|---|---|---|
| General | 20% | 50% |
| Youth, 2 children, seniors | 30% | 60% |
| 3 or more children | 50% | 80% |
| Low-income | 53.3% | 83.3% |
The biggest change for Seoul residents is that the youth age range has expanded from ages 19~34 to 19~39 (source: Seoul Metropolitan Government). Seoul residents aged 35~39 will move into the 30% refund bracket starting in September.
The staggered commuting windows are 5:30~6:30, 9~10, 16~17, and 19~20. If you have flexible hours, shifting your start time just 30 minutes later than 9 can make a big difference to your refund rate. If it were me, I’d check these windows first when planning my September work schedule. As of July 29, Everyone’s Card enrollment had topped 6 million.
Pre-switch checklist
- Confirm you’re eligible for the payback and apply by August 31
- Check your T-money Card & Pay website signup and card-number registration
- Delete any plans to top up a 30-day pass after August 31
- Use the prepaid-card balance or suspend the card, then submit a refund request
- Get an Everyone’s Card → sign up for K-Pass → register the card
- If you’re 35~39, check that the youth category has been applied
- Reach at least 15 uses in September
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I keep using my existing Climate Companion Card in September?
Yes, but only until the deadline. Prepaid cards work through September 29, and postpaid cards through September 30. The final top-up is August 31, so you can’t load a new 30-day pass in September.
I already use Everyone’s Card. Do I need to get a new one?
No. Existing Everyone’s Card users receive Seoul-resident benefits automatically without reissuing their cards. New issuance is only needed for people who used only a 30-day Climate Companion Card pass.
Will I receive the payback automatically if I don’t apply?
No, it isn’t automatic. You must apply directly on the T-money Card & Pay website during the application period. People who haven’t signed up on the website, or who got a refund before using the pass through its expiration, are excluded.
I’m 35~39. Do I need to apply separately for the youth refund?
Once you’re verified as a Seoul resident, the youth category applies from September. That’s why it’s important to complete address verification properly during signup. If you’re unsure, check with Seoul’s Dasan Call Center at 02-120.
In short, August is for the payback and your balance; September is for card registration and 15 qualifying uses. Follow those two steps in order and you can keep your commuting transit costs covered without a gap. Start by checking whether you’re signed up for the T-money website tonight.