Are international contactless cards / Apple Pay accepted in South Korea?
Travelling around Seoul, I've often seen the NFC / contactless payment logo in restaurants, shops, and bars.
However, every time I've tried paying through either contactless American Express and MasterCard cards, or the Apple Pay equivalent, the payment was unable to be read. Is the system in use for contactless in South Korea a proprietary form specific to the country, or can international cards be accepted?
Best Answer
There's a rumor that local card companies are not accepting Apple Pay because of fee disputes with Apple and Visa/Mastercard (in Korean)
It doesn't exactly state (foreign) Apple Pay transactions are denied, but I think this might be a factor why the local companies are denying such transactions.
Pictures about "Are international contactless cards / Apple Pay accepted in South Korea?"
Can I use Apple Pay in Korea?
As of Feb 25th, Apple Pay is available to users of Korean Airlines' iOS app. Using Apple Pay, customers will be able to pay quickly, conveniently and safely for flight tickets.Does Korea have contactless payment?
Mobile payment in South Korea is dominated by NFC (Near Field Communication) technology that is used to do contactless payments, transfer funds and exchange information. An NFC enabled device such as a mobile phone or smartphone is capable of communicating with a terminal or with other NFC enabled device.Does Apple Pay work with international cards?
No, you cannot.Does S Korea have Apple cards?
Apple Card is available only in the U.S. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. In some countries and regions, Business Chat will become available to businesses on a rolling schedule.Apple to allow alternative app payment system for first time in S. Korea
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Monstera, Gustavo Fring, Gustavo Fring, Michael Steinberg