## The short answer Most hotels, department stores, restaurants and ordinary shops in Korea accept credit cards. VISITKOREA lists Visa, Mastercard, American Express and other major cards as widely usable, while still advising travelers to confirm availability at individual businesses. That makes Korea a place where you can often travel mostly by card—but not a place where carrying zero cash is a good idea. ## Why carry Korean won anyway? Cash remains useful for small vendors, older machines, markets, and situations where a foreign-issued card is rejected. It is also still important for some transport-card tasks: current tourism guidance treats ordinary prepaid T-money purchase/top-up differently from newer subway ticket machines that accept international cards. A small cash reserve is more useful than carrying a large amount. ## Currency and exchange Korea’s currency is the won (KRW/₩). Official tourism guidance recommends banks or authorized exchange counters for changing foreign currency. Bank hours are generally weekday daytime hours and vary by branch. Airport exchange counters are convenient, but travelers who care about the rate should compare options rather than assuming every counter is identical. ## ATMs International-card access varies by ATM and card network. Look for machines marked for global/international cards and keep your bank’s overseas withdrawal fee and exchange-rate policy in mind. If one ATM rejects your card, that does not necessarily mean the card cannot be used anywhere in Korea. ## Paying in restaurants and shops Card payment is normal in many everyday businesses. If a terminal asks you to choose a currency, understand that paying in your home currency can involve dynamic currency conversion; the exchange rate and fee can differ from your card issuer’s own conversion. Choose only after checking the displayed rate rather than automatically accepting the familiar currency. ## Tipping Tipping is generally not expected in ordinary Korean restaurants. VISITKOREA explicitly states that restaurant tipping is not required or expected. Premium hotels, tours or special services may have their own practices, but travelers do not need to add a standard restaurant tip as they might in some countries. ## A practical travel setup - Bring at least two payment methods if possible. - Keep a modest amount of Korean won for transport-card top-ups, small vendors and card failures. - Use authorized exchange services. - Check foreign transaction and ATM fees before travel. - Do not assume a payment rule for one transport product applies to every other one. ## If payment fails Try a second card or ask whether cash is accepted. If a payment problem is part of a broader travel-language issue, the 1330 Korea Travel Helpline can assist with general travel information and interpretation.