Category
- Korea Life
Author
Lee Young-min
Just landed in Korea? Here's what'll trip you up first: paying for things. You grab lunch with classmates, and everyone's like, "Just send it on Toss." You try to order from Coupang – it won't go through. You try to take the subway, and all you've got is cash.
The kicker? Your Alien Registration Card (ARC) takes 2 to 4 weeks to come through. So what are you going to do, carry cash for a month? Ask your friends to cover everything?
Here's good news for you! Toss lets you sign up with just your passport. No Korean phone number, no Korean bank account. Literally just your passport.
Why You Actually Need Toss Before Your ARC
Without an ARC, opening a regular Korean bank account is basically a no-go. Shinhan, KB, Woori — they all want one. So without Toss, here's what's blocked for you:
Splitting bills with friends? Nope. Paying club dues or school deposits? Can't. Online shopping on Olive Young, Coupang, Baemin? Mostly blocked. Subway and bus rides? Buying disposable T-money cards every single time. Friend covered your meal? No way to pay them back.
Setting up Toss Money and the prepaid card fixes all of this before your ARC even arrives. Way less stressful first month.
⚠️ You can only sign up after arriving in Korea. Doesn't work from overseas.
What You'll Need
A valid passport (no expired ones), an email address, and a Korean address to receive the card. That's it. Dorm, club room, friend's place or whatever works.
Make Your Toss Money Account (~5 min)
Open the app and pick your language! English, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Thai are all supported. Then when it asks “Are you a Korean citizen?”, tap No.
Next screen asks "Do you have a Korean-issued ID?", also No. That routes you to the passport flow. Lay your passport flat (take it out of any case), and follow the camera guide. Avoid glare, don't shoot it too bright or dark, and make sure all the text is readable.
Set a PIN (you only get 5 attempts before it locks you out, so pick something you'll remember), drop in your email, and you're done. No verification step. That's literally it. 🎉
Get the Free Prepaid Card
The Money account alone handles online payments and transfers, but for offline payments and public transport, you'll want the physical card. Free to issue, arrives in about 3 days.
Pick a color — White, Aurora, or Black. Reissuing costs a fee, so think it through. Then set a nickname for the card (doesn't have to be your passport name, max 17 chars), set a card PIN (separate from your Money PIN), and enter your delivery address. If you're in temporary housing, just use your school address.
Two Different Balances to Charge
Heads up: Toss Money and T-money are completely separate. Money is for payments and transfers, T-money is for public transport. Don't mix them up.
For Toss Money, you can transfer from any other bank's app to your Toss Bank account number, it'll auto-charge. Friends can send you money the same way. No bank app? Walk into any GS25, CU, or Emart24 and charge with cash. The app generates a barcode, you show it to the cashier, done.
For subways and buses, you need to charge T-money separately. This one requires the physical card take it to a convenience store or subway station machine. App charging doesn't work for T-money.
Get ₩5,000 Free with Our Code 💰
When you sign up, use our Toss x AZIT referral QR and you'll get ₩5,000 dropped into your account. There are two different QR codes depending on your situation.
If You Don't Have an ARC Yet 🔵
Show Image
Scan this one and it sends you straight into the passport sign-up flow.
The referral bonus applies automatically — no typing needed.
If You Already Have an ARC 🟡
Show Image
Scan this QR, or just enter the referral code manually during sign-up:
Friend Referral Code: MEMBER8102
One Last Thing
Get Toss set up and the card ordered in your first week in Korea. The card arrives in 3 days, so you'll be ready to pay and ride the subway way before your ARC even shows up. Otherwise you're spending a month asking friends to cover everything for you, which gets old fast.
Use the right QR for your situation to grab that ₩5,000, and welcome to Korea!!
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