Hello everyone! Have you heard of the Climate Companion Card? It's been quite a topic, so I think many of you are already using it. The Climate Companion Card is a public transportation integrated pass that allows you to use public transportation (subway, bus, Ttareungi) unlimited for 30 days with a single fare charge. I spend about 100,000 won on transportation every month, so this was very welcome news! Today, I will tell you how to buy the Climate Companion Card and how to use it, so I hope it will be helpful to those of you who are planning to use it.

Service Coverage Confirmation

The first thing you need to do is check if the public transportation you mainly use is included in the Climate Companion Card service coverage. Unfortunately, the Climate Companion Card is only available in Seoul. If you commute from Gyeonggi or Incheon, various cards will be released in the middle of this year, so it's better to wait!

Looking at the scope of use, first, the subway can only be boarded and disembarked within the Seoul area (excluding Shinbundang Line). Buses are said to be important in terms of whether they are licensed in Seoul. Even if it's a bus that travels through Seoul, if it's not a Seoul-licensed bus, it cannot be used, so please check the card usage availability before using it. Finally, you can also choose whether or not to use Ttareungi. If you usually use Ttareungi, you can add 3,000 won and use it for a month, so it's a good opportunity!

Card Purchase

If the public transportation you mainly use is included in the service coverage, you can purchase and use the card. If you are using an Android phone, you can issue and use a mobile card for free through the mobile Tmoney app (TmoneyGO). For iOS-based phones, you cannot use a mobile card, so you have to use a physical card. Physical cards can be purchased at Seoul Metro Lines 1-8 Customer Safety Offices or convenience stores near the station. I use an iPhone, so I bought a physical card. I tried to get the card from the beginning of February, but the inventory was out of stock every time I went, so I finally got it in mid-February. I bought it at Gongdeok Station on February 13th.

Tmoney Card & Pay Website Registration

After purchasing the card, you need to register the card on the Tmoney Card & Pay website. The Climate Companion Card is principally registered and used by one person per card, so please register it before using it!

Card Recharge

Finally, you can use the card after charging it. First, mobile cards can be charged by bank transfer. Physical cards can only be charged with cash at unmanned transportation card charging machines in the station. When charging, you can choose whether to include Ttareungi (65,000 won including Ttareungi, 62,000 won excluding Ttareungi) and the start date (within 5 days including the charging date). I set the start date as February 20th without Ttareungi.

Card Usage

After doing all that, you only have to use the card. After charging, it can be used for 30 days from the start date, and recharging is possible 5 days before the expiry date. You can tag the subway and bus as you usually use the card, and for Ttareungi, you can register your card number through the Tmoney GO app to use it.

So, today we learned about how to use the Climate Companion Card. How was it? Depending on the amount you usually spend on public transportation and the area you use it, the Climate Companion Card may or may not be beneficial. I hope you will calculate it carefully and use it if you need it. Unlimited public transportation use in Seoul for 62,000 won is an incredible deal. However, it's undeniable that the process from purchasing to card registration and cash charging is cumbersome. Since it's still a pilot program, it would be nice to expect an expansion of the coverage area or a simpler usage method. Anyway, I hope it helped you today, and thank you for reading:)