South Korea's New App Lets Tourists Travel Sans Documents – Here's How

With the Trip.PASS app, tourists can now travel across South Korea without the hassle of carrying credit cards and passports.

By Esha Dasgupta Published on Dec 11, 2023, 06:31 PM

South Korea's New App Lets Tourists Travel Sans Documents – Here's How — Image credit: Harry Cunnigham/Unsplash

South Korea recently introduced a convenient way for tourists to manage their finances and travel seamlessly through the Trip.PASS app. As one of South Korea’s top travel apps, Trip.PASS not only facilitates payments and tax refunds but also serves as a digital identification tool, reducing the need to carry physical documents.

Tourists in South Korea can now explore the country without the hassle of carrying credit cards and passports. By linking their debit cards to the Trip.PASS app, visitors can enjoy smooth connectivity on public transport and make electronic payments at various shops.

South Korea’s Trip.PASS app offers document-free travel

South Korea travel app — Image credit: Daniel Bernard/Unsplash

Initially available at CU convenience stores and selected shops, the app’s functionalities will expand. By mid-2024, tourists can make payments and receive tax refunds at Shinsegae duty-free shops, GS25 convenience stores, and Hyundai department stores.

This initiative is expected to benefit shop owners and small merchants in Seoul by eliminating the need for special payment terminals or passport readers. The Trip.PASS app streamlines transactions, requiring shop owners to scan QR codes for purchases or tax refunds.

The updated version of the app is currently accessible on the Google Play Store for Android users. iPhone users can anticipate its availability by the end of January 2024.

As part of its broader strategy to attract 30 million tourists from across the world by 2026, the South Korean government previously launched Taba, a taxi app designed for foreign tourists. Additionally, real-time translation services were implemented at Myeong-dong station’s tourist information centres in Seoul, with plans to extend this service to five more subway stations in the city.

(Feature image credit: Harry Cunnigham/Unsplash)

Written By

Esha Dasgupta

Esha is a traveller at heart, with a penchant for exploring the unchartered. She has previously worked with TravelTriangle and Internet Moguls. When not in work mode, she can be found downing endless cups of coffee while reading Enid Blyton/Sidney Sheldon.