iPhone users will soon be able to use public transportation with Apple Pay. However, the specific timing for the rollout has not yet been disclosed.
T-money posted a promotional image on its official website and Instagram on the 16th with the phrase, "T-money is coming to iPhone and Apple Watch." The image depicts a scene where a transportation card is tagged through Apple Pay. This effectively formalizes the integration of Apple Pay and T-money.
Once the service is launched, riders will be able to take buses and subways using only their iPhone or Apple Watch. The long-standing inconvenience for iPhone users who had to use physical cards or sticker-type cards for T-money is expected to be resolved.
However, the launch timing remains uncertain. T-money noted, "We will provide more details later," but did not disclose a specific schedule.
According to industry sources, the two companies have reportedly been coordinating near-field communication (NFC) standards, fees, and security technologies for several months. This is particularly significant as it marks the first instance of breaking through Apple's restrictive NFC policy and achieving integration with South Korea's transportation system, raising expectations for considerable impacts across the payment infrastructure in the future.
The industry cautiously anticipates that a related beta service may become available as early as this summer or by the end of the year at the latest.