ZeroPay Mobile Bus Fare Payments for Foreign Tourists
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□ On September 21, 2026, Busan Metropolitan City rolled out a ZeroPay QR code payment system on city buses to offer a more convenient public transport option for inbound visitors.
○ With international arrivals to Busan on the rise, the number of overseas visitors is projected to exceed four million this year. Those from across Asia, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, constitute over 60 percent of the total.
○ Digital payment solutions, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, have become widely adopted, particularly in China. Overseas visitors therefore want to rely on familiar methods in Busan as well.
○ In response, the city has introduced ZeroPay, which enables them to get around by city bus with greater ease, without having to purchase a transit card or prepare Korean won in advance.
□ ZeroPay QR codes have been posted inside buses process fares, eliminating the need to set up separate infrastructure. The Korea Easy Payment Foundation oversees ZeroPay’s network.
○ Passengers can also use their preferred payment app instead of installing additional apps or purchasing transit cards.
○ Passengers ① open the app, ② scan the QR code located on board, and ③ tap the pay button. The transaction completes automatically following currency conversion, after which they can show the confirmation screen to the driver to board the bus.
○ The fare is 1,700 won, equivalent to the standard adult cash fare. When traveling as a group, each person must pay individually. However, QR payments are an alternative to cash and, unlike regular transit cards, are not eligible for transfer discounts. The same amount is charged to children and teenagers.
□ Prior to the launch, Busan placed QR codes and multilingual instruction stickers throughout the city bus fleet. Information materials are displayed at bus stops near popular attractions, welcome centers, and major gateways—Busan Station and Busan Port—so that overseas visitors can learn about ZeroPay as soon as they reach Busan.
○ Marketing activities are also carried out in partnership with Alipay and Tencent (WeChat Pay).
○ The city will monitor the service’s performance and user feedback in order to work toward an efficient fare collection environment, for example, by integrating QR payment functions into transit card terminals to be deployed in the future.
□ Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “With the implementation of ZeroPay payments, international travelers will be able to ride Busan’s city buses seamlessly without the hassle of buying transit cards or exchanging currency. We will continue to make public transportation increasingly accessible.”
