Reasons You Rarely Need Cash in Korea (feat. A Complete Overview of Payment Methods for Traveling in Korea)

From the perspective of someone living in Korea, to be honest, you hardly ever need to use cash. Convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, taxis, hospitals, hair salons — there are almost no everyday situations where you pull out cash. I haven’t carried cash in my wallet for years. Carrying cash means needing a bigger wallet, and more importantly, you can’t track your spending at all. When you pay by card, the app shows how much you’ve spent this month and where you spent it, but cash doesn’t do that. That’s why most people in Korea rarely use cash.