💳 Korean travel cards compared — which one to carry
All three are issued in South Korea and are for travellers departing from Korea. Exchange fees are 0% on all three, so what actually separates them is the payment network, local ATMs, and converting leftover currency back to won.
As of 2026-08-21
The short answer
- Short trips to Japan or Southeast Asia — Travelog. It has the widest reach of fee-free local ATMs in this region.
- Multi-stop trips in Europe or the Americas — Travel Wallet. It runs on Visa, so it covers you where Mastercard is not accepted.
- If you convert leftover currency back often — Toss. It is the only one of the three with no fee for converting back to won.
Side by side
| Item | Travelog (Hana Card) | Travel Wallet | Toss FX account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange fee | 0% on 46 currencies | 0% on major currencies | 0% on 17, for life |
| Overseas payment fee | Waived | Waived | Waived |
| Payment network | Mastercard · UPI | Visa | Mastercard |
| Local ATM withdrawals | Free at Seven Bank (Japan) and others | Free at AEON Bank and others | Free at overseas ATMs |
| Converting back to won | 1% deducted | 0.5–1%, depending on the rate | 0%, no fee either way |
| Suits | Short trips to Japan and Southeast Asia | Multi-stop Europe and Americas trips | Frequently converting small balances back |
Issuers change these terms without notice. Check each issuer’s current announcement before you apply.
What to decide on
1. Payment network — Visa or Mastercard
Since the exchange fee is 0% everywhere, the real difference is whether the card goes through at the till. Travelog and Toss are Mastercard; Travel Wallet is Visa. Carry only one and you have no way to pay wherever that network is not accepted, so splitting across two networks is the safer setup.
2. Local ATMs — is this a cash country
Somewhere like Japan, where cash is still widely used, withdrawal terms matter more than payment fees. Travelog withdraws free at Seven Bank in Japan and Travel Wallet at AEON Bank, so the answer depends on which machines you actually walk past at your destination.
3. Leftover currency — convert it or keep it
A trip ends with money still loaded on the card. Toss charges nothing to convert it back to won, Travelog deducts 1%, and Travel Wallet depends on the rate at that moment. If you plan to spend it on the next trip, you can leave this out of the decision.
From applying to getting home
- Apply at least a week before you fly — the physical card has to be delivered. Issuing it in the app and leaving before it arrives means you cannot use it abroad.
- Load only the currencies you need — a 0% exchange fee does not make the money fluid; once loaded, it is held in that currency. Load it in portions as the itinerary requires.
- Decline payment in won — when the terminal asks whether to charge in KRW, choose the local currency. Paying in won (DCC) adds a separate fee and cancels out the 0% exchange.
- Pick the right account type at ATMs — overseas ATMs ask for credit or checking. A prepaid travel card usually only proceeds on checking or savings, not credit.
- Deal with the balance after you land — if you intend to convert it back, check that card’s terms first.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need all three cards?
- No. Two cards on different networks is enough. The common setup is Travelog or Toss (Mastercard) as the main card, with Travel Wallet (Visa) held in reserve.
- If the exchange fee is 0% on all three, why compare them at all?
- The 0% applies to loading the card. The costs come afterwards — ATM withdrawal terms, whether you have a fallback when a network is refused, and the fee to convert leftover currency back to won all differ by card.
- Are these worth using in duty free?
- The waived payment fee applies, since it is still an overseas transaction. Duty-free allowances are set independently of how you pay, so check those separately.
- When were these terms last checked?
- On the date shown at the top of this page. Issuers change terms without notice, so check their announcements again just before you apply.