Foreign tourists on Jeju Island from next month can conveniently pay bus fare with a QR code. Shown is a passenger scanning a QR code with a smartphone to pay bus fare. (Jeju Special Self-Governing Province)
By Kim Seon Ah
All buses on Jeju Island from next month will allow fare payment using a quick response (QR) code.
Thus foreign tourists can conveniently use payment methods from their home countries to ride buses on the island.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on July 29 said the QR code payment service for such visitors starts next month on the island’s 868 buses.
Based on the domestic mobile payment system Zero Pay, the service can be used with 14 payment apps in nine countries: China and Hong Kong, the Philippines, Macao, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia and Singapore.
The transaction fee for bus fare through the QR code system was set at a low 0.9% given the public transportation nature of buses.
In line with the system’s debut, the Jeju government from next month through September will run a promotional event of 50% off the fare for ordinary buses and a KRW 1,000 discount on that for express or limousine buses through Alipay.
“We hope that the adoption of the QR code payment system is an opportunity to upgrade the smart tourism infrastructure of Jeju Island to another level,” said Kim Tae-wan, director of the province’s Transportation Policy Division. “We will continue improving public transportation services for bus users including residents and tourists.”
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