Introduction

If you want to make your Seoul trip even more special, you should pay attention to "how to custom design a NAMANE card" instead of using a standard transportation card. The NAMANE card, which is as much a hot topic on Reddit and Google as the Climate Card, has become an essential souvenir among travelers because you can create a one-of-a-kind card using your own photos or images of your favorite idols.

Specifically for the 2026 season, the newly released NAMANE card K-pop collaboration 2026 limited edition designs are stimulating the desire of fans to collect them even more.

The overall flow of using a NAMANE card involves "Designing - Manufacturing - Registering on the app - Recharging - Using - and finally, Refunding." In this post, I will guide you through the actual usage of the card. In particular, I will introduce how to top up your "Transit Balance" from your "Pay Balance." I will explain it slowly with descriptions to make it easy to follow.

(Easily transferring funds between Pay Balance and Transit Balance through the official NAMANE Card app.)

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Table of Contents

1. Basic Usage of the NAMANE Card
2. How to Transfer Balance from "Pay" to "Transit" in the App
3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you are curious about the previous steps, you can check the information you need below:

• [NAMANE Card #1: Introduction and How to Pre-design Your Card]
• [NAMANE Card #2: How to Find Kiosks and Manufacture a Physical Card / K-pop Collaboration News]
• [NAMANE Card #3: How to Sign Up for the NAMANE App and Register Your Card]
• [NAMANE Card #4: How to Recharge Your NAMANE Card via Kiosk]
• [NAMANE Card #5: How to Recharge Your NAMANE Card via the App]
• [NAMANE Card #6: How to Recharge Your NAMANE Card at CU Convenience Stores]

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1. Basic Usage of the NAMANE Card

Once you have topped up both the "Pay Balance" and "Transit Balance" of your NAMANE card, you are ready to start your exciting journey.

• For Eating or Shopping: You use the "Pay Balance." In this case, you pay by inserting the card's IC chip into the payment terminal.

  

  (Making a payment with the NAMANE Card IC chip using the Pay Balance at a Korean restaurant.)

• For Buses or Subways: You use the "Transit Balance." In this case, you pay by tapping the card on the sensor.

  

  (Using the NAMANE Card for public transportation by tapping the NFC terminal to use the Transit Balance.)

• For Taxis: You pay by inserting the IC chip into the terminal, and the funds are deducted from your "Pay Balance."

Important: Please make sure to sign the back of your NAMANE card before using it.

2. How to Transfer Balance from "Pay" to "Transit" in the App

When traveling abroad, it is often more practical to recharge a transportation card in small amounts multiple times rather than loading a large sum all at once. This is a common strategy to prepare for situations where you might not be able to get a refund due to language barriers. With the NAMANE card, you can immediately top up your Transit Balance whenever needed through the dedicated app.

[Step 1] Launch App & Login

Open the app and log in by entering your password.

(Logging into the app by entering the password for the automatically saved user ID.)

[Step 2] Select "Transit Balance" and "Add from Pay"

Tap the "Wallet" icon on the far left of the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, Locate the "Transit Balance" section (indicated by the red box) and tap "Add from Pay."

(Starting the transit balance recharge by selecting the wallet, "transit" and "Add from Pay" in the NAMANE Card app.)

[Step 3] Scan Physical Card

Turn on NFC and place your physical card against the top-back of your phone. Wait until the screen advances to the next step.

(Tagging the NAMANE Card to the phone via NFC to verify the card for transit balance recharge.)

[Step 4] Enter Amount

Enter the amount you wish to transfer and tap "Next."

• The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 KRW, and you can transfer in increments of 100 KRW above that.
• The maximum transfer limit is 200,000 KRW per month.

(Entering the amount for transit balance recharge and proceeding by clicking the "Next" button.)

[Step 5] Scan Physical Card

Once again, place the physical card against the top-back of your phone and tap "Next."

(Following the guide to place the NAMANE Card on the back of the phone for NFC recharging.)

[Step 6] Wait

Keep the card in place and wait until the screen advances.

(Waiting briefly for the NFC connection to finish updating the NAMANE Card transit balance.)

[Step 7] Transfer Complete

Once you receive the completion notification, tap "Confirm."

(Successful completion of the transit balance recharge, with a prompt to click "Confirm" to finish.)

3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What is the main difference between Pay Balance and Transit Balance?

A. Pay Balance is used for IC chip payments at stores, cafes, and restaurants, whereas Transit Balance is used for NFC tapping on public transportation like subways, buses, and taxis.

Q. Is there a service fee for transferring funds from Pay Balance to Transit Balance?

A. No, transferring funds between the Pay Balance and Transit Balance within the official NAMANE app is free of charge.

Q. Why do I need to tag my physical card when transferring balances via the app?

A. Unlike the Pay Balance which is managed on the server, the Transit Balance is stored directly on the card's NFC chip. Therefore, you must tag the card to update the physical chip's data.

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If you are curious about the next steps, you can check the information in the following post:

[NAMANE Card #8: How to Refund and Withdraw Your NAMANE Card Balance]

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Image Source: NAMANE Official Website, waytoseoul team