How to pay your utility bills in South Korea

The cost of living in Korea includes utility bills such as electricity, water, gas, and internet. These bills will be sent to your house or apartment every month and should be paid on or before the due date to avoid disconnection issues. There are many methods to pay your utility bills.

In this article, Ziptoss will guide you through the different ways on how to pay your bills in person or online.

Payment Methods

     1. ATM(Automated Teller Machine)

 

You can easily pay your bills at an ATM within a few minutes. All you need to do is insert your card and press “Transfer”, then enter the amount of your bill and the bank account number on your utility bill.

     2. Bank

There are a few methods in paying your utility bills in a bank:

• Bill-Paying Machine

Most bank branches have a machine called the “Utilities Payment Machine(공과금납부기)”, which is specifically used for paying utility bills. This machine is usually available in the Korean language, but you can ask for assistance from the bank staff to help you out. These machines are located inside banks so they can be used only during bank business hours.

• Bank Teller

You can simply go inside a bank, wait for your turn to have a bank teller assist you in paying your bills in cash.

• Automatic Bank Payment

You can have your utility bills set up for automatic payment by going to your local bank. Just show your ID and the bills you want to automatically pay each month. The bank teller can link your bills to your account, and all you need is to make sure you have sufficient money in your bank account the day before your payment date.

     3. Post office

You can pay your bills in your nearby post office or any area’s post office in cash.

     4. Convenience stores

Some bill payments can also be paid in 24-hour convenience stores when you’re in a hurry.

     5. Online

Settling your utility payment online is common these days because of the pandemic, it makes it more convenient because you don’t need to go out of your home. If you’ve already registered your bank account for online banking, just go to the website, log into your account and select “domestic transfer” and you can put the amount of your bill and send it to the bank account that’s written on your utility bill.

In making online payments, there is usually a message box to the receiver where you can put our information(such as name, address, bill payer’s number, etc.) for them to identify you together with the payment you made. This is not necessary for other utility bills but it can make it more convenient for the biller to identify you quickly.

     6. Advanced payments

Arranging advanced payments can also be used in paying your utility bills. There will be contact numbers on your bill that you can call and make arrangements for paying in advance.

Reminders

Here are some notes to remember when handling your utility bills.

• Bills are delivered every month.
• Always check the due date and the total amount before settling payments
• Pay your bills within the given timeframe to avoid having problems in terms of disconnection
• Keep the receipts of your payments as proof that you have already settled your account.
• Set alarms or reminders of your bill due dates on your mobile phone or calendar, so you won’t forget what you have to settle.