Guide
Paying at Seoul beauty shops: cards, cash prices, tax refunds and tipping
Will your card work, why some menus show a cash price, whether you can get a tax refund on a hair appointment, and whether to tip.
Cards
Korea's Specialized Credit Finance Business Act forbids card merchants from refusing a card payment or passing the card fee on to the customer. Visit Korea notes that most businesses accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express, but some small shops may not take foreign cards. Ask in advance if you only carry a foreign card.
"Cash price" on the menu
Some nail shops and salons list a separate cash price (현금가) or a small discount for cash on their Korean menus. It is a shop's own offer; card payment should still be possible at the listed card price.
Tax refunds: not for beauty services
Korea's tax-free shopping refund applies to goods you take home, not to services. The separate VAT refund that foreign visitors could claim on cosmetic procedures applied only to registered medical clinics and only to services supplied up to 31 December 2025 — it never covered hair salons, nail shops, personal color or photo studios, and has now ended. Some shops state "tax refunds are not available" on their listings.
Tipping
You do not need to tip. The Seoul Tourism Organization's visitor guide says tipping is not a Korean custom and is not expected; some large hotels add a service charge instead.
Sources (checked Nov 2026): Specialized Credit Finance Business Act, Article 19; Visit Korea (payment); Restriction of Special Taxation Act, Article 107-3 and its Enforcement Decree, Article 109-3 (current text); Regulation on special VAT treatment for foreign tourists, Article 3 (goods); Visit Seoul (money and tipping); menus and notices on Naver Place and Creatrip.