How to Use the Kakao T-Pet Taxi Service in Korea
If you need to get across Seoul with your pet, Kakao Taxi has you covered with its special pet taxi service.
Taking taxis in Korea has gotten a lot easier in recent years. Even if you haven’t learned the language, this guide will help you travel in style with your fur-baby.
I’ve lived in Seoul since 2003. I’ve never needed to drive while here, so getting a car was never a thought. Public transit and the plentiful taxis zipping all over every city in Korea made driving seem unnecessary. Managing a taxi ride was a challenge back in the early 2000s as it was like a test of my Korean language skills, but all that’s changed.
These days, I no longer have to worry about mispronouncing “Shinchon” as “Shincheon” when trying to communicate our destination to the driver. With my Kakao Taxi app, I just enter my destination and the driver knows exactly where to go.
But a lot of taxis refuse to take pets…
Whether they’re worried about the mess, the smell, or perhaps the distraction, I’ve been turned away by taxi drivers who just don’t want the trouble of carrying animals.
It can be frustrating when you just want to take your pup to the vet or visit a park that’s a bit out of walking distance, and the taxis wave their hands “no” as they drive by.
Then we found Kakao T-Pet
Kakao Taxi now has specially trained drivers and fully equipped cars to help you and your pet travel comfortably and safely around Seoul and other cities in Korea. My wife introduced it to me when we decided to take our puppy to a pet fair and we’ve been using this service regularly for almost a year now.
Let me take you through setting up your Kakao Taxi app.
Already have Kakao Taxi on your phone?
Skip down to the “Let’s Ride” section.
It’s so easy to use even I’ve figured it out
and I’m far from tech-savvy...
- Get the App
Your first step is to download the Kakao Taxi App from the app store (if you don’t already have it).
- Set your Language
Find the language settings in the “My Info” menu.
English, Korean, and Chinese menus are available so no worries there 🙂
- Set up your Kakao Taxi account.
You’ll need a Korean phone number and a payment option in your phone. Follow the simple instructions and you’ll be up and running in minutes.
- Set up your payment method.
This option is also in the “My Info” menu.
I set mine up to pull money directly from my Shinhan Bank account, but Kakao pay etc. should be possible too.
As you can see, there are a lot of great options, but today let’s focus on the bottom left corner labeled “Pet.”
LET’S RIDE!
Ok, so now you and your pet are ready to ride. Here’s how to book a pet taxi.
- Always plan ahead.
These taxis are obviously not as common, so you should always book ahead of time.
Most times I’ve used the app it recommends 30 minutes.
You can actually make taxi reservations way ahead of time too, so even the day before might be smart, if you’re worried.
Just to be safe, I’d say check much earlier. To check ahead just request a pickup and don’t click on the accept booking. At least you’ll see how far away a pet taxi is…
Kakao T-Pet serves Seoul, Gyeongi and Incheon as far as I can tell, so make sure there are drivers in your area.
2. Select your pickup point
When you click “where is the pickup point, you’ll have options
- Home: you can save your home location for easy use each time
- Work: you can also save your workplace
- Compass: clicking on the compass icon will set the GPS location to your current spot. You can also move the “pin” around on the map to get it right.
3. Select your destination
Type in an address or general location and options will appear below for you to choose from.
a drop-down list of possible destinations will appear
4. Select a time
This is where you can choose to be picked up soon or schedule it for later.
Once you click “DONE,” the app will use AI to find a taxi.
Then, Select “Choose Your Driver.”
At the bottom of the page you’ll see a price.
Click the red button and a taxi will be called.
WAITING FOR YOUR RIDE 🚕
After this, You’ll receive details about the driver, their vehicle, their license plate number and even a phone number.
You’ll be notified when the taxi is getting close, so you don’t have to stand outside waiting. 🚕
But it might be a good idea to be outside for a few minutes if your pet hasn’t peed in a while… 😅
Ok, so why do we use Kakao T-Pet taxis?
- Our little dog “Ruhboon” gets car sick…
- Regular taxis often require a pet carrier.
- We know jamming our fur-baby into a carrier and hoping she makes it to our destination before getting sick is always a risk and can be very stressful.
- With a pet taxi, keeping her in a carrier isn’t a requirement.
PLUS
- The drivers are certified: each driver must be licensed for animal transport
- It’s insured: both you and your pet are covered in case of accidents
- The interior is fully pet-friendly
🐩🐕🐈🐩🐕🐈
How can a taxi be pet-friendly?
Part of becoming a certified Kakao T-Pet “Mate” involves purchasing a package of supplies to make sure their car is ready to carry cats and dogs safely and comfortably.
When you climb in you’ll see…
- Seats, floors, and even the door panels are covered in padded/stain-proof material.
- Pee pads and plastic bags available in case of emergencies
- Window shades that can be pulled up (these are great to help calm pets that are nervous in cars or get car-sick)
- A peaceful atmosphere: very calming music (or none at all if you prefer)
- Safety straps you can attach your pet’s collar to so they don’t go flying…
The drivers are used to pets, of course, and always try to make our ride as smooth as possible.
When we mentioned how our pup gets car-sick, one driver immediately handed us a package a wet-napkins^^
We’ve had a number of great experiences with Kakao’s pet taxi service.
I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who’s like me and doesn’t drive in Korea but still needs to get around with a pet sometimes.
BTW, this is not a sponsored ad. Just sharing info.
Mike Stewart
Mike Stewart Writes 
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