Intercity Bus Booking (Tmoney 시외버스)

Overview

Use this skill for Korean 시외버스 timetable lookup and reservation assistance via the official Tmoney intercity bus site. Prefer HTTP/API-first flows for route lookup, timetable search, fare/seat-stage entry, and checkout-entry handoff.

Keep 시외버스 separate from 고속버스. Tmoney terminal codes and POST flows are different from KOBUS 고속버스. Use express-bus-booking for KOBUS routes.

When to Use

• The user asks for 시외버스 예매, 시외버스 시간표, 시외버스 예약, or a known 시외버스 route.
• The user names 티머니/Tmoney/시외버스 통합예매.
• The task is to present timetable candidates, check remaining seats/fares, or assist up to the official card-information page.

Do not use this for:

• 고속버스/KOBUS routes — use express-bus-booking.
• Final card submission or payment unless the user explicitly confirms the exact action.
• Browser automation as the first option when HTTP endpoints are available.

Core Principles

• Use official Tmoney 시외버스 surfaces: https://intercitybus.tmoney.co.kr.
• Use cookies, referers, and a normal browser User-Agent.
• Default scope is lookup and assisted manual checkout: timetable, fare/seat stage, selected-seat temporary hold, and official card-information page handoff.
• Do not submit card fields, final payment, or irreversible reservation steps without explicit confirmation.
• If a test or user-abandoned hold is created, use the official cancellation/back flow when available.

Known HTTP Flow

See references/tmoney-intercity-http-flow.md for session-proven endpoint details and parameter examples.

1. Start a Session

Fetch a landing or booking-entry page with cookies enabled:

GET https://intercitybus.tmoney.co.kr/
GET https://intercitybus.tmoney.co.kr/otck/trmlInfEnty.do

2. Query Timetable

POST /otck/readAlcnList.do

Typical fields include:

depr_Trml_Cd=0511601
arvl_Trml_Cd=2482701
depr_Trml_Nm=동서울
arvl_Trml_Nm=속초
ig=1
im=0
ic=0
iv=0
depr_Dt=YYYYMMDD
depr_Time=000000
bef_Aft_Dvs=D
req_Rec_Num=10

bef_Aft_Dvs and req_Rec_Num are required hidden fields from the browser JavaScript readAlcnListEntry(...). If they are omitted, Tmoney can return a generic error page with no schedules.

Parse schedule buttons/rows. The next-stage parameters are often embedded in readSasFeeInf(...) onclick arguments.

3. Enter Fare / Seat-Count Stage

POST /otck/readSatsFee.do

Send selected values from readSasFeeInf(...) plus passenger counts and original search fields. The response should include form#readPcpySats and hidden values such as:

rot_Id
alcn_Sqno
depr_Trml_Cd
arvl_Trml_Cd
depr_Time
igFee
imFee
icFee
total

4. Temporary Hold and Card-Information Entry

POST /otck/readPcpySats.do

Submit the readPcpySats hidden fields plus selected seat/count fields, commonly including:

pcpy_Num
sats_No
bus_Tck_Knd_Cd
cty_Bus_Dc_Knd_Cd
dcrt_Dvs_Cd
rtrp_Depr_Dt

A successful response lands on the official 카드정보 입력 page and includes a temporary seat hold identifier such as sats_Pcpy_Id.

Timetable Helper

For read-only timetable lookup, use the bundled helper before attempting browser automation:

python3 intercity-bus-booking/scripts/intercity_bus_search.py \
  --depart-code 0511601 \
  --arrive-code 2482701 \
  --depart-name 동서울 \
  --arrive-name 속초 \
  --date 20260520

The helper starts a cookie-backed session, posts the browser-required timetable fields, parses readSasFeeInf(...), and prints JSON with departure time, company, class, fares, and remaining/total seats. By default it is read-only. With --hold-seat <seatNo> or --hold-first-seat, it enters readSatsFee.do, posts readPcpySats.do, and saves the official Tmoney card-information HTML page plus cancel/back fields. It still never submits card data or final payment.

Temporary Hold Helper

To create a temporary hold and save the official card-information page:

python3 intercity-bus-booking/scripts/intercity_bus_search.py \
  --depart-code 0511601 \
  --arrive-code 2482701 \
  --depart-name 동서울 \
  --arrive-name 속초 \
  --date 20260520 \
  --select-index 1 \
  --hold-first-seat \
  --output-dir /tmp/tmoney-hold

Success requires hold.success=true, a sats_Pcpy_Id, and the saved page containing 카드정보 입력. The saved cancel fields can be posted back to /otck/readSatsFee.do with pcpyCanc=C to abandon the hold. Live probes did not expose an exact countdown on the card-information page; treat the hold as short-lived and have the user complete payment immediately.

Checkout-Entry Link Helper

A helper-served HTML page can auto-submit a POST form directly to:

https://intercitybus.tmoney.co.kr/otck/readPcpySats.do

This creates the hold in the user's browser/session and opens the official Tmoney card-information page. The user should manually finish payment on the official page.

For Discord/mobile, provide helper links as normal text links rather than fenced code blocks so the user can tap them.

Mobile and In-App Browser Notes

Tmoney 시외버스 is more mobile-tolerant than KOBUS in the tested flow: an iPhone Safari-style mobile User-Agent returned the official 카드정보 입력 page with sats_Pcpy_Id present.

However, in-app browser User-Agents can behave differently or fail if the same seat/hold payload is replayed. If a Discord/Android in-app test returns a generic error such as 발행을 실패하였습니다, do not assume route lookup is broken. Recreate a fresh hold payload, retry once in an external browser, and cancel stale holds.

Suggested Output Format

Keep candidate lists concise:

시외버스 동서울 → 속초 / 2026-05-09
1. 06:05 우등 / 금강고속 / 잔여 8석 / 성인 21,300원
2. ...

When a checkout-entry helper is created, say that it opens the official Tmoney card-information page and that payment remains manual.

Common Pitfalls

1. Mixing terminal code systems. Tmoney 시외버스 codes are not KOBUS codes.
2. Assuming checkout-entry equals final payment. readPcpySats.do can open the card-information page, but final payment remains a separate manual step.
3. Omitting hidden timetable fields. readAlcnList.do needs bef_Aft_Dvs=D and req_Rec_Num=10; without them it may return a generic errorCont page of about 13 KB instead of schedule rows.
4. Replaying stale hold payloads. A repeated POST for the same route/seat can fail or create confusing results. Generate a fresh seat-stage payload for real use.
5. Skipping cancellation/back flow. Use the official cancellation/back form (pcpyCanc=C via readSatsFee.do when available) for abandoned holds.
6. Overusing browser automation. Use browser only for endpoint discovery or visual verification after HTTP probing.

Verification Checklist

• Route/terminal codes were resolved from Tmoney 시외버스, not guessed or copied from KOBUS.
• Timetable POST included bef_Aft_Dvs=D and req_Rec_Num=10.
• Timetable response was parsed for schedule rows/buttons and next-stage parameters.
• Fare/seat-stage response contains form#readPcpySats and expected hidden fields.
• Checkout-entry response contains 카드정보 입력 and a hold identifier such as sats_Pcpy_Id before reporting success.
• Stale/test holds were released through the official cancellation/back flow where possible.
• Payment/card submission was left to the user unless explicitly confirmed.
• Mobile links are provided as tappable text links on Discord/mobile platforms.