Opening a new album and hoping to pull your bias is one of the best rituals of being ARMY. BTS photocards are tiny treasures: that little card with a photo of one of the members ends up in your phone case, in your binder, in trades with friends and even on the café table, in those photos the fandom loves to post.
In this guide, we explain everything: what a photocard is, the terms you’ll see in fan groups, which photocards come with each version of the album ARIRANG, how to tell if one is official, how to store it without damage and how to trade without getting scammed. At the end, we talk about fan-made photocards, for anyone who wants to start collecting on a budget.
In this guide
What are BTS photocards?
A photocard is a small card, the size of a credit card (about 5.5 x 8.5 cm, or 2.2 x 3.3 in), with an exclusive photo of one member or the whole group. In K-pop, it usually comes inside the physical album, and most of the time it’s random: you only find out which member you got when you open the box. Today, it’s an essential item in any K-pop album.
The practice took off with K-pop albums in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Over time, the photocard became the fandom’s entry-level collectible: since it’s random, it encourages trading between fans and buying more than one album to complete the set of all seven.
Fandom terms you need to know
- Bias: your favorite member, the photocard everyone wants to pull. See more in our ARMY Dictionary.
- Selca: a photo taken by the member himself (a selfie). Many photocards are selcas.
- Unit: a photocard with two or more members together, instead of just one.
- POB (pre-order benefit): the pre-order gift, which only comes with copies bought before the release and changes from store to store. On Weverse Shop, it shows up as “pre-order gift” and “early bird gift”.
- Lucky draw: exclusive, limited photocards given out at events and raffles. Since they’re rare, they’re among the most wanted.
- Toploader: a rigid, clear case to keep the card in. Lots of people decorate it with stickers.
- Sleeve: a thin plastic case, the card’s first layer of protection.
- Binder: the folder with pocket pages where the collection is organized.
- WTS, WTB and WTT: the trading-group abbreviations: “want to sell”, “want to buy” and “want to trade”.
There’s also the trend nicknamed “yejeol-shot”: taking your bias’s photocard to restaurants and cafés and photographing it next to the dish or drink for social media.
Which BTS photocards come with the album ARIRANG
ARIRANG, BTS’s 5th full-length album, came out on March 20, 2026, with pre-orders starting January 16. The official Weverse notice lists these versions with BTS photocards:
| Version | Photocards |
|---|---|
| Rooted in Korea Ver. | Set of 7 photocards + photocard holder |
| Rooted in Music Ver. | Set of 7 photocards + photocard holder |
| Living Legend Ver. | Set of 7 photocards |
| Weverse Albums Ver. | Set of 9 photocards + QR card and card holder |
| Deluxe Vinyl (B&W and Color) | Set of 7 photocards + photocard holder |
The Modern Korea, Group Red and Standard vinyls (seven colors, one per member) and the Travel Tag CD Box Set don’t include photocards on the official list. Want to know what changes in each vinyl? Check out our BTS ARIRANG vinyl guide.
Weverse Shop pre-order gifts
Pre-orders through Weverse Shop Global came with extra gifts, randomly given out “with equal probability”:
- ARIRANG RANDOM (one random version): 1 selfie photocard (1 of 7) and 1 keyring.
- ARIRANG SET (all versions together): 3 selfie photocards and 3 keyrings.
- Living Legend Ver.: 1 selfie photocard and 1 keyring.
- Weverse Albums Ver.: a metal bookmark with the logo (no photocard).
- SET + Living Legend combos: more photocards, an unreleased group photo and, during the “early bird” period (until February 13), an exclusive Weverse unit selfie photocard.
And fans who picked up the album at the Busan concert in June, through Weverse Shop, got exclusive, never-before-seen selfie photocards. Looks like ARMY won’t run out of new cards anytime soon: ARIRANG pre-orders passed 4 million copies in one week, a career record for the group.
The behind-the-scenes footage from the album photoshoot, where a lot of these images come from, is on the official channel:
Other official merch with photocards
- ARIRANG (NORMAL x CALVIN KLEIN SLEEPWEAR): the pajama set inspired by the track “NORMAL” comes with a set of 7 photocards and a photocard holder. Shipping in Korea started on October 23, 2026.
- 2025 BTS FESTA: fans who bought the full FESTA merch package got a set of 7 photocards, one of each member.
- Weverse Albums: BTS’s first release in this format was j-hope’s “Jack In The Box” (2022), with two photocards and the QR card instead of a CD.
Official vs fake BTS photocards: how not to get fooled
Photocards are among the most counterfeited K-pop items, along with lightsticks and clothing. In 2025, Korea’s trademark police, together with HYBE, seized about 20,000 counterfeit products from several groups, including BTS, in Seoul shops. In 2024 alone, HYBE took down more than 290,000 fake listings on sites in Korea and abroad.
- Buy from official stores: Weverse Shop and the authorized retailers listed in the album notice (in Korea: SOUNDWAVE, MUSICPLANT, MAKESTAR, Aladin and Ktown4u).
- Be wary of very low prices: that’s the first sign of a replica, just like a “signed” album that’s way too cheap.
- Check the quality: replicas often have oversaturated colors, a different texture and crooked cuts. Since fakes keep getting better, ask for photos and a video of the card before buying.
- Know the original: watching unboxings of sealed albums helps you learn what the real card looks like.
To avoid scams with other official merch, also check out our ARMY BOMB guide.
How to store your BTS photocards without damaging them
- Start with a sleeve: put the card in a thin, clear sleeve before any other protection.
- Avoid PVC: PVC damages cards over time, and many binders out there (official ones included) are made of it. Go for polypropylene (PP) sleeves and pages and “acid-free” materials.
- Toploaders for your favorites: the rigid case protects the card you love most and leaves room to decorate.
- A binder for the collection: organize by era, by member or by album.
- Careful with your phone case: the fandom’s favorite spot is also a risky one. A viral video showed a photocard ruined inside a phone case after it got wet.
How to trade BTS photocards without getting scammed
- Check their reputation: read recent reviews, look at the person’s social media profile and ask around in fan groups.
- Ask for proof: photos and a video of the card before closing the deal.
- Be wary of deals that are too cheap or too expensive: compare prices first.
- Selling? Only ship after the money arrives. In Korea, scammers posed as buyers to get the bank details of people selling photocards and used those accounts in other scams.
- Record the unboxing: film yourself opening the package when it arrives. If it’s been tampered with, you have proof to file a complaint.
Rare photocards, from events and lucky draws, have been resold for thousands of dollars. That’s why you can never be too careful when trading.
Fan-made photocards: collecting on a budget
Besides the official ones, there are fan-made photocards, sold on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. They’re not official: they don’t come from HYBE, have no official collector’s value and should never be sold or traded as if they were. On the other hand, they’re cheap and cute for decorating your phone case or notebook, or for putting together a binder of your bias without spending much.
Frequently asked questions about BTS photocards
What are BTS photocards?
They’re small cards, about 5.5 x 8.5 cm, with an exclusive photo of a member or the group. They usually come at random inside the physical album, and the fandom collects and trades them.
How many photocards come with the album ARIRANG?
It depends on the version: Rooted in Korea, Rooted in Music, Living Legend and the Deluxe Vinyls come with a set of 7 photocards; the Weverse Albums Ver. comes with a set of 9. Weverse Shop pre-orders also included bonus selfie photocards.
What does POB mean?
It stands for “pre-order benefit”, the pre-order gift. It only comes with copies bought before the release and changes from store to store.
How can I tell if a photocard is official?
Buy from official stores (Weverse Shop and authorized retailers), be wary of very low prices, compare the color and cut with unboxings of sealed albums and ask for photos and a video before buying from another person.
What’s the best way to store photocards?
First in a thin sleeve, then in a toploader or a binder with polypropylene (PP) pages and acid-free materials. Avoid PVC, which damages the card over time.
Are fan-made photocards official?
No. Fan-made photocards are made by fans, aren’t official and have no official collector’s value. They’re a cheap option for decorating, but they should never be sold as originals.
So, which photocard is still missing from your collection? Tell us in the comments. 💜
