[Gi Ha-yeong's Life Card] When, Where, and How to Use the 'Emergency Disaster Relief Fund'

Card Company Homepage Applications Open from 7 AM on the 11th
Applications Only by Head of Household, 5-Day Rotation from 11th to 15th
Not Usable at Department Stores, Large Marts, Online Shopping Malls
Usage Period Until August 31, Card Points Can Be Accumulated

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young]Is there anyone these days without at least one credit card? In modern society, anyone can have a card if they want. Credit cards have brought unparalleled convenience to daily life. Now, wherever you go, you can easily see people paying with credit cards or smartphones. As demand has increased, cards with various benefits are being released almost daily. Accordingly, Asia Economy delivers various stories related to cards, which are inseparable from our consumer life, through the weekly 'Cards in Daily Life' corner, including introductions of new cards, behind-the-scenes industry stories, and guides for card beginners.

From 7 a.m. on the 11th, the government’s 'Emergency Disaster Relief Fund' can be applied for on the websites of each credit card company. The fund is provided based on the head of the household, with a maximum of 1,000,000 KRW depending on the number of household members: 400,000 KRW for one person, 600,000 KRW for two, 800,000 KRW for three, and 1,000,000 KRW for four or more. Ahead of receiving the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, you may have many questions, so we have organized information from the Credit Finance Association on how to apply and where to use it.

◆Only the head of household can apply, '5-day rotation system' from the 11th to 15th= The Emergency Disaster Relief Fund can only be applied for by the head of the household as registered on the resident registration (as of March 29). The head of household can apply after identity verification on the internet homepage, mobile web, or application (app) of the credit or check card issuing institution they hold. Identity verification is done through methods provided by the card company, such as public certification, mobile phone, or card authentication. After applying, you will receive a confirmation text message on your mobile phone within 1-2 days, and then you can use the fund.

Shinhan, Samsung, KB Kookmin, Hyundai, Lotte, Hana, and NH Nonghyup cards can apply for the disaster relief fund on their respective websites, mobile web, and apps. Woori Card, NH Nonghyup BC Card, and Hana BC Card can apply through the BC Card website, mobile web, and app. Additionally, BNK Kyongnam Bank, BNK Busan Bank, DGB Daegu Bank, IBK Industrial Bank, SC First Bank, SH Suhyup Bank, Gwangju Bank, Jeonbuk Bank, Jeju Bank, K Bank, Saemaeul Geumgo, Shinhyup, and Post Office BC Card can also apply via the BC Card website.

To ensure stable applications and processing, a weekday-based system similar to the mask 5-day rotation will be applied from the 11th to the 15th, the first week of applications. People whose birth year ends with 1 or 6 can apply on Monday, 2 or 7 on Tuesday, 3 or 8 on Wednesday, 4 or 9 on Thursday, and 5 or 0 on Friday. From the weekend of the 16th, applications can be made 24 hours a day without the weekday system.

◆Not usable at department stores, E-mart, Coupang, etc.= The Emergency Disaster Relief Fund can be used at all credit card merchants except for some industries. However, it cannot be used at department stores (Shinsegae, Lotte, Hyundai, NC Department Store, AK Plaza, etc.), large marts (E-mart, E-mart Traders, E-mart Everyday, Homeplus, Homeplus Express, Lotte Mart, Lotte Super, etc.), large electronics retailers (Samsung Digital Plaza, Hi-Mart, Electron Land, LG Best Shop), and online shopping malls.

Also, for franchise stores directly managed by headquarters, usage is limited to the region where the headquarters is located. For example, Starbucks can only be used in Seoul, where its headquarters is located. Additionally, usage is restricted at entertainment and luxury industry merchants, gift certificate stores, duty-free shops, etc. Automatic payment transactions such as the four major insurances (life insurance, non-life insurance, health insurance, national pension), public transportation, and mobile communication are also excluded from the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund usage.

KB Kookmin Card will launch a service from the 11th that allows users to search for merchants where the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund can be used on its mobile application and mobile web. By clicking the 'Check Government Emergency Disaster Relief Fund Usage Merchants' banner, users can check merchants eligible for fund usage based on location, and also search merchants by region or industry.

◆Text messages sent upon disaster relief fund payment, usage deadline August 31= In the case of Gyeonggi-do Disaster Basic Income, there were many complaints because payment text notifications varied by card company. To improve this, card companies will now send real-time text messages showing the amount used and remaining balance when paying with the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund. Usage details can also be checked through card company apps.

The Emergency Disaster Relief Fund must be used at credit card merchants located in the head of household’s city, metropolitan city, or province by August 31. Any unused balance after this date will be forfeited and returned to the national treasury, so refunds are not possible.

◆Card points can be earned, included in previous month’s spending, donations start from 10,000 KRW= When using the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund with a card, all benefits of the card such as point accumulation, inclusion in previous month’s spending, and billing discounts apply equally.

Donations are also possible. When applying for the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund on the card company’s website, you can donate from 10,000 KRW in units of 10,000 KRW up to the full amount of the fund. Once the donation application is completed, it cannot be modified in principle, but some card companies allow modifications on the same day (before 11:30 p.m.).

In addition to the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Childcare Coupon and Gyeonggi-do’s Disaster Basic Income can be used on the same card. In principle, the fund with the earliest expiration date is used first. However, since each fund has different usage conditions, the deduction order may change when using the card, so it is necessary to check with the card company where you applied.

Furthermore, to prevent online fraud such as smishing and pharming, card companies do not send internet address (URL) links via mobile text messages or emails. If you receive a message containing a URL, it is best not to touch or click it and delete it immediately.