Usage Locations for 'Sangsaeng National Support Fund' Paid to 88% of the Population [Ki Ha-young's Card in Daily Life]

Basic principle is usage in local love gift certificate industries
Franchise brands only at franchise stores
Usage restrictions at luxury stores like Chanel and SSM, etc.

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[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government plans to provide a mutual growth national support fund of 250,000 KRW per person to about 88% of the entire population as early as the end of this month, raising interest in where the funds can be used. There are quite a few changes compared to the emergency disaster relief fund, which could be used at most credit card merchants except for some industries based on last year's child care coupon usage. We have summarized the parts known so far.

The basic principle is usage in local love gift certificate sectors... Starbucks and IKEA NO

The usage of this mutual growth national support fund is basically limited to sectors and stores that accept local love gift certificates. This measure is to ensure that the benefits of the national support fund do not concentrate on some large corporate affiliates but go to self-employed and small business owners.

Accordingly, the national support fund cannot be used at domestic or foreign large corporate affiliate stores. This is because under the 'Act on the Promotion of Use of Local Gift Certificates' (Local Gift Certificate Act), companies that are not small and medium enterprises are restricted from registering as local love gift certificate merchants.

Last year, during the emergency disaster relief fund distribution, global large corporations such as Starbucks, IKEA, Apple, and luxury brand stores like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, where local gift certificates could not be used, also cannot accept this national support fund.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Franchises only at franchise stores regardless of region... No No Brand either

Franchise brands operated by large corporations such as chicken shops, bakeries, and cafes can only accept the fund at franchise stores run by franchisees, not at company-owned stores.

Last year’s emergency disaster relief fund could be used at both company-owned and franchise stores in the company’s location, and only at franchise stores in other regions. This time, the national support fund can be used only at franchise stores regardless of region.

Corporate supermarkets affiliated with large distribution companies also do not accept local gift certificates and are excluded from the national support fund usage. Additionally, large marts, department stores, duty-free shops, online malls, entertainment establishments, and gambling businesses cannot use the national support fund, as was the case last year.

The national support fund can be used at traditional markets, neighborhood supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, most convenience stores except company-owned ones, hospitals, pharmacies, beauty salons, stationery stores, clothing stores, optical shops, daycare centers, kindergartens, and academies. Also, even inside large marts, if a store is operated by a small business owner as a leased store and registered as an individual franchise, the national support fund can be used there.

The number of usable sectors and franchise stores may vary by region

The places where the national support fund can be used are expected to vary slightly by region. This is because the sectors where local gift certificates can be used differ according to local government ordinances. Also, the number of franchise stores accepting local gift certificates is expected to differ by local government.

For example, in Seoul, the use of local gift certificates is restricted in private tutoring and foreign language academies with annual sales exceeding 1 billion KRW, so the national support fund cannot be used there. In Gyeonggi-do, some large Nonghyup Hanaro Mart stores do not accept local gift certificates, so the national support fund is expected to be usable only at smaller stores.

Meanwhile, when the national support fund distribution begins at the end of this month, recipients can choose their preferred method among credit/check cards, prepaid cards, or local gift certificates and use the funds in their registered residential area (metropolitan city or province) wherever they want.