Government to Refund 10,000 KRW After Four Delivery Orders Over 20,000 KRW

Non-face-to-face Dining Consumption Coupons to be Issued... Review of Resumption in Early to Mid-September

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunbyeol] The government will resume issuing consumption coupons exclusively for non-face-to-face dining to mitigate the impact on domestic demand caused by the fourth wave of COVID-19.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on the 29th, the government has decided to restart the 'Non-Face-to-Face Dining Coupon' program, which refunds 10,000 KRW in cash to consumers who order food worth 20,000 KRW or more four times through delivery apps. It is expected to resume in the second or third week of September. The aim is to restart the distribution of dining coupons ahead of the Chuseok holiday in the fourth week of September to minimize the consumption impact during the holiday season caused by the fourth wave of COVID-19.

To receive the benefits of the non-face-to-face dining coupon, consumers must order food worth 20,000 KRW or more online through delivery apps four times using online payment. Upon the fourth order, they will receive a 10,000 KRW cashback to the card or bank account used for payment.

The delivery apps eligible for the benefit include Baedal Minjok, Yogiyo, Wemakeprice O, Baedal Teukgeup, Coupang Eats, Payco Order, Baedal-ui Myeongsu, Ddingdong, Meokkebi, KakaoTalk Order, Baedal Olgeoje, Delius, Eodigo, and Ildansikyeo, totaling 14 apps.

The government initially issued the non-face-to-face dining coupons from May 24 to July 4 as the first phase, and delivery orders from that period will be combined with the current orders to qualify for benefits. For example, if a consumer ordered food worth 20,000 KRW or more twice during the first phase, they only need to place two more delivery orders after the program resumes in September to receive the 10,000 KRW refund. The budget allocated for this round of non-face-to-face dining coupons is approximately 20 billion KRW. Refunds will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until the budget is exhausted.

The government initially planned to issue coupons not only for dining but also for sports, accommodation, tourism, movies, exhibitions, vacation support, professional sports viewing, and transportation such as rail and buses this year. The plan was to issue coupons for dining, sports, movies, exhibitions, performances, and professional sports viewing once the first-dose vaccination rate reached 50%, and to activate all consumption coupons including accommodation, tourism, rail, and bus coupons once the rate reached 70%.

Although the first-dose vaccination rate surpassed 50% on the 21st, due to the severe spread of COVID-19, the government decided to reconsider the timing of coupon issuance rather than resuming it immediately.

However, a 20% discount coupon for agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, capped at 20,000 KRW per person, which can be used online and significantly supports farmers' incomes, will be additionally issued ahead of Chuseok.

To promote donations, the government is also considering providing additional consumption coupons such as accommodation coupons and professional sports viewing tickets to donors who contribute a certain amount or more in September. The threshold amount under review is 100,000 KRW. The method involves issuing additional discount coupons upon certification of electronic donation receipts on accommodation and professional sports reservation sites, with the timing of issuance to be decided based on the quarantine situation.