Toss Registers Trademarks for ‘Toss Business’ and ‘Sajangnim Jangbu’... Targeting Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurs

"From the Start to the End of Business" SME Service Review
Expansion of Business Territory Centered on Toss Bank, How Far Will It Go

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Viva Republica, the operator of the mobile financial service ‘Toss,’ is reportedly considering entering new businesses targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Attention is focused on whether the company will further expand its market dominance by adding various new businesses beyond its core operations.

According to the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) of the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 21st, Toss has filed trademarks for ‘Toss Business’ and ‘Sajangnim Jangbu’ (Boss’s Ledger). They were registered on August 16 and September 1, respectively. The recently renewed Toss logo is engraved on them. The applicant is Viva Republica, and the agent is the patent law firm Taepyungyang.

The product classifications for Toss Business include ▲Class 35 (advertising, business management, business administration, office functions) and ▲Class 36 (insurance, finance, financial affairs, real estate). For Sajangnim Jangbu, in addition to the same Classes 35 and 36 as Toss Business, it also includes ▲Class 38 (telecommunications) and ▲Class 9 (various devices).

Currently, Toss is serializing the ‘Sajangnim Baekseo’ (Boss’s White Paper) series on its official blog. It mainly delivers tips on business promotion and advertising production targeting business owners. A separate post titled ‘Toss Business’ has also been created. The phrase ‘from the start to the end of business’ has attracted particular attention.

In this regard, a Toss official said, “We are reviewing services targeting SMEs,” and added, “We first registered the trademarks Toss Business and Sajangnim Jangbu to secure trademark rights.”

Currently, Toss affiliates include ▲Toss Bank (banking), ▲Toss Securities (investment brokerage), ▲Toss Insurance (insurance), ▲Toss Payments (electronic payment gateway), ▲Toss CX (call center and telemarketing services), ▲VCNC (software development and supply), and ▲Toss Place (offline payment terminal manufacturing).

The company is expanding its scope by pursuing various businesses beyond its core banking operations. In particular, by the end of this year, it plans to newly enter the offline store management service sector through its new affiliate Toss Place. Previously, trademarks such as ‘TOSS POS’ and ‘Toss Store Partner’ related to the Toss Place service were also registered.

An industry insider said, “Toss is accelerating business expansion and attracting attention by newly filing trademarks called Toss Business and Sajangnim Jangbu,” adding, “There is speculation that it will be possible to pioneer the basic offline VAN (Value Added Network) market through Toss Place, and it seems they aim to generate new revenue targeting small and medium-sized enterprises.”

A Toss Place official said, “Toss Place does not plan to operate a VAN company directly but plans to engage in partner business.”