Available on All Smartphones Regardless of Operating System in Gyeonggi Province
No Additional Costs for Users or Merchants... Expected to Boost the Local Economy
From now on, Gyeonggi Local Currency can be easily paid for via mobile not only through Samsung Pay but also through KakaoPay.
On June 26, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will expand its mobile easy payment services to enhance convenience for Gyeonggi Local Currency users and attract new users.
The Gyeonggi Local Currency easy payment service linked to Samsung Pay was introduced on June 1, 2021, but it was only available to users with Android-based smartphones. As a result, users of iPhones, which operate on the iOS system, were unable to use the easy payment service. Additionally, there has been a recognized need for an alternative easy payment method in case of system failures with Samsung Pay.
A survey conducted at the end of last year among 280,000 Gyeonggi Local Currency users also showed that 69% of respondents ranked the expansion of mobile easy payment as the most desired new service.
To address these issues and meet user demand, Gyeonggi Province has introduced KakaoPay, making it possible to pay with Gyeonggi Local Currency via mobile through KakaoPay starting from June 25. As a result, all smartphone users can now use the easy payment service regardless of their mobile operating system.
To use Gyeonggi Local Currency through KakaoPay, users must first register their Gyeonggi Local Currency card in the KakaoPay app. Payment can then be made by having the merchant scan the QR code within the KakaoPay app, allowing users to pay with Gyeonggi Local Currency.
Both users and merchants can use the Gyeonggi Local Currency easy payment service linked to KakaoPay without any additional fees or charges.
However, this expansion of the easy payment service applies only to the 28 cities and counties using card-type local currency, excluding the three cities?Seongnam, Siheung, and Gimpo?that use mobile-type local currency.
Gyeonggi Province plans to continue supporting major easy payment services based on big tech, with the goal of creating an environment where everyone can easily use local currency without digital exclusion.
Kim Gwangdeok, Director of Local Finance, stated, "The introduction of KakaoPay easy payment will resolve real inconveniences for users and serve as an opportunity to expand the use of local currency." He added, "We will continue to improve the convenience of using Gyeonggi Local Currency, so that more residents can use local currency and contribute to revitalizing the local economy."
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