Kakao Pay Introduces Telecom Membership Analysis to Generative AI 'PayAI'

AI Now Covers Both Card Benefits and Telecom Membership Discounts

Kakao Pay announced on January 21 that it has newly introduced a telecom membership benefits analysis feature to its core generative AI service, "Find My Own Benefits with AI," powered by its proprietary generative artificial intelligence, "PayAI."

"Find My Own Benefits with AI" is a generative AI service that analyzes users' card usage and benefit conditions to recommend the most advantageous payment method at the time of purchase. The beta version was first launched in October last year.

Through this update, Kakao Pay has expanded its recommendation range, previously focused on financial products like credit cards and Kakao Pay Money, to now include the non-financial domain of "telecom memberships."

Kakao Pay explained that the core of this upgrade is the evolution into an "integrated benefits platform" that encompasses not only the Kakao Pay ecosystem but also external partnership benefits.

The goal is to maximize consumption efficiency by connecting a variety of external benefits-often overlooked in daily life-in real time at the moment of payment. Users can now compare card benefits and membership discounts with a single conversation with the AI, eliminating the hassle of checking each benefit individually before every payment.

The enhanced "Find My Own Benefits with AI" service provides real-time "maximum payment benefit scenarios" by comprehensively analyzing users' card benefits based on membership information from the three major telecom companies: SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus.

Once users set their telecom provider information in the PayAI chat window, they will be sequentially guided through: ▲ ongoing discount benefits available through their telecom membership, and ▲ billing discounts and reward benefits available when paying with their registered cards, for every question regarding payment benefits.

For example, if a user with VIP status in their telecom membership enters, "I'm going to spend 10,000 won at A convenience store," PayAI will respond with a specific action guide such as, "First, get a 1,000 won discount with your VIP membership benefit. For the remaining amount, use your A Card, which gives you a 10% reward, for the greatest benefit."

Kakao Pay plans to expand the scope of its services beyond telecom benefits to cover benefit information across all aspects of users' lifestyles.

In particular, the soon-to-be-introduced "Spending Report" will provide a detailed analysis of past spending, categorizing benefits that were well-utilized and areas for improvement, and will offer a report with specific consumption strategies to maximize benefits in the following month.

"Find My Own Benefits with AI" can be accessed via the Kakao Pay application or under the "Convenience" category in the Kakao Pay Home tab on KakaoTalk. Users can also search for the service name using the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner.

A Kakao Pay representative stated, "This upgrade marks the transformation of our AI agent from a simple payment tool into a solution that designs real, tangible benefits in users' daily lives. We will continue to break down platform boundaries and seek ways to maximize user benefits from their perspective."