Due to Customer Requests, Sales Extension Continues... Character Cards Are Doing Well This Year Too

KB Kookmin Pengsoo Noricheck Card Sales Extended Until February Next Year
Hana Jinro Ddukkoebi Card Also Released in Second Edition

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The popularity of character cards shows no signs of waning. Credit card companies are targeting the potential customer base of the 2030 generation by extending sales periods or reissuing cards in response to customer requests.

According to the industry on the 8th, KB Kookmin Card extended the sales period of the ‘KB Kookmin Pengsoo Nori Check Card,’ launched last year, by one year until February 16 next year. This card was the first in the industry to feature the EBS character ‘Pengsoo,’ which has absolute support from the 2030 generation, on its design. Within one year of its launch, the number of issued cards surpassed 400,000. It recorded 200,000 issued cards 26 days after launch and then exceeded 300,000 cards 95 days after launch. Over the past year, customers in their 20s accounted for the largest share at 37.5%, followed by those in their 30s (29.6%), 40s (15.1%), and teens (8.3%). By gender, women accounted for 69.3%, more than twice the number of men (30.7%).

Hana Card also recently reintroduced the ‘Annie Plus Credit Card Jinro Toad Limited Edition’ (Toad Card), which was launched in November last year. This card was released as part of a newtro collaboration marketing campaign with Hite Jinro and sold out on a first-come, first-served basis last November. Due to the popularity of the Jinro Toad character applied to the plate, it was reissued as an encore.

Character cards have proven to be successful in recent years. Typically, check cards are classified as hit products if they exceed 300,000 issued cards annually, and check cards featuring popular characters are quickly surpassing 300,000. NH Nonghyup Card introduced the ‘Ryan Cheese Check Card’ and ‘Apeach Sweet Check Card,’ featuring Kakao Friends’ representative characters Ryan and Apeach on the card plates, and surpassed a combined issuance of 1 million cards by the end of November last year. Shinhan Card’s Minions card, launched in March 2019 in partnership with NBC Universal, also continues to maintain popularity, surpassing 1.09 million issued cards as of the end of February this year.

In a situation where it is difficult to differentiate card benefits, card companies are launching character partnership cards to target the potential MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). Although character cards require payment of brand royalties to licensed companies, they are releasing products aimed at the specific character ownership desires of this emerging consumer group with purchasing power.

An industry official said, "As it becomes increasingly difficult to launch cards with differentiated benefits, card companies are focusing on characters," adding, "They are using this as a means to expand their customer base while targeting the 2030 generation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.