Confusing 'National Support Fund' Usage... About 82% of Card Merchants (Comprehensive)

Local Love Gift Certificate Merchants as Standard
Usable Only Within Registered Address Area
Differences in Business Types and Merchant Numbers by Region

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] As the 'COVID-19 Coexistence National Support Fund' amounting to 11 trillion won begins to be distributed in earnest, credit card companies are concerned about a potential increase in complaints related to the usage locations of the support fund. This is because the number of merchants affiliated with the local love gift certificates, which serve as the standard for the usage locations of the National Support Fund, is only about 80% of the number of credit card affiliated merchants. Card companies are closely monitoring whether complaints will surge as they did during last year's disaster relief fund distribution.

According to the card industry on the 7th, from this day forward, only customers who applied for the previous day's Coexistence National Support Fund can have the support fund charged in the form of points and use it. The support fund can be used from the day after applying with a credit or debit card. If you have received a usage confirmation text message from the card company, you can use the support fund at merchants affiliated with the local love gift certificates.

Unlike last year's nationwide disaster relief fund, this National Support Fund can only be used at merchants affiliated with the local love gift certificates within the registered address area. Citizens residing in special cities or metropolitan cities can use the local gift certificate affiliated merchants within those special or metropolitan cities, while those residing in provinces can use the local gift certificate affiliated merchants within the corresponding city or county of their detailed address.

The number of local love gift certificate affiliated merchants is about 82% of the number of credit card affiliated merchants. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that there would be no significant inconvenience in using them, but if the merchants where the disaster relief fund was used last year are not affiliated with the local love gift certificates, the support fund cannot be used there this time. The number of merchants available for use is also expected to vary by region. This is because the types of businesses allowed to use local gift certificates and the number of registered merchants differ according to local government ordinances.

Because of this, card companies are concerned that customer complaints related to usage locations will increase. If a customer tries to use the support fund at a store but cannot, they are likely to contact the card company first. Card companies have introduced a service to check available affiliated merchants as a convenience service for the National Support Fund, which is explained as a measure to minimize such consumer inconvenience.

An industry official said, "Not only consumer complaints but also inquiries from merchants may increase," expressing concern that "merchants may not know that they cannot accept National Support Fund payments because they have not separately registered as local love gift certificate affiliated merchants."

From the consumer's perspective, the usage locations of the National Support Fund can be confusing. For example, large supermarkets are generally not allowed to accept the National Support Fund, but leased stores registered as individual affiliated merchants within large supermarkets can accept it. Examples include eyeglass stores and pharmacies inside large supermarkets. However, food courts mostly cannot accept it because they use the payment system of the large supermarket. In the case of franchises, affiliated stores such as Paris Baguette, Dunkin, and Baskin Robbins accept the fund, but directly operated stores like Starbucks do not. GS The Fresh and Nonghyup Hanaro Mart are also excluded from this National Support Fund usage, but small-scale Hanaro Marts registered as local love gift certificate affiliated merchants in certain regions may accept it, so confirmation is necessary.

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