"Transfer Your Scattered Seoul Love Gift Certificates to 'Seoul Pay Plus'"

Existing payment app gift card balances directly transferred by users to new payment apps like Seoul Pay Plus
If balances are not integrated, users face the hassle of selecting and using one app among multiple apps for each payment

Seoul City Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government requested on the 24th that users transfer the gift certificates held in the 24 Seoul Sarang Gift Certificate payment apps used until last year, such as Beeple Zero Pay and Check Pay, to new payment apps like ‘Seoul Pay Plus’ for continued use.

Earlier this year, Seoul changed the sales agency for Seoul Sarang Gift Certificates from the ‘Korea Easy Payment Promotion Agency’ to the ‘Shinhan Consortium.’ Gift certificate purchases are now only possible at four places including Seoul Pay Plus, Shinhan Play, Shinhan Sol, T-money Pay, and Money Tree. Payments can still be made on existing apps if there is a balance, as well as on Seoul Pay Plus.

Since July, Seoul has supported a service that allows users to transfer their balances all at once by themselves to Seoul Pay Plus in order to enhance payment convenience and minimize confusion. The gift certificates eligible for balance transfer include ‘Local Sarang Gift Certificates’ issued by autonomous districts, ‘Special Gift Certificates for District Commercial Recovery’ with expired validity, and delivery-only ‘Himkok Gift Certificates.’

To transfer gift certificate balances to Seoul Pay Plus, users must first download ‘Seoul Pay Plus’ from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS) and register as a member. Then, by running one of the previously used apps and tapping the notification banner on the main screen or the transfer menu, the transfer will be completed.

The transfer results can be checked on the new app after 9 a.m. the next day, and if balance transfer is not needed, users can receive an immediate refund from the existing app regardless of the usage amount.

Seoul plans to automatically transfer all balances to Seoul Pay Plus and other new payment apps after a separate schedule announcement in December if users do not transfer individually by the end of November. Once balances are collectively transferred, gift certificate balances cannot be used on the existing apps, so installing new payment apps like Seoul Pay Plus is essential.

Kang Nam-tae, head of the Seoul Small Business Support Division, said, “When the scattered Seoul Sarang Gift Certificate balances are transferred and integrated into Seoul Pay Plus, payments become easier and payment histories can be managed all at once.” He added, “We hope users integrate their balances by the end of November for more convenient payments and enjoy the various services provided by Seoul Pay Plus.”

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