When Chinese tourists visiting Korea use taxi-hailing services such as Kakao T through their home-country messenger "WeChat," higher fares than on domestic apps are displayed or the service centers on premium vehicles. Because extra fees are added in the platform linkage process and some low-cost services are restricted, critics say foreign tourists could perceive this as price discrimination.
According to the industry on the 11th, WeChat offers "mini apps" and "travel services" in an app-in-app format so users can use Kakao T and Uber without installing separate apps. For domestic apps, identity verification and card registration make it hard for foreigners to use them, but WeChat allows native-language search and WeChat Pay without separate verification. Thanks to this convenience, it is common among Chinese tourists to hail taxis via WeChat.
The problem is that even at the same time and to the same destination, fares are set higher if routed through WeChat. On the morning of the 8th around 10 a.m., a fare inquiry for the section from Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) showed Kakao Black at 24,800 won in the Kakao T app. By contrast, the WeChat travel service showed 30,400 won, about 23% higher.
The price gap was the same even when changing the time and destination. Around 10:20 p.m. on the 7th, the Kakao Black fare for the section from Koreana Hotel to Gangnam Station was displayed at 60,000 won in the Kakao T app, but 69,700 won in the WeChat travel service, about 16% higher.
Industry officials explain that this price difference occurs because, in addition to domestic taxi fares, roaming service charges such as exchange rates, payment fees, and platform partnership expenses are added. A Kakao Mobility official said, "Roaming service charges vary depending on each overseas app operator's policy."
A similar phenomenon was found at Uber. On the 7th for the same section, the Uber Premier Van cost 37,400 won when hailed directly in the Uber app, but 60,400 won in the WeChat travel service. However, Uber said the amount is not the actual payment fare but an estimated fare displayed at the travel service stage.
An Uber official said, "You cannot hail directly in the travel service tab, so you move to the mini app to check the final fare," adding, "Because the mini app uses the same algorithm as the Uber app, it is not a structure that separately charges higher fares to overseas users."
Beyond price differences, the limited range of available vehicle types is also cited as a problem. Critics say users are effectively forced to call high-priced premium vehicles instead of inexpensive regular taxis. In fact, around 10 p.m. on the 7th, when a Kakao taxi was hailed via the WeChat mini app, options for regular taxis and Blue Partners did not appear at all, and only premium services such as Black and Venti were shown.
A Kakao Mobility official said, "We are operating mainly premium taxis such as Blue, Venti, and Black, where service quality is guaranteed to a certain level and rides are dispatched automatically," adding, "They are displayed only when there are taxis nearby that can be dispatched."
Experts note that such policies can be perceived as price discrimination from the standpoint of foreign tourists. Chung Ran-su, an adjunct professor in the Department of Tourism at Hanyang University, said, "Fees are inevitably incurred in the process of linking platforms," but added, "From the tourist's point of view, it can look like discrimination between locals and foreigners and become a factor that discourages travel."