Convenience store Seven Eleven announced on the 8th that it will introduce unmanned currency exchange kiosks to respond to the growing demand from foreign tourists.
Seven Eleven's unmanned currency exchange kiosks can convert currencies from 16 countries, including U.S. dollars, Japanese yen, and Chinese yuan, into Korean won without any fees. It features multilingual guidance and has a multilingual call center phone connected to the device to minimize language barriers.
At the kiosks, foreign-exclusive integrated prepaid card "Wow Pass" can also be purchased. The Wow Pass has a transportation card function and allows real-time balance inquiries and top-ups through its mobile app.
Seven Eleven plans to install the kiosks first in 18 stores located in areas with a high proportion of foreign residents and urban tourist districts, and expand to 50 major locations nationwide by the end of the year. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in the first half of this year reached 8.83 million, marking a 14.6% increase compared to the same period last year, the highest ever.
Additionally, according to Seven Eleven, sales from Alipay and UnionPay cards in the first half of this year increased by 60% compared to the previous year, while sales in major foreigner shopping areas, such as Myeongdong, rose by about 30%.
Kim Kyung-deok, a product planner (MD) in Seven Eleven's living services team, said, "As convenience stores have become an essential stop for foreign tourists, we aim to thoroughly enhance our services to improve the positive perception of Korean convenience stores," and added, "We will take the lead in serving as a living platform that adds value to the everyday lives of foreign tourists and residents."