Baemin said on the 25th that it will support payments through WeChat Pay and Alipay+ (Alipay Plus), global easy payment services, so that foreigners can use the service conveniently.
According to Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baemin, WeChat Pay and Alipay+ payments are available on Baemin starting today. The introduction of these new easy payment services is intended to let customers visiting Korea experience fast and convenient delivery service in line with rising demand from foreign tourists.
The number of tourists visiting Korea next year is projected to reach about 20 million. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in the first half of this year hit a record high of 8.83 million, up 14.6% from the same period a year earlier. In particular, with visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists of three or more temporarily allowed starting on the 29th, demand from tourists from Asia visiting Korea is also expected to grow.
In step with this, Baemin plans to strengthen accessibility for using the delivery app by providing payment options that are easy for foreign tourists visiting Korea to use. Since March last year, Baemin has supported won-denominated payments by overseas credit cards for nonmembers as a foreigner payment option. As a result, the number of nonmember overseas credit card payment transactions in April this year increased about 14 times compared with April last year.
WeChat Pay and Alipay+ can be used by selecting the payment method labeled "Global Payments" at the order stage in the Baemin app. Payments are available for food delivery and pickup services starting today. The company plans to support their use in grocery shopping and retail, including Baemin B Mart, going forward.
There is also an event to mark the launch of the global easy payment services. In the WeChat app, a 20% discount coupon usable when paying with WeChat Pay on Baemin will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis through the 25th of next month. The company will also gradually review plans to support multiple languages in the app.
Go Myeong-seok, head of the platform institutional sector at Woowa Brothers, said, "The introduction of these global easy payment services enhances app usability so the growing number of tourists can enjoy food delivery in Korea without inconvenience," and added, "We will continue to move toward a customer-friendly global platform that lets foreign users conveniently experience Korea's delivery culture."