CU said on the 15th it will launch a partnership service with Japan's flagship membership program "Ponta Point." Ponta Point is a membership that can be used at about 300,000 stores, including Lawson, and has 120 million members worldwide.
Starting this month, CU will begin Ponta Point payment and accrual services. For the first time in Korea's offline retail industry, it plans to partner with an overseas membership to enhance foreign customers' purchase convenience and benefits and maximize store traffic.
Through this partnership, Japanese tourists visiting Korea can earn 1 point per 2,000 won (1P=10 won) via the Ponta Point application (app) at more than 18,000 CU stores nationwide, and they can use existing points in units of 10P.
In particular, Japanese customers are familiar with the "point return system," which refunds part of the payment amount in points when paying by card or points instead of cash, so the partnership is expected to receive a strong response.
In the first half of next year, Koreans visiting Japan will also be able to receive partnership benefits. Korean customers will be able to earn points via the PocketCU app at about 300,000 Ponta partner stores while traveling in Japan. Depending on the partner, 1P can be earned per 100 yen or 200 yen. Points can be converted into CU membership points and used at CU stores nationwide.
To mark the launch of the service, a point payback event will be held for first-time purchasers. Japanese customers who visit CU stores and use Ponta Points will receive a payback of points equal to 20% of their first payment amount. The maximum per person is 1,000 yen.
In addition, when visiting event-participating stores and paying with Ponta Points, 20P will be credited per store. The eligible stores are seven locations with high foreign customer traffic, including Myeongdong Station, Olympic Square, Hongdae Sang Sang, and AK& Hongdae. A 50% discount coupon will also be offered for foreign customer bestseller items.