Gmarket unveiled a new accrual membership, "Kkok," and said on the 30th it will run a pre-enrollment promotion.
Kkok is Gmarket's first in-house membership in about nine years, carrying the meaning of benefits that frequent users should "definitely" secure. The official launch is on Apr. 23. The monthly fee is 2,900 won, among the lowest in the industry. The core perks are "monthly accrual up to 70,000 won on all products" and "cash guarantee (price difference compensation)."
Members can receive up to 5% cashback based on their cumulative purchase amount. Up to 200,000 won per month earns 5%, and the 200,000-won-exceeding to 3.2 million-won range earns 2% in Smile Cash. It applies to all products except cash-equivalent items and certain categories, and the larger the purchase volume, the greater the benefit.
Also, if the monthly accrual is less than the fee, the difference is made up in Smile Cash. For example, if a 20,000-won monthly purchase accrues 1,000 won, an additional 1,900 won—the difference from the 2,900-won fee—is paid. Even in months with no purchases, 2,900 won equivalent to the monthly fee is provided in cash, reducing the practical loss burden. The company noted this is the first such approach introduced among major e-commerce memberships.
Gmarket plans to expand external partnerships and launch a PLCC (private label credit card) with enhanced benefits to strengthen its membership competitiveness.
The pre-enrollment promotion runs from Mar. 30 to Apr. 20. Enrolled customers receive one month free and an immediate 10% discount coupon worth up to 10,000 won.
A Gmarket official said, "The Kkok membership is a shopping subscription service for customers who frequently use Gmarket, designed to offer greater benefits the more it is used," adding, "By also offsetting the membership fee burden, we expect customers will feel strong benefits."