SEOUL– CU, South Korea’s second-largest convenience store chain by revenue, said Tuesday it will add nine payment options, mostly from Southeast Asian countries, in the latest move to boost the convenience of foreign tourists.
The new payment options, which are set to begin next month, include Hong Kong’s AlipayHK, the Philippines’ GCash, Malaysia’s Touch’n Go, Indonesia’s digital wallet Dana and Thailand’s TrueMoney.
Currently, CU accepts three international payment options — China’s Alipay, Wechat Pay and UnionPay.
The expansion in payment options comes as South Korea expects a rise in foreign tourists as the country is gradually moving toward pre-pandemic normalcy.
CU said its stores are seeing the number of foreign customers gradually recover to pre-pandemic levels, with total transactions made on international payment services at its stores rising 13.1 percent on-year in the January-March period.
In early May, South Korea lifted the outdoor mask mandate, except for at large gatherings of 50 people or more, as it is moving to return to normalcy.
Starting in June, inbound travelers will only have to undergo one PCR test within three days of arrival. Currently, they must take a PCR test within 24 hours of entry, as well as a rapid antigen test on the sixth or seventh day.
Source: Yonhap News Agency