[비즈한국] Since the government implemented the public livelihood recovery consumption coupon policy, the delivery app industry has seen its fortunes divided depending on whether they support on-site payment. While Baemin and Danggyo have fully enjoyed an increase in users through their on-site payment functions, Coupang Eats, which only allows pre-payment within the app, has been excluded from the benefits of the consumption coupons.
The government began the first round of public livelihood recovery consumption coupon distributions on July 21. The first round of coupons, for which applications are open until September 12, has currently been distributed to approximately 95% of all eligible recipients. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated that as of the 8th, 48.18 million people—95.2% of total eligible recipients—have completed their applications, with 8.7232 trillion won distributed.
Han Soon-ki, Head of the Fiscal and Economic Affairs Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said during a press briefing at the Government Complex Sejong on the 8th, "We reached a 90% application rate just 11 days after applications opened on the 21st of last month," adding, "It is the fastest distribution speed even when compared to the disaster relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic."
The effects of using the consumption coupons are clearly visible in the dining industry. According to a recent survey conducted by data consulting firm PMI on 1,000 men and women aged 20–69 nationwide regarding "Public Sentiment on the Public Livelihood Recovery Consumption Coupon Policy," dining out at places such as restaurants and cafes (66.7%) was identified as the primary place for coupon usage.
Delivery orders also seem to be increasing due to the issuance of consumption coupons. Online communities frequented by self-employed business owners are reporting a noticeable rise in delivery orders due to these coupons.
Baedal Minjok (Baemin) engaged in aggressive marketing by placing the "Pay at Door" option, which allows the use of the coupons, on its main screen to coincide with the coupon distribution period. An official from Woowa Brothers, which operates Baemin, stated, "We have enhanced our app functions so that customers can conveniently use public livelihood recovery consumption coupons even when ordering delivery," adding, "We hope that the consumption stimulus effect through these coupons will lead to increased sales for business owners on our platform."
According to the industry, the proportion of "Pay at Door" orders on Baemin increased about threefold in the first week after coupon issuance began compared to the previous week. Baemin's monthly active users (MAU) also rose significantly last month compared to the month prior. According to IGAWorks' Mobile Index, Baemin's monthly active users in July were approximately 23.1278 million, a 3.7% increase from the previous month (22.288 million).
Danggyo, the delivery app operated by Shinhan Bank, is also enjoying the special benefits of the consumption coupons. According to Mobile Index, Danggyo had the highest number of new app installations among food and beverage apps last month. In July alone, new installations reached 800,000. During the same period, the number of users reached 2.38 million, an increase of 750,000 from the previous month. This is an approximately threefold increase compared to the same period last year.
In particular, Danggyo saw its app users reach approximately 1.47 million in the week following the coupon distribution (July 21–27), an increase of 460,000 compared to the previous week (July 14–20). This is the largest increase among delivery apps.
Conversely, unlike other delivery apps, Coupang Eats is in a situation where it is difficult to expect a boost from consumption coupons. Coupang Eats operates on a structure where ordering, payment, and delivery all take place within its own platform, and it does not support in-person payment systems. Therefore, it is impossible to use consumption coupons on the Coupang Eats app.
As a result, the growth rate of Coupang Eats' monthly users in July was the lowest among major delivery apps. While Baemin and Yogiyo both recorded growth rates in the 3% range, Coupang Eats saw only a 1% increase.
Meanwhile, the government is preparing for the second round of consumption coupon distribution. The second round is scheduled to be distributed starting September 22. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the second round of coupons will provide 100,000 won per person to approximately 90% of the population, excluding the top 10% based on health insurance premiums.
The government is deliberating on the selection method for the top 10% who will be excluded from the second round of coupon distribution. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated that it will focus discussions on the second-round criteria with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Insurance Service, including criteria for excluding high-asset individuals and whether to apply special provisions for single-person households and dual-income households. The final criteria are expected to be established by September 10.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung stated, "Since the distribution of consumption coupons, there has been a clear effect of increased sales for small business owners and improved public consumer sentiment," and added, "We plan to prepare additional measures to boost consumption so that the livelihood economy can continue to recover in the future."