[비즈한국] While the number of partner brands for mobile carrier memberships is increasing, the benefits that customers actually enjoyed are not necessarily growing. Cases are emerging where half-price discounts previously provided to all members are being restricted to VIPs only, or the conditions for using existing partner benefits are becoming more stringent. While mobile carriers maintain that they are expanding overall benefits through new partnerships, the perceived changes may vary depending on the customer's membership tier and the partner brands they frequently use.
According to the telecommunications industry on the 11th, SK Telecom changed the 50% discount benefit for six popular Gong Cha drinks, which it provided to all members through 'T Day' last year, to a VIP-exclusive benefit starting in July. The 50% discount at Paul Bassett, which was available to all members until last month, has also been restricted to a 'VIP Only' benefit this month. Even if the same level of discount is offered at the same brand, regular members can no longer receive the benefit.
This change aligns with the VIP appreciation program that SK Telecom has been strengthening this year. In April, SK Telecom launched 'VIP Chance' during T Day, which provides greater benefits to VIP customers than to regular members. It also introduced 'VIP Only' benefits for the 'Happy Hour' sessions, which run during specific times. In addition to the existing 'VIP PICK', the company has added programs that are available only to top-tier customers or offer higher discount rates.
KT and LG Uplus are also seeing cases where the scope or scale of existing partner benefits is shrinking. Since the year before last, KT has stopped applying duplicate discounts on promotional items. It has limited the Baskin Robbins benefit to only participating stores and abolished the 3% discount coupon for Hyundai Livart. The number of points accumulation instances for the electric vehicle charging service 'Moduui Charging' has also been reduced from three times a month to once.
LG Uplus also ended duplicate discounts on promotional items last year. Starting this October, online benefits for Shinsegae Duty Free will also be reduced. The daily shopping subsidy, which was previously provided to customers of all tiers, will be reduced from six types worth up to 400,000 won to five types worth up to 255,000 won.
These changes do not necessarily mean an overall reduction in membership benefits. However, even if the number of new partner locations increases, customers may feel that benefits have shrunk if a discount they frequently used disappears or if they are excluded from the eligibility criteria. In other words, there is a gap between the number of partners and the benefits that individual customers can actually enjoy.
Retaining existing customers amidst slowing growth… Benefits tiered based on usage
The backdrop for mobile carriers' adjustment of membership programs is the slowing growth of the wireless business. In the second quarter of this year, SK Telecom's mobile telecommunications revenue fell 1.9% year-on-year due to the spread of budget phones and intensified tariff competition. KT's wireless business revenue also decreased by 1.8% during the same period to 1.7497 trillion won. While LG Uplus's mobile sector revenue increased to 1.6602 trillion won, the growth rate remained below 1%.
The market share of the three major mobile carriers in the mobile phone market is also on a steady decline. According to the current status of wired and wireless telecommunications service subscriptions from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the combined market share of the three major carriers in consumer mobile phone lines has dropped by 7.6 percentage points, from 89.1% at the end of 2020 to 81.5% in June of this year. For mobile carriers, preventing existing customers from churning has become just as important as attracting new subscribers.
Membership is one of the tools used to retain existing customers. In particular, higher tiers are assigned based on the duration of subscription and usage amounts. This is why the strengthening of VIP benefits is interpreted as a strategy to retain long-term customers or those with high telecommunications spending.
SK Telecom grants VIP status to customers who have been subscribed for over 5 years and pay more than 600,000 won annually. Customers with a subscription period of over 2 years can become VIPs if they pay more than 900,000 won annually. KT grants VIP status to those with annual usage exceeding 1 million won, and VVIP status to those over 2 million won. LG Uplus provides VIP status to those exceeding 74,800 won per month based on their mobile plan, and VVIP status to those paying 95,000 won or more per month.
Offering additional benefits to top tiers versus restricting benefits previously available to all members to only the top tiers is perceived differently by customers. The former is seen as an expansion of preferential treatment, while the latter is felt as a reduction in benefits available to regular members. However, some argue that because the reduction or termination of individual partnerships is also influenced by negotiations with partners, it is difficult to interpret all benefit changes by the three major carriers as a reorganization centered solely on VIPs.
Carriers: “Individual benefits adjusted, but overall partnerships are expanding”
Mobile carriers explain that, aside from changes to individual promotions, overall membership benefits are expanding. They state that while some benefits may be terminated or target audiences may change based on the circumstances of partner companies or customer usage patterns, they are continuously increasing new partnerships and programs.
According to SK Telecom, the number of permanent T Membership partners has grown from 96 in 2021 to 117 in 2022, 133 in 2023, 168 in 2024, 180 in 2025, and 182 in 2026. This year, they have signed new partnerships with Everland, Mega MGC Coffee, GS25, and Jeju Samdasoo.
An SK Telecom official explained, “We are strengthening benefits as a way to show gratitude to our long-term customers,” adding, “Individual partners or promotions may be created or terminated during the negotiation process, but the overall operational direction has not shifted solely to a VIP-centered approach.”
The official added, “T Membership holds the largest number of permanent partners among domestic mobile carriers, and we will continue to expand the scope of practical benefits and discount scales, focusing on areas with high customer preference such as health checkups.”