Kakao Pay Travellog debit card tops 500,000 accounts

Kakao Pay announced Tuesday that the Kakao Pay Travellog debit card, developed in partnership with Hana Card, has surpassed 500,000 cumulative accounts issued.

The card's key selling points include domestic and overseas payment benefits, the "hyper-connectivity" of Kakao Pay Money — which allows users to link accounts from any financial institution without restriction — and improved convenience through flexible integration with the government's high-oil-price victim support fund.

The card is structured so that overseas payments draw from foreign-currency Hana Money, while domestic payments use Kakao Pay Money. For overseas transactions, users enjoy the full suite of Travellog benefits: free currency exchange (100 percent exchange rate discount), waived overseas transaction fees, and waived overseas ATM withdrawal fees. Domestically, the card links to Kakao Pay Money and offers a range of perks, including Kakao Pay Points accumulation on purchases.

A standout feature is its hyper-connectivity, which lets users freely link the card to any existing bank account across all financial institutions without opening a new account. By drawing on accounts from multiple financial firms already connected to Kakao Pay Money, users can make payments more efficiently.

The card also enhances the usability of the high-oil-price victim support fund. When a user receives the support fund through Kakao Pay Money, the Kakao Pay Travellog debit card automatically links to it, allowing the funds to be used via both the mobile card and the physical card. Regardless of which payment method is used, the system draws down the support fund first before charging Kakao Pay Money, improving convenience for users.

Kakao Pay is also pursuing additional card company partnerships. The company plans to expand its alliance network so that users can link Kakao Pay Money not only to newly issued cards but also to debit cards they already hold.

"The Kakao Pay Travellog debit card has earned steady popularity by offering a seamless payment experience that bridges physical cards and mobile payments," Kakao Pay said. "We will continue to expand connectivity with a variety of payment methods centered on Kakao Pay Money to enhance user convenience."

Meanwhile, the Kakao Pay Travellog card is the first travel card issued through a partnership between Hana Card and Kakao Pay, marking the first such collaboration for a domestic financial group. The card lets users enjoy the combined benefits of the Travellog service and Kakao Pay.