Lotte Department Store to introduce UnionPay QR payments for foreign shoppers

Lotte Department Store will introduce UnionPay QR payments at all its locations starting Tuesday.

UnionPay supports more than 200 payments apps worldwide, meaning foreign customers who do not use the UnionPay app can still complete purchases through their home country's payments or banking apps.

"Cashless travel" — using the same mobile payment services abroad that tourists rely on at home, without the hassle of currency exchange — has become a growing trend among international visitors. The share of simple mobile payments in Lotte Department Store's foreign customer sales rose about 10 percentage points last year compared with 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

To mark the launch of the new payment system, Lotte Department Store will give foreign customers who spend 1 million won ($723) or more using UnionPay from Tuesday through Oct. 11 a Lotte gift certificate worth 10 percent of their purchase amount.

"Lotte Department Store will create an environment where anyone can shop conveniently, transcending borders of nationality and payment method, and establish itself as the most convenient and trusted shopping destination for foreign customers as well," said Park Sang-woo, head of the marketing division at Lotte Department Store.