Naver Plus Store accessible via HeroS# MTS lifestyle menu, with points redeemable for fractional shares and funds
Kiwoom Securities is expanding its shopping benefits within its investment app, now offering users up to 4% back in Kiwoom Points on purchases made through Naver Plus Store. The move follows an earlier partnership with Coupang Inc and marks another step in the brokerage's push to build a platform that blends investment services with daily lifestyle benefits.
Kiwoom Securities said Friday it launched the service through the "Lifestyle/Benefits" menu of its MTS app HeroS#, allowing users to earn Kiwoom Points when shopping at Naver Plus Store.
Users who access Naver Plus Store through HeroS# and make a purchase automatically receive up to 4% of the payment amount in Kiwoom Points, with no additional steps required. The benefit is offered on top of Naver's own standard rewards. On a 30,000-won ($22) purchase, for example, users can earn up to 1,200 won in points.
The accrual rate varies by product. Purchases of recommended brand products earn 4% back, while other items earn 1.5%. Accumulated Kiwoom Points can be used like cash for financial product investments, including fractional domestic shares and funds.
The expansion comes on the back of growing user uptake of Kiwoom Securities' existing shopping-linked service. The brokerage launched a similar offering last year through HeroS# that gives users 2% back on Coupang Inc purchases. Cumulative sign-ups for that service surpassed 100,000 as of June 12.
The new partnership is expected to generate strong synergies as Naver Plus Store rapidly builds its user base. The platform's monthly active users reached about 8.75 million in May, overtaking 11Street to rank second among e-commerce apps. New app installations totaled 700,000 that month — about 1.7 times the figure for Coupang Inc. MAU had stood at about 7.77 million in March, meaning the platform added roughly 1 million users in just two months.
kacew@heraldcorp.com
