How to Use Point Cards in Korea

Point cards (or reward cards, or membership cards) are popular amongst Koreans as it helps them save easy money on purchases from department stores, bookstores, movie theaters, and more. With these cards, you can receive discounts, get updates on special events, and even receive free gifts. Being a member of the point card system opens you to special discounts as well as information on special promotions. Most of these point cards can be used in a variety of chain locations with the swipe of a card or a quick scan of your phone.

We want our readers to take advantage of these cards too! Here at 10 Magazine, we’ve compiled a list of points/rewards/membership cards you need and how to take advantage of them.

Registration

To sign up for a points card, you can either register for it online on the store’s website or in person at their customer service desk, depending on the store. In order to register for some membership cards, you need to provide your name, phone number, address, and usually your ID/Passport/Alien Registration number. If you register for a points card in person, the customer service desk will help you fill out the form if you need it. In some cases, you need to activate your point card online and accurately enter the card number you received. However, just because you have a point card does not mean you are a fully a member.

Types of Point Cards

Bookstore Membership Card

Bookstore point cards, depending on each bookstore, offers different benefits. For example, YoungPoong Bookstore offers point cards to everyone with an easy online registration. This bookstore has three membership levels depending on how much you spend at the bookstore, Platinum, Prime, and General. Whenever you make a purchase, 6%, 5%, and 3%, respectively, of the purchase can be used for your next purchase or you can accumulate your points. Memberships also come with at least one free two-hour parking coupon, depending on your membership level.

Department Store Point Card

Filling out a registration form at the Customer Service Center will get you a department store point card. One of the department store point cards available to anyone is the Lotte Point Card or L.POINT. L.POINT is an integrated membership card that allows you to gain and use points at any of the affiliated stores, restaurants, theaters, etc. Having a department store point card will be beneficial when stores have special events as point card holders may receive better benefits than those without it. Lotte offers a L.POINT an apps on both GooglePlay and the App Store for a more convenient shopping experience.

Happy Point Card

The Happy Point Card can be used at a variety of stores, from GS25 to Gmarket. If you make a purchase of over 1,000KRW in any of the Happy Point Card participating stores, you can ask for a point card on the spot. After receiving the point card, you would then register and activate it online on their website to be able to use it. Those with an Alien Registration Card (ARC) can become members once registering online. Happy Point Card has apps on both GooglePlay and the App Store to make managing your membership account more convenient. Find out more information on what stores are included in a Happy Point Card and register through their website.

Cosmetics Membership Card

Korean makeup and skincare is trending all over the world, but it can sometimes be on the pricey side. Many stores such as Etude House, Aritaum, Olive Young, Innisfree, and other cosmetic stores also have point cards, each with different benefits. Etude House has point cards that anyone can register for on their website. There are two different types of memberships, the Pink and Royal Pink membership. These memberships differ based on how much you spend at the store. Once you reach 300 points on your point card, either as a Pink or Royal Pink member, you can email Etude House and exchange it for coupons to use in lieu of cash. Etude House also offers an app to make managing your membership account more convenient. There are more benefits and different cards at each location in Korea.

CJ ONE Card

One of the more popular point cards in Korea is the CJ ONE card which allows you to accumulate points from all the CJ brands, like CGV, CJ E&M, Olive Young, Tous Les Jours, Bibigo, and much more. You can use your CJ ONE phone app, either on GooglePlay or the App Store, rather than a point card to make each shopping experience more convenient.

Cinema/Movie Theater Point Card-

Each cinema/movie theater has different requirement to obtain a membership point card. One of more famous movie theaters, CGV, requires foreign nationals to provide an Alien Registration number to apply for the point card. You can register online first before going to your local CGV and showing your Alien Registration Card (ARC) to receive your CGV point card, or you can go to your local CGV first and request a card. There, you will show your ARC and then register online. Depending on your membership level with CGV, you can receive a birthday gift starting from a free CGV combo (1 popcorn & 2 drinks). They also offer a CGV app which allows you to access movie times and dates, find the nearest CGV location to you, and manage your membership account.

Benefits

You can use the accumulated points to purchase an item, be one of the first people to know of special events and discounts, receive special gifts depending on your membership level.

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We hope you can use this guide to collect all the point cards in Korea. Happy shopping!