It has been confirmed that Kakao is setting the basic subscription fee for its 'Kakao Membership,' which it plans to launch as a pilot service by the end of this year, at 4,900 won per month. This matches the price of Naver Plus Membership, signaling a direct confrontation between Korea's two leading tech giants in their bid to secure loyal customers.
On the 4th, MoneyToday analyzed product information from KakaoTalk's recent app and web sources and confirmed that a subscription product named 'Kakao Membership' is registered at 4,900 won per month. The product description includes the phrase "Points are basic; choose the benefits you need."
The product is set up as a monthly subscription payment model, and product sales information indicates that 4,900 won is listed as the "lowest price." It is estimated that this pricing structure anticipates varying subscription fees depending on the benefits or services selected by users starting from the base of 4,900 won per month. Code for processing changes to subscription products was also found within the KakaoTalk app.
The Kakao ecosystem includes various paid services such as Melon, KakaoT, Kakao Pay, and Kakao Webtoon. It appears that by joining a membership plan starting at 4,900 won, users will earn cash-like points when shopping via Kakao Commerce, and depending on the concept, they may be able to use Kakao's paid services or external paid services at discounted rates.
Kakao's decision to set the price for its first subscription-based membership at 4,900 won per month appears to be a strategic move considering Naver Plus Membership, which is priced identically. The 'Kakao T Members' membership system operated by Kakao affiliate Kakao Mobility also starts at 4,900 won.
The key issue lies in how diverse LINE services that are not currently available on Kakao can be incorporated. Naver Plus Membership offers benefits such as a 5% point rebate when using its own shopping services, along with free or discounted access to third-party services including OTT (video streaming), delivery apps, PC games, Market Kurly, taxis, and e-books.
A Kakao representative stated, "We are building a membership service concept that offers bundled discounts for users of Kakao's paid services or provides additional benefits as a plus-alpha," adding, "(The amount) will vary depending on the benefits and is still undecided."
in TECH
