Law Issue | Woori Card’s ‘Card Basics’ Surpasses 300,000 Issued in Two Months
Law Issue reported that Woori Card (CEO Jung Won-jae)'s 'Card Basics POINT' surpassed 300,000 cards issued two months after launch. Dramatic point-earning benefits and simple-pay linkage were cited as popularity factors, and the article introduced how the peony motif on Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung's work 'Gwayubulgeup,' applied to the card plate, symbolizes restrained spending.
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[Law Issue reporter Pyeon Do-uk] Woori Card (CEO Jung Won-jae) announced on the 31st that its flagship product Card Basics POINT has become a runaway hit, surpassing 300,000 cards issued two months after launch.
Woori Card launched its new product Card Basics POINT, adding artistic design to strong point-earning benefits, on the 2nd of last month, drawing explosive customer interest even before launch and raising expectations for a hit.
After launch, buoyed by an enthusiastic response from Woori Bank customers, it has shown a record issuance pace compared with ordinary general-purpose cards, surpassing 100,000 in three weeks and 300,000 in two months.
The first secret to the card's popularity is its dramatic point-earning benefits. Card Basics POINT earns a base 0.8% across all categories, the industry's best, with no cap once the previous month's spending reaches 300,000 won.
It also packs bigger benefits into categories customers use often. Through big-data analysis, 10 special categories customers frequently use — telecom, public transit, and EV charging at 5%; coffee and movies at 3%; department stores, discount marts, online shopping, gas, and overseas purchases at 1% — earn up to 5% of the amount spent.
Benefits for simple-pay users are also included. Registering and paying with the card through the four major simple-pay services — Naver Pay, Kakao Pay, Payco, and SSG Pay — earns an extra 3% back, on top of whatever benefits each simple-pay service itself offers, very useful for customers who prefer simple pay.
Artistic product design also played a firm role in the runaway hit. Applying Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung's work 'Gwayubulgeup' to the card-plate design was the first in the industry to bring Korean beauty into a card, satisfying customers who value visual and emotional satisfaction. Customers who received the actual card have showered it with praise on social media as "a card that's even prettier in person."
The peony painted in 'Gwayubulgeup' also symbolizes "wealth, prosperity, and honor," reflecting Woori Card's commitment to guarding against overspending and positioning itself as the "gold standard of wise spending."
Rich, varied product-launch events for Woori Card's customers are also underway. Through the end of June, customers using the four major simple-pay services (Naver Pay, Kakao Pay, Payco, SSG Pay) with the card get double card points, along with 2–3 month interest-free installments at all merchants and airfare special-price events.
An 'annual fee cashback event' is also available for customers who apply online. Customers who apply for Card Basics POINT or Card Basics POINT Check online through the end of June and spend 100,000 won or more by the end of the month following the application month can get up to 100% of the annual fee cashed back for Card Basics POINT, or up to 5,000 won for Card Basics POINT Check. The annual fee is 12,000 won for the international version and 10,000 won domestic-only, and cards can be applied for at Woori Bank branches nationwide, the Woori Card website and mobile app, or the call center.
Reporter Pyeon Do-uk toy1000@lawissue.co.kr