The benefits of Onnuri gift vouchers will vary depending on where they are used. The system is being reformed so that use at traditional markets provides combined purchase discounts and rebates of up to 10%, while local alley commercial districts offer consumer benefits of up to 8%. Plans are also being pursued to allow users of digital Onnuri gift vouchers in regional areas to receive additional benefits linked to tourist attraction admission, accommodation, and local shopping.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 1st that it has prepared a reform plan for Onnuri gift vouchers aimed at drawing consumption to traditional markets and local commercial districts.

Differentiated Benefits by Place of Use Is the Core

The biggest change is the differentiation of benefits by place of use. Previously, the purchase discount rate was effectively the same regardless of which affiliated store accepted the voucher, but going forward, the operation will shift toward providing greater benefits at traditional markets and local commercial districts.

At traditional markets, a total benefit equivalent to 10% will be provided through a 5% discount at the time of purchase and a 5% rebate after payment. At local alley commercial districts, a 5% purchase discount plus a 3% rebate on the amount used will provide benefits of up to 8%. The government intends to guide voucher discount benefits to concentrate in traditional markets and local commercial districts with relatively weak consumption bases, rather than being dispersed across large commercial districts.

Standards for Designating Alley-Type Shopping Districts to Be Refined, Management Strengthened

The designation method for alley-type shopping districts will also be refined. Designation standards will be applied differentially in consideration of regional fiscal conditions, and a procedure for prior consultation with the Ministry will be established during the designation process. Management will also be strengthened, including canceling designations found to have been obtained through false or improper means.

Affiliated Stores to Be Reorganized Around Small-Scale Merchants

Onnuri gift voucher affiliated stores will be reorganized around small-scale merchants. Currently, affiliated stores are operated mainly for businesses with annual sales of 300 million won or less, and professional service sectors such as hospitals and clinics, law, accounting, and tax services are to be excluded from affiliation. However, pharmacies will be allowed as affiliated stores in consideration of their effect of drawing visitors to traditional markets and local commercial districts.

Institutional improvements will also be pursued to restrict relatively large retailers, such as corporate supermarkets, from newly registering or renewing as Onnuri gift voucher affiliated stores.

Expansion of Benefits Linked to Tourism, Accommodation, and Shopping

Plans also include adding tourism benefits on top of the voucher's own discounts for consumers using Onnuri gift vouchers in regional areas. Cooperation with local governments will be strengthened so that users of digital Onnuri gift vouchers can be provided with admission to regional tourist attractions, accommodation benefits, and discount coupons for regional online shopping malls.

Regional tourism products that bundle traditional markets, tourist attractions, and nearby alley commercial districts into a single travel route will also be expanded. The aim is to encourage tourists not to simply visit a specific spot and leave, but to stay in the region and spend at markets and shopping streets.

Simplified QR Payments for Foreigners and Linkage with Online Platforms

The usage method for foreign tourists is also expected to become more convenient. The government will pursue building payment infrastructure so that foreigners can pay via QR code at traditional markets and elsewhere using payment apps they used overseas, without separate currency exchange or issuing a domestic-only payment method.

Connections between online platforms and Onnuri gift vouchers will also be strengthened. The government will cooperate with private platforms to make it easy to check affiliated stores that accept Onnuri gift vouchers on map services, and to allow affiliated stores to guide and promote to customers through messenger channels and other means.

In the delivery sector, plans call for providing discount coupons to users of mutual-growth delivery apps and supporting consumption promotion events participated in by local governments and traditional markets, so that online orders lead to sales for small merchants.

Expansion of Funding Sources for Conversion from Card and Welfare Points

Not only will the places where vouchers can be used be expanded, but the funding sources convertible into vouchers will also grow. A system will be established to allow individuals' card points and public institution employees' welfare points to be converted into Onnuri gift vouchers. Onnuri voucher utilization records will also be reflected in public institution evaluations, with plans to increase voucher use for welfare point conversion and various event prizes.

Improvement of Management Systems Including Automatic Renewal of Affiliated Store Registration

The affiliated store management system will also be overhauled. Grounds will be established to cancel the registration of affiliated stores that infringe on consumer rights or undermine normal trade order. Conversely, the administrative burden on affiliated stores operating normally will be reduced. If certain conditions are met, the affiliated store registration that previously required a separate application every three years will be improved to allow automatic renewal.

For stores near traditional markets that are newly included in market districts and wish to register as Onnuri gift voucher affiliated stores, the market district change procedure will also be simplified.

From a Discount Payment Method to a 'Regional Consumption Policy Tool'

This reform focuses on transforming Onnuri gift vouchers from a mere discounted payment method into a policy tool that induces regional consumption. In particular, by differentiating benefits at up to 10% for traditional markets and up to 8% for local alley commercial districts, the plan aims to guide consumer choices toward local commercial districts and connect them to actual sales growth by linking with tourism, accommodation, delivery, and online platforms.

However, the specific timing of discount and rebate applications and regional additional benefits may vary depending on the implementation schedule and the details of each local government's programs, so detailed conditions should be checked before actual use.

[This article was reorganized for informational purposes based on publicly released materials from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The discount and rebate rates, affiliated store standards, and regional linked benefits of Onnuri gift vouchers may change during the implementation process, so the latest notices from relevant authorities should be confirmed. AI assistance was used in writing and restructuring this article.]