Coupang to introduce higher membership fees for all paying users next month

Coupang delivery vans are parked at a parking lot in Seoul on June 13. Yonhap

Korean e-commerce giant Coupang said on Monday that it will introduce higher monthly membership fees for all paying users starting August 7.

As of April 13, Coupang is charging new paid WOW membership users 7,890 won ($5.71), a significant increase from the previous fee of 4,990 won.

The company said it will also raise monthly fees for current members in August.

At the time, Coupang members were divided over the sharp increase in membership costs.

Some say they are so dependent on Coupang’s “rocket delivery” services that they are unable to cancel their memberships, while others say the one-time 58 percent increase is excessive.

Previously, the monthly fee increased by 72 percent, from 2,900 won to 4,990 won in 2021.

WOW membership at the end of 2023 was approximately 14 million.

If there are no membership payouts, Coupang’s membership fees will increase by 57 percent to 1.32 trillion won per year from 838.8 billion won.

Coupang’s new services, such as streaming platform Coupang Play and food delivery service Coupang Eats, have helped the company grow its user base in South Korea. (Yonhap)