Coupang rolls out data breach vouchers, faces criticism over usage limits

Coupang on Thursday began issuing company vouchers to more than 33 million users as compensation for a massive personal data breach, amid customer criticism over tight limits on their use.

A member of a civic group protesting Coupang's security practices tear up posters that resemble 5,000-won ($3) coupons during a news conference titled “Declaration rejecting Coupang vouchers and Coupang withdrawals that deceive the public” in front of Coupang’s headquarters in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 14. [YONHAP]

Coupang on Thursday began issuing company vouchers to more than 33 million users as compensation for a massive personal data breach, amid customer criticism over tight limits on their use.

The e-commerce firm said it started distributing vouchers worth 50,000 won ($34) each to about 33.7 million customers who received notifications that their personal information was leaked.

Coupang first reported the breach in November last year and later announced the compensation deal worth 1.69 trillion won as public criticism grew.

The compensation bundle consists of four separate vouchers: 5,000 won for purchases on Coupang’s main shopping platform, 5,000 won for its food delivery service Coupang Eats, 20,000 won for bookings on Coupang Travel and 20,000 won for R.LUX, its luxury goods platform.

All vouchers expire on April 15 and will automatically lapse if unused.

Customers must meet minimum spending requirements to use the vouchers. Users subscribed to the platform's paid membership can apply them without a minimum spend, but nonmembers must spend at least 19,800 won on overnight shipping Rocket Delivery items or 29,800 won on cross-border Rocket Jikgu items to redeem a voucher.

E-coupons listed on Coupang Travel are shown on the marketplace's website. Compensation vouchers are currently not accepted for travel e-coupons. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Coupang revised its frequently asked questions page a day before distribution began, adding multiple restrictions on eligible products and services.

On Coupang and Coupang Eats, the company excluded items such as books, infant formula, some jewelry, gift cards and other cash-equivalent products, tobacco-like products, e-cigarettes, SIM cards and insurance products. Coupang Eats further barred the vouchers from pickup orders and required customers to meet each store’s minimum order amount.

On Coupang Travel, the company excluded e-coupons and hotel buffet products and said availability could vary depending on partners, inventory policies and operating conditions.

The changes expanded the voucher description section from six lines to 22 lines in one day.

The Coupang logo is seen on a delivery truck parked at the retail company's logistics center in Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [YONHAP]

Coupang said the restrictions were designed to prevent resale and misuse of high cash-equivalent products. Some customers, however, questioned whether the company tightened the rules after social media users shared ways to use travel vouchers on low-priced digital coupons such as coffee, fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza and movie tickets through the platform’s activity category.

Under the terms, customers can apply only one voucher per product, and no refund is issued if the purchase price is lower than the voucher value.

One customer wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “They said this was compensation, but they’ve put layer after layer of restrictions that make it hard to use [...] It feels like a token gesture, and as a consumer, I feel disappointed and betrayed.”

Online criticism has also focused on the structure of the compensation, with users saying the larger 20,000-won vouchers for Coupang Travel and R.LUX — platforms dominated by high-priced and less frequently used products — appeared designed to drive sales rather than provide meaningful redress.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY SHIN HYE-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]