Naver (035420.KS) launched a quick marketing campaign ahead of the so-called "Sam-sso meeting" between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and the heads of major Korean companies. As interest grew over whether Naver Founder and Chairman Lee Hae-jin would pay the dinner bill using Naver Pay, Naver promoted its offline payment terminal "Npay Connect" through its official social media accounts.
Around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Naver's official Instagram posted content introducing Npay Connect along with phrases such as "Am I the one to treat for Sam-sso~" and "Big bro, let me pay!"
The post appears to actively leverage the situation in which the dinner between Huang and the heads of major Korean companies has been dubbed the "Sam-sso meeting" online.
Huang held a dinner with SK Group Chairman Tae-won Choi, LG Group Chairman Kwang-mo Koo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin at a restaurant called "Hyungnim Jeoyo" in Mapo-gu, Seoul, that day. As word spread that the gathering featured samgyeopsal (pork belly) and soju, attention from across the business community intensified, following last year's "Kkanbu chicken-and-beer" meeting.
As interest grew over "who will pay the bill" even before any actual payment was made, Naver connected this to promotion of its own payment service.
Npay Connect is Naver Pay's integrated offline payment terminal. It supports various payment methods including cards, QR codes, Samsung Pay, and Face Sign, and is characterized by its ability to connect on-site payment to review writing and point accumulation.
It also supports "Face Sign," a facial recognition-based payment service. Once users register their face and payment method in the Naver Pay app, they can make payments at stores equipped with Npay Connect using only facial recognition. As payments can be made without a card or mobile phone, it is considered one of the next-generation offline payment experiences that Naver Pay emphasizes.
Naver Pay is ramping up the rollout of Npay Connect this year. The strategy aims to expand offline payment touchpoints and strengthen a local business ecosystem that connects Naver Map, Smart Place, reviews, coupons, and point accumulation.
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