[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] Kakao Mobility, which operates the Kakao T service, will launch a new taxi-hailing platform for foreigners and expand its service to around 30 countries by the end of this year.
On June 4, Kakao Mobility announced the launch of a global mobility platform for foreigners called 'k.ride'. The aim is to establish 'k.ride' as a globally accepted platform by integrating various mobility services worldwide through a single application. This will enable Kakao Mobility to compete with global taxi-hailing companies like Uber.
Initially, k.ride will be available for foreigners visiting Korea. Previously, Kakao Mobility had been offering an 'inbound' service that allowed foreign visitors to use their home country’s app to call a Kakao T vehicle without needing to install a separate app or go through a registration process.
However, k.ride is a dedicated platform tailored to foreign users, focusing on enhancing their taxi-hailing and local transportation experience. Currently, the app can be downloaded from app stores in 14 countries, including the United States, Japan, Singapore, and China, as well as Korea. Users from these countries can easily use the Kakao T Blue, Venti, Black, and Premium taxi services in Korea through the k.ride app without any language, account, or payment inconveniences. The range of available services will gradually expand.
Users can sign up easily by entering their phone number and verifying via Google, Apple, or email, even without a Kakao account. Additionally, the app allows for automatic payments with international credit cards, and Kakao Mobility plans to introduce further international payment options to enhance payment convenience.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
