At Korean gas stations, competition is no longer only about a few won per liter. How fast you can pay, how easily points add up and whether you can pay from the car all shape where drivers fill up next time. A column on Mobiinside traces Korea's fuel payment app race through the numbers.
The author calls himself an S-OIL loyalist, though he never decided to be one. It started because S-OIL had the cheapest premium gasoline near home. Membership points piled up, then he set his fuel discount credit card to S-OIL. Price, then points, then discounts, then habit.
The names differ, but the goal is the same: fewer steps at the pump.
According to the Bank of Korea, cash fell from 41.3% of everyday transactions (by count) in 2013 to 15.9% in 2024. In 2024, credit cards made up 46.2%, debit cards 16.4% and mobile cards 12.9%. The data isn't specific to gas stations, but it shows how consumer expectations for convenience have risen.
GS Caltex reported 1.08 million Energy Plus members and 250,000 monthly active users in January 2024, and passed 2 million members in 2025. S-OIL announced 2 million cumulative downloads in May 2025. Members and downloads aren't comparable.
The ratio that stands out is 250,000 to 1.08 million — about 23%. MAU isn't payment frequency, but it shows that installing an app and using it regularly are different things. This is a habit race, not a download race.
From April to May 2025, S-OIL gave first-time Quick Fueling users a 7,000-won coupon (about $5) on purchases of 40,000 won or more, versus 2,000 won for existing users. The bigger reward covers the switching cost of installing, signing up and registering a card. The real test starts with the second use, after the coupon is gone.
SK Energy launched its "Muffin" digital fueling service in 2020, then shut the app-based service in July 2025 and moved membership to the OK Cashbag points ecosystem. Instead of "come to our app," it chose "we'll meet you in the ecosystem you already use."
Korea's simple-payment services averaged 1.2264 trillion won in daily transactions in the first half of 2026, up 16.8% year over year. Hyundai and Kia's in-car payment service CarPay had about 4,000 partner locations — gas stations, EV chargers and parking lots — as of December 2023.
The first screen a driver sees when the fuel light comes on may be the car's navigation or a payment wallet, not a refiner's app.
The author frames repeat use as availability × convenience × a reason to return — perceived value equals benefit minus effort.
The most convenient app may be the one you never need to open.
S-OIL offers Quick Fueling in MY S-OIL, GS Caltex offers Baro Fueling in Energy Plus, and HD Hyundai Oilbank offers Smart Fueling in its Car& app. SK Energy ended its Muffin app service in July 2025 and moved to OK Cashbag points.
GS Caltex reported those Energy Plus figures in January 2024, meaning about 23% of members were active in a month. It's not a payment rate, but it shows that installs don't equal habits.
Switching to an app carries costs — installing, signing up and registering a card. S-OIL offered 7,000 won to first-time users versus 2,000 won to existing users, but long-term success depends on whether people return after the coupon ends.
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