Shinsegae Duty Free introduces digital passport service to boost shopping convenience : Moodie Davitt Report

SOUTH KOREA. Shinsegae Duty Free has launched a mobile passport service that allows travellers to shop duty-free without carrying a physical passport.

Instead, shoppers can obtain a digital passport through the TripPASS app provided by LordSystem.

When shopping at duty-free stores, customers simply present the mobile passport QR code within the TripPASS app. Store staff can then scan the QR code to quickly access customer information.

This platform is especially advantageous at Incheon International Airport, where travellers can avoid the hassle of handling their physical passports, Shinsegae Duty Free said.

The mobile passport is generated through a process that includes OCR scanning of the physical passport, recognition of the electronic e-passport chip, and facial recognition to confirm the user’s identity.

The mobile passport remains valid for one minute after generation, minimising exposure risk. Additionally, real-time verification by government agencies relies on an encrypted authentication value based on blockchain DID (Decentralized Identifier), ensuring privacy protection and preventing tampering.

Shinsegae Duty Free said it anticipates expanding the collaboration with LordSystem beyond mobile passport services. LordSystem, known for its strengths in various mobile authentication services for foreign visitors, could potentially extend its cooperation to other tourism-related services, the travel retailer noted.

To celebrate the launch of the mobile passport service, Shinsegae Duty Free is offering an -8% discount coupon for customers using the service at its offline stores (located in Myeong-dong, Seoul; downtown Busan; and Incheon International Airport) starting from today (1 July).

LordSystem will reward the first 2,000 users of Shinsegae Duty Free’s mobile passport service with KRW5,000 (US$3.60) worth of TripPay, a cash-like digital currency usable at affiliated merchants nationwide.

A Shinsegae Duty Free representative stated: “By eliminating the inconvenience of carrying physical passports, we expect to enhance the shopping experience for both domestic and international tourists.

“Shinsegae Duty Free remains committed to creating an integrated environment where tourism and shopping seamlessly intersect.” ✈