Daeguro
Overview
Daeguro is a mobile integrated platform operated by Daegu Metropolitan City to improve citizens' convenience and revitalize the local economy. It was launched in 2020 centered on the local currency service 'Daeguro Pay', and has since expanded into a super app combining various functions such as taxi hailing, parking, and public services. It is evaluated as a representative example of a local government digital platform in that it handles local currency and public services in a single app.
Main Content
Service Structure
Daeguro is largely divided into a payment/financial area and a life convenience area. The core of the payment area is the local currency 'Daeguro Pay', to which Daeguro Taxi, public parking lot payments, city library and sports facility reservations, tax and utility bill payments, and local event and festival information are linked. It is characterized by being designed to handle both payments and public services simultaneously in a single app.
Daeguro Pay
Daeguro Pay is a prepaid electronic currency that can be used at affiliated stores in the Daegu area. It is structured so that users charge it by linking it to a credit or debit card and then pay at affiliated stores, and it operates an incentive system that returns a certain percentage of the payment amount as cashback. This aligns with the goal of 'local currency policy', which induces consumption within the region to increase sales for small business owners and keeps tax revenue in the region. Affiliated stores are mainly small business owners, traditional markets, and alley commercial districts, while large retailers and franchise directly managed stores are often excluded from use.
Sign-up and Use
Users install the app on a mobile phone under their own name and sign up through identity verification. The charge limit and payment limit are adjusted annually according to policy, and charging is done through mobile carrier or bank linkage. Payment is made by scanning the QR code placed at the store or presenting the barcode displayed on the user's screen. The balance can be checked in real time in the app, and usage history and cashback accumulation details are also viewed together.
Extended Functions such as Daeguro Taxi
Daeguro Taxi is a service for hailing taxis in the Daegu area via the app, and its differentiating point is that it is linked to local currency payments. In addition, administrative services such as issuance of free or discount tickets for public parking lots, library seat reservations, sports facility course applications, a map of local currency usage locations, and applications for youth and small business owner support funds have been integrated step by step. This is interpreted as an attempt to reduce the inconvenience of having to install multiple individual apps and to consolidate the contact points between citizens and administrative agencies into one.
Recent Trends
As of 2024–2025, Daeguro is expanding its positioning beyond a simple local currency app to a 'local life platform'. While expanding the issuance scale and number of affiliated stores, reorganization is underway to strengthen benefits for youth and support functions for small business owners. In addition, in line with policy goals of responding to local extinction and revitalizing alley commercial districts, the issuance and operation performance of local currency are being managed as key indicators.
Technologically, linkage with simple payment methods, improvement of payment convenience in offline stores, and data-based commercial district analysis functions are being discussed. On the other hand, because the charge limit and incentive budget are limited, discussions about policy sustainability and fiscal burden are also being raised. Comparison with other local governments operating similar local currency platforms, and the issue of inter-regional payment compatibility, remain future tasks.
Related Topics
- [[Local currency]]
- [[Daegu Metropolitan City]]
- [[Simple payment]]
- [[Small business owners]]
- [[Local economy]]