KT said on Monday the number of tables using its premium table-order service Hiorder in real time has surpassed 200,000.

It achieved the milestone about 2 years and 10 months after launch. Hiorder was launched in May 2023 and the number of installed locations increased rapidly, mainly in the restaurant industry. More recently, adoption has spread to non-restaurant sectors including hotels, hospitals, postpartum care centers, religious facilities and cruise ships.

KT is also introducing an add-on service called Hiorder Assured Buyback to help small merchants who are hesitant to adopt table ordering. If a customer cancels the service due to business closure during the contract period, KT will buy the Hiorder device in use as a second-hand unit for up to 150,000 won. It will also buy the table and chairs where the device is installed for up to 250,000 won, bringing support to up to 400,000 won per unit. Hiorder Assured Buyback is available for 1,650 won per unit per month.

KT is also running a customer participation event to mark Hiorder topping 200,000 units. It will select 1,000 participants in the 'Hiorder acrostic poem event' by lottery and provide Naver Pay vouchers worth 3,000 won.

KT will also provide prizes worth 1 million won to 1 winner with an outstanding review among customers who shared their actual experience through a table-order review event, and gifts worth 100,000 won to 5 others. KT said it will provide Starbucks coffee vouchers worth 10,000 won to 500 participants so more customers can receive benefits.

Kang Yi-hwan (강이환), head of KT's Small Merchant Business Division, said, "Hiorder surpassing 200,000 units is an indicator that shows service competitiveness proven in the field." He added, "We will continue to support the digital transformation of small merchants through customer appreciation events and risk-mitigation products."