[Digital Today reporter Shin-hye Ahn] Coupang Eats will introduce a 6.8 percent brokerage commission on takeout orders from April. Traditional markets and small merchants in the bottom 20 percent by sales are excluded from the takeout fee. The company says it is introducing the takeout commission for sustainable service operations.

Coupang Eats said on Feb. 26 it will apply a 6.8 percent takeout service brokerage commission from April, when its free promotion for takeout service brokerage fees ends.

The takeout service brokerage commission is a service fee charged to stores when consumers place takeout orders through a delivery application. Coupang Eats has applied delivery commissions on a tiered basis by sales brackets for delivery orders only, including the bottom 20 percent and the top 35 percent by sales. From April, it will charge a takeout order brokerage commission even if consumers choose takeout and pick up the order themselves.

Coupang Eats will maintain its free policy for takeout service brokerage fees through March next year for traditional markets and small merchants in the bottom 20 percent by sales under its co-prosperity pricing plan.

Small merchants in the bottom 20 percent by sales will be run in a way that provides a 100 percent refund of takeout service brokerage fees on a monthly basis, the same as the existing co-prosperity pricing plan. In that case, even if a store joins Coupang Eats mid-month, that month's sales amount will apply from the first business day. It will receive support for the free promotion on takeout service brokerage fees starting in its first month of operations.

A Coupang Eats official said the free promotion for takeout service brokerage fees will run only through March this year to ensure sustainable service operations. The official said the free promotion for small merchants, including traditional markets, will be extended through March next year.