Coupang to give 5,000 won credit to customers whose orders were cancelled in system outage
In short
Coupang will give 5,000 won in Coupang Cash to customers whose orders were cancelled after a system error that began around midnight on October 9 and, according to two outlets, lasted more than two hours. Coupang Eats will give customers coupons of 1,000 or 3,000 won and will also compensate riders and restaurant owners.
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Coupang will give 5,000 won in Coupang Cash to customers whose orders were cancelled because of a system error on October 9, and Coupang Eats will compensate customers, restaurant owners and riders, Yonhap, Newsis and Asia Economy reported, citing the industry. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to Yonhap and Asia Economy, the system error started at around midnight and lasted more than two hours. During that time the Coupang app and website could not be accessed, and access to internal computer systems was also disrupted. Logistics stopped, normal delivery became impossible and some ordered goods were cancelled. Newsis reported that access errors appeared from around midnight on the apps and websites of Coupang, Coupang Eats and Coupang Play. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The Coupang Cash can be used for six months from the date it is credited. Yonhap and Asia Economy said Coupang is notifying the affected customers in turn about the compensation and payment, while Newsis said the company is sending text messages about the order cancellations and the credit. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
At Coupang Eats, there were cases where, after orders were accepted, the cooking-complete button could not be pressed, or where riders reached a store but could not deliver because the customer's address could not be checked, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. Coupang Eats will give a 3,000 won coupon to customers whose food orders were cancelled and a 1,000 won coupon to customers who tried and failed to place an order. Newsis described the 3,000 won coupon as going to customers whose orders were cancelled after payment went through. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Riders whose orders accepted during the outage were cancelled will receive 1,000 won if their arrival at the store is confirmed, and the full delivery fee for orders cancelled after the food was picked up. According to Yonhap and Newsis, rider compensation will be paid automatically on the next settlement day; Newsis said no separate application is needed and payment follows a verification process. Restaurant owners will also be compensated for orders cancelled after they were accepted. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Coupang said a temporary error occurred during a service upgrade and later said the problem had been resolved and services could be used normally, Newsis reported. Coupang Eats Service (쿠팡이츠서비스) said: "Once again, we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience, and we will do our best to make sure the same problem does not happen again." [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The outage stopped access to Coupang's app and website, disrupted its internal systems and halted logistics, so some orders were cancelled. The compensation covers shoppers, Coupang Eats customers, delivery riders and restaurant owners.
Key facts
- A system error at Coupang began around midnight on October 9 and lasted more than two hours, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The Coupang app and website could not be accessed, internal systems were disrupted and logistics stopped, so some orders were cancelled. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Customers whose orders were cancelled will receive 5,000 won in Coupang Cash, usable for six months from the date it is credited. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Coupang Eats will give a 3,000 won coupon to customers whose food orders were cancelled and a 1,000 won coupon to customers whose order attempts failed. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Riders whose accepted orders were cancelled during the outage get 1,000 won if their arrival at the store is confirmed, and the full delivery fee if the order was cancelled after pickup. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Restaurant owners will be compensated for orders cancelled after they were accepted. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Coupang said a temporary error occurred during a service upgrade and that the problem had since been resolved, Newsis reported. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Coupang will give 5,000 won in Coupang Cash to customers whose orders were cancelled because of the system error. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The Coupang Cash can be used for six months from the date it is credited. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Coupang Eats will give 3,000 won coupons to customers whose orders were cancelled and 1,000 won coupons to customers who failed to place orders. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Riders get 1,000 won for cancelled accepted orders where store arrival is confirmed, and the full delivery fee for orders cancelled after pickup. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Rider compensation will be paid automatically on the next settlement day. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The outage began around midnight on October 9. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The error lasted more than two hours and stopped logistics, leading to some order cancellations. [ 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- How many customers, orders, riders and restaurants were affected. None of the documents gives figures.
- What caused the outage. Only Newsis reports Coupang's explanation that a temporary error occurred during a service upgrade.
- How much restaurant owners will receive. The documents say restaurant owners will be compensated but give no amounts.
- When service was fully restored. Two outlets say the error lasted more than two hours; none gives an exact restoration time.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Access errors begin on Coupang's app and website at around midnight; Newsis says Coupang Eats and Coupang Play were also affected. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Yonhap reports Coupang's compensation plan. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports the compensation, Coupang's explanation of the cause and an apology from Coupang Eats Service. [ 3 ]