Samsung, LG see home appliance subscriptions climb in Korea
About one in three Samsung major appliance buyers chose a subscription last month, as LG's subscription revenue neared 2.5 trillion won last year.
Samsung Electronics said about one in three customers who bought major home appliances last month chose a subscription rather than an outright purchase, according to bloter.net. The company also said the cumulative value of its home appliance subscription contracts approached 1 trillion won in the year since it launched the service.
LG Electronics, meanwhile, reported subscription business revenue close to 2.5 trillion won last year, up 29 percent from the previous year. Both companies are expanding subscription and rental programmes for large appliances in South Korea.
Subscription totals can exceed the purchase price
Samsung's 651L Bespoke French Door Refrigerator sells outright for 1.55 million won; a 6-year subscription costs 30,690 won per month, or 2,209,680 won over 72 months. LG's 870L Dios AI Objet Collection Refrigerator sells for 3.4 million won outright, while a 5-year subscription runs 71,900 won per month, totaling 4,314,000 won over 60 months.
Partner-card discounts narrow the gap: Samsung offers 13,000 won off per month and LG 18,000 won, cutting total subscription costs by 42.4 percent and 25 percent respectively, according to the report.
Care visits are part of the offer. Samsung charges 144,000 won per professional cleaning visit for its standard washing machines, while LG charges 152,000 won for disassembly cleaning of its top-load washers.
Samsung introduced its Blue Pass care service for subscription customers in September last year and began its home appliance subscription business in December 2024. LG started with water purifiers in 2009, extended its rental business to refrigerators and washing machines in 2022, and now has about 4,000 professional care managers who visit customers' homes.
Quick answers
How much does a Samsung Bespoke French Door Refrigerator subscription cost?
A 6-year subscription for the 651L model costs 30,690 won per month, or 2,209,680 won over 72 months, versus 1.55 million won to buy outright.
How much is LG's Dios AI Objet Collection Refrigerator on subscription?
The 870L model costs 71,900 won per month on a 5-year subscription, totaling 4,314,000 won over 60 months, against a 3.4 million won purchase price.
What is Samsung's Blue Pass?
It is a care service exclusive to Samsung home appliance subscription customers, introduced in September last year.