[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] KONA I CO.,LTD.(052400)announced on the 3rd that its domestic metal card order volume from January through September of this year increased by 52% compared to the same period last year. This is believed to be due to growing demand for metal cards as credit card companies expand their premium product lines targeting high-value customers.

According to KONA I CO.,LTD., the cumulative volume of domestic metal card orders for the third quarter of this year was 32% higher than the total annual orders for last year. Compared to the full-year results for 2023, this figure is approximately 6.8 times higher.

Domestic metal card orders increased 2.2 times in 2024 compared to the previous year and rose another 2.4 times last year. The number of financial institutions placing orders for metal cards with KONA I CO.,LTD. also doubled, from four in 2023 to eight this year.

This growth trend aligns with the card industry’s strategy to expand its premium product offerings. As securing profitability becomes increasingly important for card companies due to reduced merchant fees and rising funding costs, competition centered on high-annual-fee products continues to intensify.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service, annual fee revenue from eight credit card companies in the first half of this year totaled 802.6 billion won, a 4.8% increase compared to the same period last year. The number of discontinued card products reached 595 in 2024 and 525 in 2025. Recently, there has been a steady stream of new premium card launches in partnership with hotels and automakers.

Unlike standard plastic cards, metal cards are products that utilize metal materials to differentiate themselves in terms of weight and texture. Since the required colors, surface treatments, and material compositions vary by card issuer, precision manufacturing technology and quality control capabilities are crucial.

KONA I CO.,LTD. has been supplying IC smart cards to major domestic card issuers based on its technological capabilities, which enable in-house production ranging from the Chip Operating System (COS) to finished cards. The company entered the metal card market in 2018 and supplied more than 7 million metal cards worldwide last year. According to the company, it holds the second-largest market share in the global metal card market.

Leveraging its experience in producing premium cards overseas, KONA I CO.,LTD. is also supplying a variety of products in the domestic market, including full-metal and half-metal cards. The company plans to expand its order intake by capitalizing on its manufacturing capabilities, which can accommodate the specific design and material requirements of individual card issuers.

The company is also strengthening its premium card business through its own brand, “Kona Card.” KONA I CO.,LTD. plans to hold an offline pop-up event this month where consumers can experience metal cards and jewelry cards firsthand.

Cho Jung-il, Chairman of KONA I CO.,LTD., stated, “Payment is a culture before it is a technology, and a card is the smallest stage on which that culture is held in one’s hand,” adding, “In an era where everything is moving onto screens, the weight and texture that remain at one’s fingertips are what set brands apart.”

He continued, “It’s now time for customers to see and feel for themselves the difference at their fingertips that card companies have entrusted to us,” adding, “We will ensure that more Saramin experience the value of design and technology embodied in a single card.”