SK Telecom runs referral and install event for Chating+ PC with W20m in prizes

83.7% of users satisfied with service

Referral and install event runs through Oct. 16

An SK Telecom model introduces the Chating+ (Chating Plus) PC version. [SK Telecom]

SK Telecom is offering prizes worth a total of 20 million won ($14,800) to customers of its Chating+ (Chating Plus) PC version, a service that lets users send and receive text messages on a computer using their existing mobile phone number.

SK Telecom said Thursday it will run a month-long referral and install event for Chating+ PC from Thursday through Oct. 16.

Chating+ PC is a text messaging service for computers co-developed by SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics. SK Telecom customers using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone with One UI 6.0 or later can send and receive text messages on their PC using their existing mobile number, regardless of whether the other party has signed up for the service.

A survey of about 500 users conducted in June found that 83.7 percent of respondents were satisfied with the service, while 82.9 percent said they use it five or more days a week on average.

Users cited the convenience of typing messages with a keyboard, seamless synchronization with their smartphones, and the ability to multitask alongside other work on their PC as the service's main advantages.

To expand its user base, SK Telecom is running both a referral event and an install event for new customers. The referral event offers prizes based on referral performance, including a Galaxy Z Fold 8, a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and Naver Pay point mobile coupons. Participants selected through draws by referral count will also receive gift vouchers for CJ Olive Young and GS25, as well as mobile cash coupons for Mega MGC Coffee.

SK Telecom said it will run a month-long referral and install event for Chating+ PC from Thursday through Oct. 16. [SK Telecom]

First-time Chating+ PC users can enter the install event by registering, then completing the PC program installation and linking it to their mobile phone. Draw prizes include a Galaxy Book 6 16-inch laptop, a 500,000 won Shinsegae department store gift voucher, and CJ Olive Young and GS25 mobile gift vouchers.

Referral credit is recognized only after the newly referred customer enters the install event and completes both the PC program installation and mobile phone linking. Participants who meet the conditions for both events are eligible to win prizes from each.

SK Telecom also plans to expand Chating+ PC's features. As early as the end of this month, it will add a "scheduled message" function that lets users send messages at a chosen time, along with a "text style" feature supporting formatting options such as bold and italic. Both features will be available when the Samsung Galaxy smartphone linked to the PC version runs One UI 9.0 or later.

"Chating+ PC is a service that naturally extends the familiar text messaging experience customers already know to the PC," said Kim Ji-hyung, head of SK Telecom's digital platform business. "We will continue to strengthen the convenience and value that customers can feel in their daily lives."

SK Telecom officially launched Chating+ PC in December 2023. The Chating+ service is built on the global standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol and supports features including large file transfers, group chats, read receipts, emoji reactions and message recall.

woo@heraldcorp.com