Naver-Toss rivalry deepens as both sides trade accusations

Naver and Toss traded accusations in Seoul on Tuesday over POS integration and reward-based advertising as their rivalry in online and offline payments intensified. Naver excluded Toss Place from a service linking merchants’ transaction data with its search and map platforms, while Toss challenged the lack of clear inclusion criteria. The Fair Trade Commission said it would review the claims, and Naver separately sought a police investigation into Toss’s advertising practices.

Naver has integrated its platform with 15 POS providers but excluded Toss Place, according to Rep. Song Eon-seog of the People Power Party.

Toss Place CEO Choi Jae-ho said the company had sought integration for two years without receiving a clear explanation of the inclusion criteria.

Naver said it was gradually expanding integrations based on objective criteria and denied discriminating against Toss Place.

Toss removed Naver from its reward-based advertising program after Naver alleged that the practice distorted search rankings, but Naver said it would maintain its request for a police investigation.

At a Seoul barbecue restaurant in June, the venue switched from Toss payment terminals to Naver devices one day before Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met Korean conglomerate chiefs there.

Published Oct 13, 2026 3:33 pm KST

The headquarters of Toss in Seoul, left, and Naver in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province / Yonhap

The rivalry between Korean tech giants Toss and Naver has escalated into a public dispute, with both sides trading accusations of unfair business practices, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers, industry officials said Tuesday.

The latest dispute centers on Naver's exclusion of Toss Place's point-of-sale (POS) system from a service that integrates merchants' transaction data with Naver's search and map services. The integration allows users to check information such as a restaurant's popular menu items and peak hours.

Naver has integrated its platform with 15 other POS providers but has excluded Toss Place, according to Rep. Song Eon-seog of the main opposition People Power Party.

Toss Place CEO Choi Jae-ho said the company had sought integration for two years but had received no clear explanation of the criteria for inclusion. Naver denied discriminating against Toss Place, saying it was gradually expanding integrations based on objective criteria.

During a parliamentary audit Monday, the Fair Trade Commission said it would review both sides' claims to determine whether any unfair discrimination had occurred.

In a separate dispute, Naver has accused Toss of manipulating its search rankings.

Last month, Naver asked police to investigate Toss's reward-based advertising practices, alleging that they distorted Naver's search rankings. Toss' ads offer users points for completing tasks such as searching for specific products, viewing product details or submitting screenshots of search results.

Viva Republica CEO Lee Seung-gun, left, and Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon / Courtesy of Viva Republica, Naver

Toss has since removed Naver from its reward-based advertising program, but Naver has maintained that it will not withdraw its request for a police investigation.

The clashes come amid an intensifying rivalry between Naver and Toss, both major players in Korea's online payments market, as they seek to expand their presence in offline payments. Transaction data collected at physical stores is increasingly seen as a key competitive asset for digital platforms.

Naver has leveraged its strengths in search and content to expand into shopping and financial services. It now aims to extend its reach from online searches and bookings to in-store payments through POS terminals, using the resulting data to enhance its AI services.

Toss, which has expanded from money transfers into banking and securities, is pursuing a similar data-driven "super-app" strategy. It aims to connect its financial user base with everyday activities, including payments, shopping and advertising.

The rivalry came into sharp focus at a barbecue restaurant in Seoul in June, where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with the heads of major Korean conglomerates.

The restaurant had previously used Toss payment terminals but switched to Naver's devices at Naver's request just a day before the gathering. Lee Hae-jin, Naver's founder and board chair, drew attention by paying with the company's facial recognition technology at the event.

"At its core, this is a battle for market dominance," an industry official said. "Both companies are seeking to control more of the consumer journey, from online searches to offline payments, with data becoming an increasingly valuable asset."

周二，Naver和Toss在首尔就POS机整合和奖励式广告展开激烈交锋，线上线下支付领域的竞争日趋白热化。Naver将Toss Place排除在其将商户交易数据与其搜索和地图平台连接起来的服务之外，而Toss则质疑该服务缺乏明确的纳入标准。公平交易委员会表示将对此事进行审查，Naver也另行向警方申请对Toss的广告行为展开调查。

据国民力量党议员宋彦锡称，Naver 已将其平台与 15 家 POS 提供商整合，但 Toss Place 除外。

Toss Place 首席执行官崔在浩表示，该公司寻求整合已有两年，但始终没有得到明确的整合标准解释。

Naver表示，公司正在根据客观标准逐步扩大整合范围，并否认歧视Toss Place。

在Naver指控Toss的做法扭曲了搜索排名后，Toss将Naver从其基于奖励的广告计划中移除，但Naver表示将继续要求警方进行调查。

今年 6 月，首尔一家烤肉店在英伟达 CEO 黄仁勋与韩国财阀高管会面前一天，将支付终端从 Toss 换成了 Naver 设备。

发布于2026年10月13日下午3:33（韩国标准时间）

图为Toss公司位于首尔的总部（左）和位于京畿道城南市的Naver公司总部 / 韩联社

韩国科技巨头 Toss 和 Naver 之间的竞争已经升级为公开争端，双方互相指责对方存在不公平的商业行为，这引起了立法者的关注，业内人士周二表示。

最新的争议焦点在于Naver将Toss Place的POS系统排除在其整合商家交易数据与Naver搜索和地图服务的服务之外。这项整合使用户能够查看餐厅的热门菜品和高峰时段等信息。

据主要反对党国民力量党议员宋彦锡称，Naver 已将其平台与其他 15 家 POS 提供商整合，但将 Toss Place 排除在外。

Toss Place CEO崔在浩表示，公司两年来一直寻求整合，但始终没有得到明确的整合标准解释。Naver否认歧视Toss Place，称其正根据客观标准逐步扩大整合范围。

周一，在议会审计期间，公平贸易委员会表示将审查双方的说法，以确定是否存在任何不公平歧视。

在另一起纠纷中，Naver 指控 Toss 操纵其搜索排名。

上个月，Naver要求警方调查Toss的奖励式广告投放方式，指控其扭曲了Naver的搜索排名。Toss的广告会奖励用户积分，奖励方式包括搜索特定商品、查看商品详情或提交搜索结果截图等。

Viva Republica首席执行官李承根（左）和Naver首席执行官崔秀妍 / 图片由Viva Republica和Naver提供

Toss 已将 Naver 从其奖励型广告计划中移除，但 Naver 一直坚持不会撤回其要求警方调查的请求。

在韩国在线支付市场两大巨头Naver和Toss的竞争日益激烈之际，双方爆发了冲突。这两家公司都在寻求拓展线下支付业务。实体店收集的交易数据正日益被视为数字平台的一项关键竞争优势。

Naver凭借其在搜索和内容方面的优势，已拓展至购物和金融服务领域。如今，它计划将业务范围从在线搜索和预订扩展到通过POS终端进行的店内支付，并利用由此产生的数据来增强其人工智能服务。

Toss最初是一家汇款公司，业务已扩展到银行和证券领域，目前正奉行类似的以数据驱动的“超级应用”战略。其目标是将金融用户群体与日常活动（包括支付、购物和广告）连接起来。

今年 6 月，英伟达首席执行官黄仁勋在首尔一家烤肉店会见了韩国各大企业集团的负责人，双方的竞争关系也因此变得尤为突出。

这家餐厅之前一直使用Toss的支付终端，但在聚会前一天应Naver的要求更换为Naver的设备。Naver的创始人兼董事长李海镇在活动现场使用该公司的人脸识别技术付款，引起了人们的关注。

一位业内人士表示：“从本质上讲，这是一场争夺市场主导权的战斗。两家公司都试图控制消费者购买流程的更多环节，从线上搜索到线下支付，而数据正成为越来越有价值的资产。”