Subscription services are at a new turning point. While online video services (OTT) like Netflix once drove growth in the subscription market, artificial intelligence (AI) has recently emerged as a new growth engine. The focus is shifting from content consumption for enjoyment to productivity consumption aimed at improving work efficiency and personal development.
A recent analysis of credit card payment data by Woori Card from 2024 to 2026 clearly illustrates this change. The subscription market has entered a phase of 'qualitative transformation,' where consumer usage purposes and spending structures are evolving beyond mere growth in size.
Over the past two years, subscription market revenue increased by 11.5%. While this growth rate may suggest stability, the number of transactions rose by 28.2%, and the number of users grew by 24.7%. This indicates that the trend of 'multi-subscription,' where consumers use multiple services simultaneously, has become commonplace.
Most notably, the criteria for choosing subscriptions have changed. In the past, price discounts and convenience were key factors, but now the focus is on 'how much practical value is provided.' Consumers expect utility proportional to their spending and are willing to pay for services they perceive as valuable.
This shift is even more pronounced in payment data by category. Subscription services centered on content have seen a slowdown in growth. OTT services recorded a 2.1% decline, while overseas digital services dropped by 27.9%, and the education and learning sector fell by 57.0%.
In contrast, AI subscriptions experienced an overwhelming growth rate of 589.6% during the same period. Subscription services related to shopping and delivery (67.2%) and home appliances and rentals (22.5%) also showed steady growth, but they lagged significantly behind AI's rapid expansion.
The core of this change lies in the evolving purpose of consumption. While subscriptions were once primarily for leisure and convenience, AI subscriptions are now being utilized as productivity tools that enhance work efficiency and support learning and content creation. The focus of consumption is shifting from 'entertainment' to 'productivity.'
Generational characteristics are also evident. Individuals in their 20s and 30s actively use AI for work, creation, and learning, showing a willingness to invest in productivity enhancement. In contrast, those aged 40 and above tend to maintain existing lifestyle subscriptions such as rentals, shopping, and OTT services. This indicates a divergence in consumption purposes within the subscription economy across different generations.
Another reason AI subscriptions are gaining attention is their high added value. Currently, the subscription market shows that the top 5% of users account for about 24% of total revenue. Notably, the average spending per AI subscription user is approximately 2.5 times that of regular users, indicating that AI subscriptions are attracting a core consumer group with high spending tendencies.
The average payment amount for AI subscriptions is also rapidly increasing. The average payment is projected to rise from 32,000 won in 2024 to 37,000 won in 2025, and to 50,000 won in 2026, marking an increase of about 59% over two years. This cannot be solely attributed to price increases; it suggests that users are opting for premium AI models and specialized services, willing to pay more for higher value.
The subscription economy has entered a new phase. While past subscriptions represented a shift from 'ownership to usage,' subscriptions in the AI era now carry the new meaning of 'investment in productivity beyond consumption.' AI is no longer just a tool for early adopters; it has become an everyday tool that supports individual work, learning, and creation.
Ultimately, the future competitiveness of the subscription market will depend less on the quantity of content provided and more on the level of productivity and value it generates. The subscription economy, reshaped around AI, is not only redefining consumer choice criteria but also offering new directions for corporate service strategies and business models. Credit card payment data indicates that this transformation has already begun.
A recent analysis of credit card payment data by Woori Card from 2024 to 2026 clearly illustrates this change. The subscription market has entered a phase of 'qualitative transformation,' where consumer usage purposes and spending structures are evolving beyond mere growth in size.
Over the past two years, subscription market revenue increased by 11.5%. While this growth rate may suggest stability, the number of transactions rose by 28.2%, and the number of users grew by 24.7%. This indicates that the trend of 'multi-subscription,' where consumers use multiple services simultaneously, has become commonplace.
Most notably, the criteria for choosing subscriptions have changed. In the past, price discounts and convenience were key factors, but now the focus is on 'how much practical value is provided.' Consumers expect utility proportional to their spending and are willing to pay for services they perceive as valuable.
This shift is even more pronounced in payment data by category. Subscription services centered on content have seen a slowdown in growth. OTT services recorded a 2.1% decline, while overseas digital services dropped by 27.9%, and the education and learning sector fell by 57.0%.
In contrast, AI subscriptions experienced an overwhelming growth rate of 589.6% during the same period. Subscription services related to shopping and delivery (67.2%) and home appliances and rentals (22.5%) also showed steady growth, but they lagged significantly behind AI's rapid expansion.
The core of this change lies in the evolving purpose of consumption. While subscriptions were once primarily for leisure and convenience, AI subscriptions are now being utilized as productivity tools that enhance work efficiency and support learning and content creation. The focus of consumption is shifting from 'entertainment' to 'productivity.'
Generational characteristics are also evident. Individuals in their 20s and 30s actively use AI for work, creation, and learning, showing a willingness to invest in productivity enhancement. In contrast, those aged 40 and above tend to maintain existing lifestyle subscriptions such as rentals, shopping, and OTT services. This indicates a divergence in consumption purposes within the subscription economy across different generations.
Another reason AI subscriptions are gaining attention is their high added value. Currently, the subscription market shows that the top 5% of users account for about 24% of total revenue. Notably, the average spending per AI subscription user is approximately 2.5 times that of regular users, indicating that AI subscriptions are attracting a core consumer group with high spending tendencies.
The average payment amount for AI subscriptions is also rapidly increasing. The average payment is projected to rise from 32,000 won in 2024 to 37,000 won in 2025, and to 50,000 won in 2026, marking an increase of about 59% over two years. This cannot be solely attributed to price increases; it suggests that users are opting for premium AI models and specialized services, willing to pay more for higher value.
The subscription economy has entered a new phase. While past subscriptions represented a shift from 'ownership to usage,' subscriptions in the AI era now carry the new meaning of 'investment in productivity beyond consumption.' AI is no longer just a tool for early adopters; it has become an everyday tool that supports individual work, learning, and creation.
Ultimately, the future competitiveness of the subscription market will depend less on the quantity of content provided and more on the level of productivity and value it generates. The subscription economy, reshaped around AI, is not only redefining consumer choice criteria but also offering new directions for corporate service strategies and business models. Credit card payment data indicates that this transformation has already begun.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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