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Minit ATMS allow consumers to sell used mobile phones in a convenient way. (provided by SK Networks)

1. Insert your old smartphone in the ATM.

2. Wait while the ATM inspects its exterior and functions.

3. Receive an assessment total reflecting current smartphone prices in South Korea and overseas.

4. Receive the amount immediately or donate it to Save the Children. 

This is the procedure for Mintit ATMS, which have appeared in major e-mart and Homeplus branches across South Korea. Mintit is an IT recycling brand, and its ATMs are automated smartphone repurchasing devices that use AI technology. As ways of easily selling back old smartphones and making donations, they have met with a favorable response from consumers. Their ease of us has earned rave reviews, winning them a 2019 Red Dot Design Award. 

The Mintit ATMS were developed by Kumkang Systems, with SK Networks, which recycles ICT devices, partnering to provide investment support and brand marketing services. Over 10,000 used smartphones have been collected on average each month since the ATMS were first introduced to supermarkets last August. The process takes under three minutes. The used phones are completely cleaned of data by a specialized recycling center operated by Kumkang Systems, and a certificate is issued to the seller. Donations to Save the Children are used for education and the purchasing of products for children who have limited to no access to IT products. Donation receipts can also be issued. Users can visit the Mintit web site (mintit.co.kr) to check market rates and sell or donate [devices]. 

A survey of 2,000 people who sold or donated their old phones with a Mintit ATM revealed that 78.1% of users had “never engaged in a used mobile phone transaction before.” In a climate where old devices typically end up stuck into desk drawers after users replace their devices with newer models, the 83.5% satisfaction rating (“very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied”) among Mintit ATM users is quite high. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they “plan to use an old smartphone ATM again in the future.” 

On Nov. 1, the Mintit ATM’s “artificial intelligence-based automated non-face-to-face purchasing service” won in the category of Brand & Communication at the 2019 Red Dot Design Awards in Berlin. It scored high for creativity and intuitiveness thanks to its user experience (UX) design base that allows for easier and simpler mobile phone transactions. It was also rated as effectively communicating a brand identity (BI) of “social value generation” through its donation feature. 

By Choi Min-young, staff reporter

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