By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

Coupons have long carried a stigma of stinginess, people with too much free time and low-income. But they're now stripping away their old image and putting on a hipper one via new phone services.

Companies have enabled bargain hunters to easily download electronic vouchers without the fuss of clipping paper coupons, and the newfound convenience is attracting a younger and wider crowd of savers.

``I didn't like the idea of having to look through booklets to cut out coupons,'' said 28-year-old Kim Hoon. ``Being lazy was one thing, but having to present it in public was also something I wasn't proud to do.''

Noticing the drawback of conventional vouchers, mobile phone companies like SK Telecom, KTF and LG Telecom, along with other service providers, introduced ways to allow users to enjoy paperless discounts.

The latest of these services is SK Networks' ``OK CouFun,'' a customized coupon database which automatically updates daily to provide subscribers with a fresh stock of vouchers that can be redeemed at any time.

``We offer savings anywhere from getting hamburgers, attending musicals, renting cars and joining fitness centers,'' said SK Networks spokesman Chang Sae-chan, adding that currently some 100 products are available for bargain deals. ``The best part of the service is its hassle-free use.''

He explained that once subscribers increase, they can conduct quick searches for whichever coupons they wish to use and take advantage of the savings by showing the cashier the voucher displayed on the phone's screen.

Chang said SK Networks is estimating around 3 million users to subscribe by the first half of this year.

``The tough economy is only going to push consumers to hunt for more bargains,'' he said.

Aside from the coupon database service, barcode discounts, which have been around longer, are also expanding here. This is the method in which users can scan their voucher barcodes on onto shops' code readers.

Industry officials say more store owners and franchise chains are asking to team up with mobile phone companies to attract young and image-conscious shoppers.

Seeing solid results here and other Asian countries, mobile carriers in Europe and the United States are also beginning to target the niche coupon market.

jhan@koreatimes.co.kr