If you’re a few days into a move to Korea and hauling everything home from Daiso and IKEA by hand in the heat, there’s genuinely good news: the old advice that you need an ARC, Korean phone, and Korean bank card before delivery apps work is outdated.
Can You Get Food Delivered Without a Korean Phone Number?
Yes, and this has changed significantly. Baemin (배달의민족) now supports English, Chinese, and Japanese throughout the app, accepts overseas-issued credit cards and Apple Pay, and can be used without a Korean mobile subscription for ordering as a foreigner. This is the clearest, most reliable option for food delivery in your first few days.
Coupang Eats and Shuttle Delivery are solid backups. Shuttle is explicitly built for foreigners, bilingual by design, and accepts credit cards, PayPal, Korean won, and US dollars. Coupang Eats increasingly works with foreign cards and no Korean phone number too, though this isn’t officially guaranteed on every account, so keep it as a backup rather than your primary plan.
What About Furniture and Household Goods?
IKEA Korea is probably your best option for large items right now. Its online store officially accepts Visa and Mastercard issued overseas, so a Korean-issued card isn’t required. Current delivery pricing runs roughly 10,000 KRW for furniture under 25kg up to about 70,000 KRW for furniture under 1,000kg, with regular delivery taking 3 to 7 days. You can even shop in person at an IKEA store and arrange delivery at checkout instead of carrying purchases home yourself.
Coupang is worth trying for general household goods too. It now has a full English interface, and foreign Visa/Mastercard often works at checkout. If it doesn’t work smoothly on your account, Gmarket Global is a solid temporary alternative, officially accepting overseas Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB, Amex, and PayPal.
Daiso does actually offer delivery too, including bulk-order motorcycle or truck delivery for large hauls, but its checkout process leans more Korean-centric, so it’s better treated as something to use once your Korean payment setup is fully sorted rather than in your first few days.
What About Getting a Phone Number Set Up?
You can get a prepaid Korean SIM using just your passport, before your ARC arrives, through KT’s Welcome Prepaid plan or LG U+‘s tourist/prepaid options. This gives you a working 010 number, data, and voice/SMS right away.
One thing worth knowing: a passport-activated prepaid line doesn’t support Korean identity verification (PASS) yet. Once your ARC arrives, take it to your carrier and have your subscription updated from passport to ARC. This unlocks PASS verification, which makes many Korean apps and services (including some delivery platforms) significantly smoother to use.
If you’re navigating other day-to-day tasks without a Korean phone number yet, our guide on getting into a Gangnam gym without a Korean phone number covers a related workaround. And for broader settling-in steps beyond delivery, our Incheon community settling-in guide is worth reading alongside this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an ARC to order food delivery in Korea? No, not for Baemin specifically. It now supports ordering without a Korean mobile subscription and accepts overseas cards, making it usable before your ARC arrives.
Can I get furniture delivered without a Korean bank card? Yes, through IKEA Korea, which officially accepts overseas-issued Visa and Mastercard for online orders and in-store delivery arrangements.
When should I switch my phone from passport-registered to ARC-registered? As soon as your ARC arrives. This unlocks PASS identity verification, which many Korean apps and services require for full functionality.
Resources
- Baemin: baemin.com
- IKEA Korea delivery info: ikea.com/kr/en
- Shuttle Delivery: shuttledelivery.co.kr/en
