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[WHY] 'Date passbooks' a uniquely Korean marriage of modern love and mobile banking

Published: 14 Jun. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 15 Jun. 2025, 01:54

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A young couple smiles while holding a shared bank passbook. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

Imagine having a joint wallet with your partner — just for date nights.

In Korea, it’s real: a “date passbook” or “couple account” is basically a shared bank account that some couples use exclusively for dating expenses — from dinners to movies to coffee runs.

Typically, one partner opens a “group account” at a bank and invites the other to join. One or both receive debit cards linked to that account, and each month they contribute a set amount to cover shared outings. Every withdrawal or deposit sends a smartphone alert to both partners, so it really works like a joint dating wallet.

Still, date accounts are not the mainstream norm, with others joking about budgeting for love. Legal complications can also arise if a couple breaks up, as the accounts are technically under one person’s name.

But for some, it’s a uniquely Korean mix of modern love and money — part digital convenience, part relationship strategy and a quiet reflection of how dating itself is evolving.

A screenshot from Toss Bank’s promotional page shows a couple managing their shared “couple account” through the app, with real-time spending updates. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

How a date passbook works

Couples typically agree on a regular contribution.

For example, 29-year-old Kim, an office worker in Seoul, says that he and his girlfriend each contribute 250,000 won ($182) per month into their shared “date account,” totaling 500,000 won.

“That pretty much covers all of our dates,” he says.

They use mobile banking platform KakaoBank’s “Moim Tongjang” (group account) system — Kim has the debit card registered to Samsung Pay on his phone, while his girlfriend keeps the physical card.

“It was actually my girlfriend who suggested we start one,” Kim explains. “She felt bad that I was always paying.”

This transparency often leads to saving, because they can’t spend more than the pooled money, any surplus just stays in the account.

“It’s convenient,” he says. “We use whatever’s left over for trips — but honestly, there’s rarely anything left."

And from some, the account becomes more than just financial.

“Some young couples use the memo board function to leave handwritten-style notes or letters," a spokesperson from Toss Bank said. "It’s evolving beyond a financial tool into a space for emotion and communication."

How it got popularized

The trend grew out of Korea’s mix of modern dating norms and seamless mobile banking.

Lee Eun-hee, emeritus professor of consumer science at Inha University, explains that date accounts reflect a broader generational change: younger Koreans are embracing joint decision-making and shared financial responsibilities, even during dating and not just marriage.

“The way today’s younger generation approaches romantic relationships and the costs involved, including the expenses of marriage, is quite different from older generations,” she said.

“In the past, the typical model was that the man earned the income and the woman managed the household,” she said. “But today’s couples make economic efforts together and share spending responsibilities equally.”

Economically, dating has become pricey.

According to a 2023 survey by the matchmaking company Gayeon, couples in Korea spend an average of 74,700 won per date.

And technology made it easy.

Number of date accounts in the last 3 years [YUN YOUNG]

KakaoBank launched its Moim Tongjang system in December 2018, allowing multiple users to manage shared expenses in one bank account. As of May 2025, the platform has surpassed 12 million users.

Among these, accounts tagged as "date" accounts have grown steadily: 360,000 by end-2021 to 570,000 by end-May 2025.

While date accounts rank fourth in popularity among Moim account categories — behind social groups at 30.1 percent, family and living costs at 26.6 percent and travel at 18.5 percent — they remain the most actively used, according to KakaoBank.

"Compared to other Moim accounts, date accounts show more than twice as many monthly transactions, clearly indicating that couples are actively using them for actual dating," according to a KakaoBank spokesperson.

Toss Bank reports similar trends.

Its couple account feature — defined as group accounts used by exactly two people — reached 250,000 accounts with 500,000 users in 2023, when the service was launched. That figure jumped to 430,000 accounts and 860,000 users in 2024 and hit 510,000 accounts with over 1 million users as of mid-2025.

In short, date accounts are still far from the mainstream norm, but their steady growth shows they've found a place in Korea's modern dating culture — where budgeting and fairness count as much as romance.

A screenshot of Instagram posts under the hashtag "date passbook" shows Korean couples sharing tips, reviews and humor about managing joint accounts for dating expenses, from budgeting strategies to matching debit cards. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Is this only Korean?

Pretty much.

Joint “date accounts” are not common outside Korea, especially in the early stages of a relationship. In most countries, couples usually take turns or split bills as they go, or begin sharing household finances only after moving in together or getting married.

"It would be seen as kind of weird — or like you’re being overly controlling with money — to ask someone you’re just dating, and not living with yet, to open a joint account," said Laurie, 28, from France. "It'd probably come off as a red flag."

She added that while some couples open a joint account when they move in together — a country where cohabitation is common — many still prefer to simply transfer money back and forth rather than formally merge finances.

Hannah, 27, from the United States, agreed that the term “date account” isn't commonly used, though cost-sharing itself is common.

"There are definitely still people who expect men to pay for everything, and men who feel strongly about never letting a woman pay," she said. "And the further you get from major cities like LA or San Diego, the more traditional values tend to show up [ …] a shared account before marriage would probably be seen as unusual."

In neighboring Asian countries, the idea isn't any more familiar.

"Wow, I’ve never heard of this idea before," said Wei, 29, from Taiwan. "A joint account is more for married couples or couples that have been together for a long time and expect to settle down in the future."

Shared “date accounts” can turn into a financial headache when relationships break down. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

What do Koreans think about it?

Reactions in Korea are mixed.

On one hand, many young people see it as smart and fair.

Kim, the 29-year-old office worker, said he would “definitely” recommend the practice to other couples.

"But you have to be realistic: figure out your average monthly date expenses first, and set the right deposit amount," he added.

Age distribution of date account holders [YUN YOUNG]

Gender ratio of date account holders [YUN YOUNG]

Most users are in their 20s and 30s, reflecting the trend is popular among tech-savvy younger generations who value balance more than traditional relationships.

KakaoBank reports that among Moim accounts designated as “date accounts,” nearly 90 percent of such users fall within the 20s–30s age bracket, with 47.5 percent in their 30s, 40.8 percent in their 20s and 8.6 percent in their 40s.

But not everyone is convinced.

When the Korea JoongAng Daily asked a dozen men and women in their 20s and 30s whether they — or their friends — had used a date account, only one couple said yes. The rest were skeptical.

“Right now, my boyfriend's money is my money and mine is his — we don’t think twice about it when dating,” said Yoon, a 23-year-old university student. “If my boyfriend suggested using a date account, I might try it, but it would feel a little too calculating.”

One man even shared that when he proposed starting a shared account with his girlfriend, the relationship ended soon after.

A screenshot from the anonymous workplace app Blind shows a poll on the “date account” trend, drawing over 1,300 participants. Asked whether they found the idea reasonable or off-putting, 54.6 percent said it’s okay for specific purposes like trips or spa dates, while 45.4 percent said the concept itself feels unnecessary — highlighting how the topic remains a hotly debated issue among young Koreans.[SCREEN CAPTURE]

The idea remains a divisive topic on Korean online forums, where posts about date accounts often spark heated debate. While some praise it for making financial conversations more honest, others argue it drains the spontaneity out of romance.

There are also practical concerns.

Most of these “date accounts” are technically opened under a single person’s name. In systems like KakaoBank’s Moim Tongjang, the group account is essentially an ordinary deposit account converted into a shared space, but the “host," or the person who opened it, remains the legal owner.

This can cause problems if the couple breaks up. If the account is in one partner’s name and they refuse to return the money, the other could theoretically sue for repayment under civil law, especially if they can prove shared contributions. But considering that most date account balances aren’t large, the legal hassle may outweigh the benefit.

In the end, for some couples, it's become a 21st-century mix of love logistics — a shared piggy bank for memories, and a quiet tool for keeping the math fair.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]