Comparison

thePAY Mobile Recharge vs PayBox

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

thePAY Mobile Recharge

This app allows users in Korea to easily recharge prepaid mobile phones, international call services, and overseas e-loads. It offers competitive pricing and supports various users, including those with prepaid or MVNO plans. No sign-up is required, and payments are made securely with a check card.

Highlights
  • Recharge prepaid phones
  • Recharge international calls
  • Recharge overseas e-loads
  • No sign-up or login required
  • Secure check card payments
  • Supports SIM card extensions
Features
Read full description

thePAY – Your All-in-One Mobile Recharge & Everyday Services App For over 10 years, thePAY has been helping customers stay connected with fast, convenient mobile recharge services. From prepaid SIM cards to a wide range of everyday lifestyle services, thePAY brings everything together in one app. · Start with thePAY, from SIM cards to everyday essentials. Get a 2,000P Welcome Bonus when you install the app for the first time! [Key Features] ◈ Prepaid Mobile Recharge Recharge prepaid SIM cards from over 30 mobile carriers across Korea anytime, anywhere. Simply enter the phone number to top up your own balance or your family and friends' numbers in just a few taps. ◈ Overseas Recharge (e-Load) Send mobile credit and pay everyday utility bills for your family back home. Support includes: Mobile top-ups, utility bills (electricity/gas), internet services, gift cards and more. ◈ International Calling Need to make an important call when internet calling isn't available? Enjoy reliable international calls with SK international call and premium call services. Why Choose thePAY? 1. 300+ Digital Products Access over 300 digital products, including: Game credits, gift cards & e-vouchers, streaming top-ups, utility bill payments, and mobile recharges. 2. Essential Services for Foreign Residents thePAY offers helpful services designed specifically for foreigners living in Korea Loan Application Assistance for Foreign Residents SIM Card Validity Extension Service Expert Support for Korean Mobile Services Online Shopping Purchase Assistance Visa Application & Documentation Support Remittance Exchange Rate Comparison 3. Multiple Payment Options Credit/Debit Card Virtual Bank Account Convenience Store Payment App Card Payments Partner Digital Wallets Auto Debit and many more. Secure & Safe Payments Your security is our priority. Protect your personal information with: Biometric authentication, password protection App Permsisions [Required Permissions] Phone: Required for international calling. Contatcs: Used to access your contacts when making international calls. [Optional Permissions] Camera: Used to scan card information, ID cards, and other documents. Storage: Save and upload images. You can continue using app without granting optional permissions, although some features may be unavailable. ◈ Customer Support Multilingual Support. Available in: Korean English, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Uzbek, Russian, Indonesian, Mongolian, Khmer, Sinhala. • Phone: +82 1666-0146 (Weekdays: 09:00–21:00 / Weekends & Public Holidays: 10:00–19:00) • Fax: +82 2 6919 2424 • Address: No. 910, ACE Techno Tower 10, 196 Gasan Digital 1-ro, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul 08502, South Korea. • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepayeng

About

PayBox

Easily top up SKB international calls, prepaid domestic and international phones. Use "Box Money" funded by bank transfers or card payments for seamless international and prepaid phone recharges. Earn bonus points for further recharges or convenience store coupons.

Highlights
  • Recharge SKB international calls
  • Top up prepaid domestic phones
  • Recharge international phones
  • Fund with bank transfer or card
  • Use "Box Money" for recharges
  • Earn bonus points for rewards
Features
Read full description

paybox로 SKB 국제전화, 국내선불폰 & 해외폰등을 직접 충전하여 간편하게 사용하세요. [paybox] 1. SK브로드밴드 고품질 국제전화를 실시간 충전하여 사용할 수 있습니다. 2. 한국에서 사용하는 선불폰 및 해외폰을 간편하게 충전할 수 있습니다. 3. 충전 요청후 은행가상계좌로 입금완료 또는 신용/체크카드 결제후 자동충전됩니다. 4. 은행계좌, 신용/체크카드로 원하는 금액을 "Box Money"로 충전하여 국제전화 ,선불폰,해외폰 충전이 가능합니다 5. 보너스 포인트로 국제전화, 선불폰, 해외폰 충전 및 편의점 쿠폰 교환 가능합니다. [상용 혜택] ‘- 국제전화 충전시 충전금액의 5% 포인트 지급 [paybox 고객센터] T: 1566-0301 (주중 10:00 ~ 19:00) – 주말 및 공휴일 휴무

Screenshots

thePAY Mobile Recharge4 screens
PayBox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PayBox at none against thePAY Mobile Recharge's shown. PayBox also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). thePAY Mobile Recharge's advantage is ratings volume (501 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PayBox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: thePAY Mobile Recharge has 501 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of thePAY Mobile Recharge's written reviews are positive against 67% of PayBox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

thePAY Mobile Recharge ships an update monthly, PayBox fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
thePAY Mobile Recharge versus PayBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterthePAY Mobile RechargePayBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (501 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings501 — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.510.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTELECENTRO Co., LtdLee TaeHun

Customer experience

thePAY Mobile Recharge

All ratings501 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral4.4%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews137 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral5.1%
Negative29.9%

PayBox

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

thePAY Mobile Recharge

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Unable to top up money to Russia
  • Unable to top up phones to Russia
  • App can only be used with Korean mobile numbers
  • Terms and conditions are only in Korean
  • Bug when calling US numbers (00796 82 1xxx yyy zzzz)

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add Gate card option
  • Fix bug with US calls (00796 82 1xxx yyy zzzz)

PayBox

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

thePAY Mobile Recharge

No in-app purchases

None

PayBox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is thePAY Mobile Recharge free?
thePAY Mobile Recharge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PayBox free?
PayBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, thePAY Mobile Recharge or PayBox?
PayBox is rated higher. thePAY Mobile Recharge averages 4.6 out of 5 from 501 ratings, while PayBox averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do thePAY Mobile Recharge or PayBox have ads?
thePAY Mobile Recharge shows ads; PayBox does not.
Which is updated more often, thePAY Mobile Recharge or PayBox?
thePAY Mobile Recharge ships an update monthly, and PayBox fortnightly. Most recently, thePAY Mobile Recharge was updated on November 11, 2026 and PayBox on November 6, 2026.

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