AI handles bill payments and roaming sign-ups... LG Uplus Corp. upgrades AI in its subscriber app

[Financial News] LG Uplus Corp. is upgrading the artificial intelligence (AI) in its subscriber app into an agent that can handle bill payments and roaming sign-ups. Going beyond answering questions or guiding users to relevant menus, it will help them complete the tasks they want through conversation.

LG Uplus Corp. said on the 13th that it would gradually transition AI search in its integrated customer platform U+one into an “Actionable AI Agent.”
U+one is a platform where users can check their plans and billing and payment information, browse roaming and add-on services, and sign up for them, all in one app. LG Uplus Corp. introduced the “Bill Payment Agent” in August, followed by the “Roaming Agent” in September.
Previously, AI search answered questions and then directed users to the relevant app screen. With the introduction of the agent feature, it analyzes subscribers’ actual usage information to recommend services, then handles payments and sign-ups after confirmation from the customer. Users can go from checking information to completing a task in a single conversation, without having to navigate multiple menus.
The Bill Payment Agent provides information on the current month’s bill, whether there are overdue payments, and discounts. If the bill has changed from the previous month, it analyzes key items such as roaming and add-on services, micropayments, and device installment payments to explain the reason for the change. Users can also pay overdue bills within the conversation.
Before processing a payment, the agent displays the details again and confirms the user’s final decision. It also alerts users in advance to the possibility of a duplicate payment and records the process so the cause can be identified if a problem arises.

The Roaming Agent identifies the destination, travel schedule, and data usage patterns to recommend a plan and help users sign up. For example, if a user enters, “I’m going to Matsuyama, Japan, for a three-day, two-night trip and plan to use social media and watch a lot of videos,” the agent recommends a suitable plan based on the destination, length of stay, and expected data usage.
Users can sign up for recommended plans within the conversation without going to a separate screen. They can check travel tips, local payment information, and the plans’ main benefits, as well as look up roaming charges after their trip. According to LG Uplus Corp., the sign-up conversion rate among customers who received plan recommendations from the Roaming Agent was about twice as high as with the previous AI search method.
LG Uplus Corp. plans to launch a “Store Guidance Agent” in the fourth quarter of this year to recommend nearby stores based on users’ locations. It will offer maps, directions, and a calling feature, linking online consultations with visits to offline stores.
Next year, the company plans to expand conversational agents across its major telecom services. It will use usage histories and previous conversations to reduce the hassle of having to explain the same thing repeatedly, and plans to introduce multilingual and voice features to make the service more accessible to foreigners and older users. In the long term, it aims to develop the app into an “AI-first app” where users can state the task they want in a single input field and AI recommends services and helps carry them out.
“The key to the U+one AI Agent is helping customers complete the tasks they need easily and conveniently through conversations with AI, without having to navigate complex menus,” said Kim Won-gi, head of LG Uplus Corp.’s Digital CX Tribe. “Starting with bill payments and roaming, we will expand the ‘Simply. U+’ experience—which eases customers’ concerns and gives them greater confidence in their choices—across their telecom lives.”

[email protected] Yun Hong-jip Reporter