A 2024 photo of Trip.com Group's booth in a convention in Berlin, Germany / Courtesy of Trip.com GroupKorea slapped a combined fine of 10 million won ($6,630) on the global travel agency Trip.com for violating a set of e-commerce rules, including providing refunds in vouchers instead of cash, the fair trade watchdog said Monday.The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Trip.com Travel Singapore Ltd. and Trip.com Korea failed to provide refunds through the payment methods originally used by customers, which is considered disadvantageous to consumers under the consumer protection law governing e-commerce platforms.The watchdog said Trip.com provided refunds with airline vouchers in 13,010 cases worth a combined 3.1 billion won from February 2020 to July 2025.The FTC said Trip.com misled customers by notifying them that refunds could only be provided in the form of airline vouchers, which restricts customers' right to freely cancel purchases under Korean law."The FTC has made it clear that even if a refund policy falls under the rules of individual airlines, it constitutes a violation if it is less favorable to consumers than the e-commerce law," the watchdog said.The watchdog added that Trip.com's Singapore and Korean arms provided information on airline tickets without registering as e-commerce businesses.The two companies, however, completed the registration in Korea in 2025. They have also suspended sales of tickets offered by airlines that provide refunds only in vouchers.