Vietnam's Digital Travel
Vietnam Leads Digital Travel Revolution as Cashless Payments Enhance Visitor Convenience and Security
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Vietnam processed $178 billion in digital payment transactions in 2025, and cashless spending by international visitors grew 10% every month in the final months of that year, according to Travel and Tour World. The country is now Southeast Asia's fastest-moving market for mobile payments, and it is reshaping how millions of tourists experience their holidays.
QR codes, digital wallets, and cross-border banking apps are replacing cash across Vietnam's biggest tourist hubs. From street stalls in Hanoi's Old Quarter to beach resorts in Phu Quoc, the shift is accelerating — and it has real benefits for both visitors and local businesses.
QR Codes Now Link Vietnam to China and South Korea
In April 2026, Vietnam launched bilateral QR payment services with China. Chinese tourists can now pay using Alipay and WeChat Pay directly at Vietnamese merchants. Within the first month, daily transactions by Chinese visitors jumped from "hundreds of millions" to "several billion dong," according to Tuoi Tre News. The director of the State Bank of Vietnam's payment department called the numbers a clear sign of pent-up demand.
On April 23, 2026, Vietnam launched a second major link — this time with South Korea — during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Hanoi. South Korean travelers are among Vietnam's highest-spending visitor groups. Lee Yu Jin, CEO of fintech firm Zekto, said global companies see Vietnam as a "primary market" for fast, low-cost cross-border payment infrastructure, according to Tuoi Tre News.
Small Vendors Gain Big as Tourists Spend More Easily
The QR payment rollout has had an outsized impact on small businesses. Hoang Thi Luong, a souvenir vendor in Hanoi, told VOV5 that she no longer has to fumble with large-denomination foreign notes or search for change. She said tourists feel "more comfortable spending" when they can just scan a code. That comfort translates directly into higher sales for independent shops and local craft sellers.
The standardized VietQR code — a single system accepted across most Vietnamese banks and apps — has been the key driver of merchant adoption, according to analysts from PwC and Google. Vietnam's approach skips traditional card terminals entirely, moving straight to mobile-first, account-to-account payments. Over 300,000 small and medium businesses are expected to benefit, gaining access to credit as their digital sales records help banks assess their finances, according to Travel and Tour World.
Big Targets, but Real Gaps Remain Across the Country
Vietnam's government wants cashless payments to reach 30 times the national GDP by 2030, according to Vietnam News. By late 2025, the country had already hit 28 times GDP — ahead of schedule. Some 232 million individual payment accounts existed by December 2025, up nearly 14% year-on-year. QR code transaction values alone grew 128% in 2025. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng called cashless payments the "lifeblood of the digital economy."
But progress is uneven. The Deputy PM also acknowledged that "gaps in access persisted between urban and rural areas." Remote tourist sites still run on cash. Cybercrime is rising too. Deputy PM Hồ Đức Phóc warned that online payment fraud is becoming "increasingly sophisticated" and that the "security of transactions is a key issue" that could shake public trust, according to Vietnam News. Older adults and low-income workers have also been slow to adopt digital wallets.
What International Visitors Should Know Before They Go
For most visitors arriving in Vietnam's major cities — Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang — cashless payment is now the easier option. There is no need to find an ATM or worry about exchange rates. Sophia Miller from Canada and Emma Jones from Australia both told VOV5 that skipping currency exchange had "significantly improved" their travel experience. Online tourism transactions in Vietnam hit $4 billion in 2025.
One regulatory change matters for visitors using e-wallets: since January 5, 2026, Vietnam's Circular 45 bars topping up digital wallets directly from credit cards. Travelers should link a debit card or bank account instead. Beyond payments, Vietnam is also building e-ticketing and digital ID tools into what officials call a "Smart Tourism Ecosystem." NAPAS plans to expand QR connectivity to Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia by 2027, according to Tuoi Tre News.
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