Vietnam’s cross-border QR payments gain traction

Cross-border QR payments are widening Vietnam’s tourism, retail and services links to international markets. But turning cost and technology gains into business results requires a broader acceptance network, transactions tied to sales management and end-to-end operational security.

Cost cuts, more opportunities

Ngo Xuan Bach, Chairman of the Board of Directors of City House Vietnam, said foreign tourists still mostly pay by card and cash. At many lodging sites, neither is truly convenient as cash means staff handling, counting, foreign exchange conversion, change and reconciliation while cards carry transaction fees and sometimes fail.

QR codes, by contrast, are now common because they let businesses collect remotely, cut direct staff handling and add revenue. At City House, 100% of domestic tourists have used QR codes. Cross-border QR can reshape how firms operate and serve foreign guests. Effective use requires process changes, application programming interface (APIs) for automatic reconciliation and staff familiarisation with the technology.

Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Payment Department at the State Bank of Vietnam, said VietQRGlobal is a component of Vietnam’s digital payment system, a recognisable brand telling international visitors where cross-border transactions are accepted. Still, of more than 2.5 million domestic acceptance units nationwide, only about 154,000 accept VietQRGlobal.

Nguyen Dang Hung, Deputy CEO of the Vietnam National Payment Corporation (NAPAS), said NAPAS, as operator of the national retail payment infrastructure, works with banks, payment intermediaries and international partners on the VietQRPay and VietQRGlobal ecosystems to boost tourism, trade and economic integration. VietQRPay now has 45 participating banks and payment intermediaries. VietQRGlobal has connected with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China, Singapore and the Republic of Korea, and is expanding to other markets.

Building the network

Bui Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said cross-border payments should be treated as key “soft infrastructure” for trade.

Many commercial banks are already building out the network. BIDV said it is developing three layers: working with NAPAS to open connections to markets with large visitor flows to Vietnam; opening acceptance points along the travel route, from the airport to accommodation and shopping destinations; and driving actual transactions. Priority areas include Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc (An Giang).

VietinBank is tapping retail chains, tourism hubs and customer partners. Agribank plans to launch VietQRGlobal in October 2026, aiming to bring the utility to agricultural and rural customers while helping business households, craft villages and local tourist sites reach foreign guests.

Cross-border payments, however, require more than network expansion. System connectivity, legal compliance and data safety are critical, since multi-country transactions make security risks more complex.

Ngo Tuan Anh, Deputy Head of the Data Security and Personal Data Protection Department at the Vietnam National Cybersecurity Association, warned that point-of-sale QR codes can be swapped to steal money, and user devices or systems in the chain may also be exposed. Users should verify beneficiary names and avoid installing apps from unknown sources. Data processors must also watch cross-border personal data flows and comply with protection procedures and measures./.