Foreigners in Vietnam will increasingly be able to pay for purchases using familiar QR apps
In Vietnam, the cross-border QR payment system VietQR Global is actively expanding. It allows foreign tourists to pay for goods and services using the familiar banking apps and e-wallets from their home countries. This type of payment does not require opening an account with a Vietnamese bank or relying on cash and bank cards every time.
The principle is quite simple for users: at a merchant connected to the system, a foreign visitor scans a VietQR Global code with a supported app from their home country and confirms the payment. The system links the payment infrastructures of different countries, while settlements are processed between the relevant banks and payment organizations.
At present, Vietnam has established cross-border QR connectivity with six countries: China, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos. For example, Chinese tourists can use UnionPay International, Alipay, and Weixin Pay if they are connected to the system. For travelers from other countries, the list of available apps depends on the specific market and the participating banks and payment services.
VietQR Global is especially convenient for everyday travel expenses: the system can be used at connected cafés, restaurants, shops, hotels, and other establishments. However, the regular VietQR sign does not yet mean that a location accepts foreign payments. Vietnam has more than 2.5 million places that accept cashless payments, but cross-border QR payments are currently available at only about 154,000 of them — around 6%.
The popularity of such payments is growing rapidly. According to NAPAS, in the first eight months of 2026, the number of QR transactions made by tourists from Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia in Vietnam increased eightfold compared with the same period in 2025, while their total value increased sixfold. Payments by Chinese tourists are also growing strongly: by August, the number of transactions through Chinese apps had tripled compared with April, while their value had quadrupled.
The next stage is to expand both the geography and the number of places where foreigners will be able to pay this way. Vietnam is working on connecting new markets, and one of the main tasks remains increasing the number of merchants that support international QR payments specifically.
Source: https://news.tuoitre.vn/foreign-tourists-enjoy-easier-qr-payments-across-vietnam-as-cross-border-network-expands-103260807130016786.htm https://baochinhphu.vn/thanh-toan-qr-cua-du-khach-quoc-te-tai-viet-nam-tang-manh-co-thi-truong-gap-8-lan-102260925184104316.htm https://news.tuoitre.vn/only-6-of-vietnams-payment-points-offer-vietqr-global-to-international-visitors-103260926093757253.htm
