Paying for everyday purchases in Vietnam is becoming easier for international travelers. Visitors from several Asian countries can now use payment apps from home to scan VNPAY-QR for international tourists and pay directly at participating businesses in Vietnam.
VNPAY-QR for international tourists enables cross-border payments; travelers can use their existing banking apps or digital wallets. The payment is processed through the traveler’s existing account in their home country.
Currently supported payment networks include WeChat Pay and UnionPay International for travelers from China, ITMX for Thailand, LAPNet for Laos, ACLEDA for Cambodia, and GLN-connected payment apps for visitors from South Korea.
The service is particularly relevant in major tourist destinations, where businesses are increasingly adopting QR and cashless payment options. For travelers, it can make smaller everyday purchases more convenient, especially when they do not want to carry large amounts of Vietnamese cash.
However, this does not mean that every tourist can use every foreign payment app at every VNPAY-QR merchant. Availability depends on the payment network supported by the traveler’s home country and the participating merchant.
Cash and international bank cards therefore remain useful backup options when traveling around Vietnam.
For more practical information about paying for things in Vietnam, see our Vietnam Currency: Cash or Card? guide and our Vietnam for First-Timers guide.
Update, September 29: VietQR Reaches More Banks and More Types of Merchants
Since this article was first published, Vietnam’s cross-border QR payment network has kept expanding. More than 20 Vietnamese banks are now connected to international QR payment schemes — for example, BVBank now supports WeChat Pay, and Sacombank supports Alipay — alongside the VNPAY-QR network for other Asian markets described below. Vietnamese authorities have also reported that transaction volume from Chinese visitors using these cross-border QR links has roughly tripled since April 2026.
Merchant acceptance is also broadening. Where cross-border QR payments were initially concentrated in hotels and shopping malls, acceptance is spreading into smaller, more everyday businesses — local markets, restaurants and souvenir stalls in major tourist areas.
It’s worth being precise about what has and hasn’t changed. A cross-border link between Singapore’s PayNow and VietQR has existed since July 2026 — it isn’t new as of this update. What’s new is the growing number of participating Vietnamese banks and the wider range of merchants now accepting these payments. As with VNPAY-QR below, coverage still depends on your home country, your bank or wallet provider, and whether the specific merchant participates — it is not yet the case that any tourist can pay by QR anywhere in Vietnam.
FAQ: Cross-Border QR Payments in Vietnam
Can any foreign tourist now pay by QR code in Vietnam?
Not universally. Coverage depends on your home country’s payment network (such as WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay, PayNow, ITMX, LAPNet, ACLEDA or GLN-connected apps), your specific bank or wallet provider, and whether the merchant you’re paying participates in that network. Cash and international cards remain useful backups.
Which countries are currently supported?
Supported networks currently include WeChat Pay and UnionPay International (China), ITMX (Thailand), LAPNet (Laos), ACLEDA (Cambodia), GLN-connected apps (South Korea), and PayNow (Singapore, via VietQR). More than 20 Vietnamese banks now participate across these networks.
Where can I use cross-border QR payments?
Acceptance is strongest in hotels and shopping malls, and is increasingly available at local markets, restaurants and souvenir stalls in major tourist destinations, though coverage is still uneven outside these areas.
Is the Singapore PayNow-VietQR link new?
No — that link has been in place since July 2026. What’s new as of September 2026 is the expansion to more participating Vietnamese banks and merchant types.
Should I still carry cash in Vietnam?
Yes. Cross-border QR payments are a convenience, not a full replacement for cash or cards, especially outside major tourist areas. See our Vietnam Currency: Cash or Card? guide for a fuller picture of paying your way around the country.
Sources
- Tuoi Tre News — International tourists can pay in Vietnam using familiar apps through VNPAY-QR
- Vietnam.vn — Foreign visitors can scan VNPAY-QR to make direct payments in Vietnam
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