How people pay in Vietnam in 2026
Vietnam has moved from cash to QR codes and banking apps in only a few years. According to the State Bank of Vietnam, non-cash payments in 2025 were worth about 28 times GDP, with transaction volume up 42.21% and QR code payments up 50.94% in volume and 124.06% in value. Nearly 87% of adults now own a bank account, and over 232 million individual payment accounts were open at the end of 2025, according to SBV data reported by Viet Nam News.
The national switch NAPAS runs the core rails: domestic Napas cards, Napas 247 instant transfers and the VietQR standard, which lets any banking app pay any bank's QR code. E-wallets such as MoMo, ZaloPay, ShopeePay and Viettel Money compete for the same QR moments. Online, cash on delivery is still a strong habit, and BNPL is growing from a small base. Strict authentication rules, including biometric checks on larger transfers, shape every checkout. For merchants and their payment providers, a Vietnamese checkout without bank QR payments and local wallets leaves sales on the table.
- 28x GDP value of non-cash payments in 2025 (State Bank of Vietnam via VnEconomy)
- 232 million individual payment accounts in December 2025 (State Bank of Vietnam via Viet Nam News)
- 164 million bank cards in circulation in December 2025 (State Bank of Vietnam via Viet Nam News)
- +27% growth in Napas 247 instant transfer volume in 2025 (NAPAS)
Payment by card in Vietnam
Vietnam has its own domestic card scheme. NAPAS switches and brands Napas domestic debit and credit cards, while Visa, Mastercard and JCB serve international, travel and premium use. Over 164 million bank cards were in circulation in December 2025, up 5.32% year on year, and the number of POS terminals grew 19.86% in 2025, according to State Bank of Vietnam data. Domestic card transactions grew 13.9% a year on average from 2021 to 2025, far slower than QR and mobile payments.
Cards are becoming more interoperable. In May 2025, NAPAS and Mastercard launched the first co-badged card in Vietnam at six banks, usable at over 650,000 domestic acceptance points and on the Mastercard network abroad. ATM use is shrinking fast: NAPAS reports that ATM cash withdrawals fell 29% in volume in 2025. For merchants, Napas cards matter for domestic e-commerce, and international schemes for cross-border and premium shoppers. Our guide to how card networks work explains the moving parts.
Card schemes in Vietnam
Napas domestic cards
Domestic card scheme
Debit and credit cards issued by Vietnamese banks on the NAPAS domestic network, used at ATMs, POS terminals and online gateways across the country.
164 million+ bank cards in circulation in Vietnam in December 2025, State Bank of Vietnam via Viet Nam News
Visa
International scheme
The leading international card brand in Vietnam, issued by most banks on debit and credit cards and accepted by all major online gateways.
Mastercard
International scheme
Widely issued and accepted in Vietnam, and since 2025 present on co-badged NAPAS-Mastercard cards that work on both domestic and international networks.
6 banks issuing the first NAPAS-Mastercard co-badged card in May 2025, State Bank of Vietnam
JCB
International scheme
The Japanese scheme is issued by several Vietnamese banks and accepted by local gateways, and matters for travel and Japanese and Korean tourist spending.
Payment by cash in Vietnam
Cash is losing ground in Vietnam, but it still matters outside the big cities and in online orders. ATM use is a good indicator: ATM transactions fell 17.30% in volume in 2025, according to the State Bank of Vietnam, and NAPAS reports a 29% drop in ATM cash withdrawals on its network. Telecom operators bridge cash and digital money with Mobile Money, which had 10.89 million accounts at the end of September 2025, 70% of them in rural and remote areas.
Online, cash on delivery remains a common choice. In TGM Research Vietnam E-Commerce Insights 2025, 35% of online shoppers said they prefer to pay cash on delivery. A review in the Journal of Finance research portal puts COD at about 67% of online purchase transactions in 2024, citing PCMI data. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has long pushed to reduce the share of COD and reach 50% non-cash payments in e-commerce.
Cash payment methods in Vietnam
Cash
Banknotes and coins
Vietnamese dong banknotes remain common in traditional markets, street food and rural areas, but ATM withdrawals are falling quickly as QR payments spread.
-17.30% change in ATM transaction volume in 2025, State Bank of Vietnam via VnEconomy
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery
Paying the courier on delivery is offered by marketplaces and most online shops, and remains a trust tool for first-time buyers and rural customers.
35% of online shoppers prefer cash on delivery, 2025 survey, TGM Research
Mobile Money
Telco cash-in, cash-out
Accounts linked to a mobile phone number, run by telecom operators such as Viettel, where users deposit and withdraw cash at agent points; Decree 368/2025 made the service permanent from January 1, 2026.
10.89 million Mobile Money accounts at the end of September 2025, State Bank of Vietnam via Viet Nam News
Payment by bank transfer in Vietnam
Bank transfers are the heart of Vietnamese payments. NAPAS connects banks through Napas 247, a 24/7 instant payment service, and through VietQR, the national QR standard that encodes an account so any banking app can pay it. In 2025, Napas 247 transfers grew 27% in volume and online payments on the NAPAS system more than 25%. NAPAS processed over 8.3 billion transactions in the first nine months of 2025, with peaks of 43 million a day.
Online, the most common flow is a dynamic QR code on the checkout page, scanned and confirmed in the shopper's banking app. Mobile payments grew 36.62% in volume in 2025 and internet payments 53.95%, according to the State Bank of Vietnam. Security rules add friction: since July 1, 2024, SBV Decision 2345 requires biometric checks for transfers of VND 10 million or more, and biometric data had been verified for 146.1 million individual customers by January 2026. Our article on QR code payments in Asia tells the wider story.
Bank transfer methods in Vietnam
Napas 247
Instant payment
The NAPAS interbank instant transfer service, available around the clock between Vietnamese banks and used behind most account-to-account and QR payments.
+27% growth in Napas 247 transaction volume in 2025, NAPAS
VietQR
QR bank transfer
The national QR standard run by NAPAS, printed at shops and generated at online checkouts, which any banking app or connected wallet can scan to send an instant transfer.
337 million+ QR code payments worth VND 288 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, all QR schemes, SBV Payment Department via National Assembly newspaper
Banking apps
Mobile banking
Apps from banks such as Vietcombank, BIDV, Techcombank and MB are used to scan QR codes, pay bills and confirm online payments, with biometric checks on larger amounts.
+36.62% growth in mobile payment volume in 2025, State Bank of Vietnam via VnEconomy
VNPAY-QR
Bank QR network
VNPAY's QR payment network, scanned from many Vietnamese banking apps and the VNPAY wallet, used in stores, for bills and at online checkouts.
Payment by installment and BNPL in Vietnam
Buy now, pay later is still young in Vietnam, but awareness is high. In TGM Research 2025 survey, 49% of online shoppers said they had used BNPL in the past year, yet only 4% had actively selected it at checkout. The market mixes consumer finance companies and fintechs. Home Credit's Home PayLater says it is the first consumer finance service in Vietnam to offer QR payment for BNPL. Kredivo entered through a partnership with finance company VietCredit in 2021, and Fundiin offers interest-free splits at retail partners.
Card-based installment payments remain the classic way to finance phones, electronics and travel, with banks converting card purchases into monthly plans. Gateways connect both worlds: Home Credit partnered with OnePay in 2022 to bring Home PayLater installments of 1 to 12 months to online merchants. For PSPs, BNPL in Vietnam usually means integrating a licensed lender's product through a gateway, not a single dominant brand.
Installment and BNPL providers in Vietnam
Home PayLater
BNPL
Home Credit Vietnam's pay-later service, used online and in stores, with installments of 1 to 12 months at partner merchants, according to VIR.
Fundiin
BNPL
Vietnamese BNPL fintech offering interest-free installments at checkout, with a simple ID photo for approval, according to Fintech News Singapore.
Kredivo
BNPL
Indonesian BNPL provider active in Vietnam through finance company VietCredit, aimed at young online shoppers without credit cards, Tuoi Tre reported.
Card installments
Card installment
Banks and gateways turn credit card purchases into monthly plans, often at 0% interest for partner merchants, a long-standing option for electronics and travel.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in Vietnam
Vietnam has a crowded wallet market. The State Bank of Vietnam counted 53 licensed intermediary payment service providers, including 49 e-wallet operators, in October 2025. MoMo is the best known, followed by ZaloPay, which sits inside the Zalo messaging app, ShopeePay on the Shopee marketplace and Viettel Money from the largest telecom operator. Wallets compete with banking apps on QR payments, bills, transfers and small loans.
Telecom operators added a new layer. Mobile Money, piloted since 2021, became a permanent licensed service under Decree 368/2025, effective January 1, 2026, with a cap of VND 100 million per client per provider each month. Card-based X-Pay methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay work with Vietnamese bank cards, mainly for in-store taps and app purchases, but QR scans inside wallets and banking apps remain the dominant mobile payment habit.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in Vietnam
MoMo
QR wallet
Vietnam's leading e-wallet and super app, used for QR payments in stores, online checkout, bills, transfers and financial products.
ZaloPay
Messaging wallet
The wallet built into the Zalo messaging app, used for transfers between contacts, QR payments and online checkout.
ShopeePay
Marketplace wallet
Shopee's wallet, used mainly to pay on the Shopee marketplace and at partner merchants, often with vouchers and cashback.
Viettel Money
Telco wallet
Viettel's wallet and Mobile Money service, strong in rural areas, where users pay bills, transfer money and cash in at Viettel agents.
10.89 million Mobile Money accounts across all telecom operators at the end of September 2025, State Bank of Vietnam via Viet Nam News
Apple Pay
Mobile wallet
Apple's wallet works with cards from major Vietnamese banks for contactless payments in stores and one-click payments in apps and online.
Google Pay
Mobile wallet
The Android wallet used for tap-to-pay with tokenized Napas, Visa and Mastercard cards issued by participating Vietnamese banks.
Payments in Vietnam: FAQ
What is the most popular way to pay in Vietnam?
Bank transfers through banking apps, often triggered by a VietQR code. Non-cash payments were worth about 28 times GDP in 2025, and QR code payments grew 124.06% in value over the year. Wallets such as MoMo and Napas cards complete the picture.
Is cash on delivery still common in Vietnam?
Yes. In a 2025 survey by TGM Research, 35% of online shoppers said they prefer to pay cash on delivery. Its share is falling as QR payments and wallets spread, but most online shops still offer it.
What is VietQR?
VietQR is the national QR payment standard run by NAPAS. Any connected banking app can scan a VietQR code to send an instant Napas 247 transfer to the merchant's account. Napas 247 volume grew 27% in 2025.
How can foreign merchants accept local payments in Vietnam?
Usually through a payment intermediary licensed by the State Bank of Vietnam, which connects Napas cards, VietQR, wallets and installments. The SBV counted 53 licensed intermediary payment service providers in October 2025.
Accept local payments in Vietnam with NORBr
In Vietnam, merchants accept local methods through SBV-licensed payment intermediaries such as VNPAY, OnePay and 9Pay, while NAPAS runs the domestic card and QR rails. Check the intermediary license, connected banks and wallets, VND settlement times and dynamic QR reconciliation.
With NORBr, you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers VietQR and Napas 247 transfers, domestic Napas cards, wallets such as MoMo and ZaloPay, and cash on delivery. Some are already in our connector catalog; Mapper™ gets the others live in days, and Smart Checkout shows each shopper the right methods. Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in Vietnam
VNPAY
Payment gateway
Hanoi-based payment company behind the VNPAY gateway and the VNPAY-QR network embedded in many banking apps, serving online merchants, retailers and billers.
Covers: Napas domestic cards, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, VNPAY-QR, banking apps, VNPAY wallet
NAPAS
Payment switch
The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam, majority-owned by the State Bank of Vietnam, runs the domestic card scheme, Napas 247 instant transfers, VietQR and an e-commerce payment gateway.
8.3 billion+ transactions processed in the first nine months of 2025, NAPAS via National Assembly newspaper
Covers: Napas domestic cards, Napas 247, VietQR, cross-border QR
OnePay
Payment gateway
Payment gateway active in Vietnam since 2006 under SBV license 06/GP-NHNN, serving airlines, hotels, retailers and e-commerce, according to OnePay.
99.8% of local cards from 40 banks accepted, OnePay
Covers: Napas domestic cards, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, UnionPay, Apple Pay, Home PayLater installments, OnePay wallet
9Pay
Payment gateway
Licensed e-wallet and payment gateway (license 60/GP-NHNN) offering checkout, collection and disbursement services to local and global businesses selling in Vietnam.
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, ATM cards, bank transfers, QR codes, 9Pay wallet
MoMo
Wallet aggregator
Vietnam's largest e-wallet also runs a merchant business that lets online shops, apps and stores accept MoMo payments by QR, app-to-app redirect and payment links.
Covers: MoMo wallet, QR payments, linked bank accounts and cards
