The event marks an important milestone in promoting cross-border digital payments, particularly as the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Vietnam has continued to grow in recent years.

The ceremony was attended by Deputy Governors of the State Bank of Vietnam, Mr. Pham Tien Dung and Mr. Pham Quang Dung, together with the leadership of NAPAS, Vietcombank, and Ant International.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan – Director General of the Payment Department, State Bank of Vietnam

QR Code Payment Connectivity – Enhancing Visitor Experience and Expanding Opportunities for Vietnamese Businesses

Through the cooperation between NAPAS, Ant International, and Vietcombank, Chinese tourists can use the Alipay e-wallet, part of Ant Interntional’s ecosystem, to scan VIETQRGlobal codes and make payments at merchants within the NAPAS network nationwide, including shopping malls, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.

Bilateral QR code payment transactions are processed via the connectivity infrastructure between NAPAS and Ant International, with Vietcombank acting as the settlement bank, enabling direct payments between the Chinese Yuan (RMB) and the Vietnamese Dong (VNĐ).

Announcement Ceremony on the Expansion of QR Code Payments Expansion between Vietnam and China

With China remaining one of Vietnam’s largest tourism source markets, the implementation of payment connectivity between the two countries helps deliver a seamless, fast, and secure payment experience for Chinese visitors, thereby encouraging Vietnam as a preferred destination. At the same time, the streamlined payment solution is expected to help Vietnamese businesses better serve international customers, boost competitiveness, and drive growth in trade and services.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh, Chief Executive Officer of NAPAS, emphasized:

"NAPAS is gradually building and expanding a cross-border payment platform based on the principles of security, high performance, and flexible scalability, in compliance with international connectivity standards. Our cooperation with Ant International marks an important milestone in NAPAS’s journey of cross-border expansion, as Vietnam’s national retail payment infrastructure is now directly connected to China’s leading payment ecosystem with over one billion users. This connectivity enables Chinese visitors to enjoy a familiar, convenient, and secure QR code payment experience in Vietnam, just like in their home country, while also creating new growth opportunities for Vietnamese businesses."

From Vietcombank’s perspective, Mr. Le Quang Vinh, Chief Executive Officer of Vietcombank, stated:

"As a pioneer in the payment sector in Vietnam, Vietcombank believes that cross-border QR payments are becoming, and will continue to be, a widely adopted solution in international payments. Therefore, when selected as the settlement bank for this project, we committed significant resources and took a highly rigorous approach, with the goal of delivering a ‘feel-like-home’ payment experience for Chinese users—allowing them to use Alipay to pay for goods and services in Vietnam. At the same time, this initiative opens up strong momentum for business growth for millions of retailers, household businesses, and enterprises in Vietnam, driven by the vast Alipay user base from China."

Representing Ant International, Mr. Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, shared:

"The cooperation between Ant International, NAPAS, and Vietcombank demonstrates our shared commitment to advance the digital economy and support SMEs in Vietnam. Tourism serves as an important economic bridge between China and Vietnam. Strengthening payment connectivity helps Vietnamese businesses reach global customers while reinforcing Vietnam’s position in its digital transformation journey. Ant International supports partners in enabling international payment applications, including Alipay, to be accepted by merchants worldwide, thereby enhancing global payment interoperability and cross-border commerce."

Toward Two-Way Payments and Regional Expansion

In the near future, NAPAS and Ant International will complete the implementation of the outbound payment flow from Vietnam to China, enabling Vietnamese users to use domestic banking payment applications to scan Alipay QR codes for payments. Once two-way connectivity is fully established, the service is expected to provide strong momentum for the growth of tourism and trade between the two countries.

Customer Payment Experience

NAPAS is also continuing to expand partnerships both domestically and regionally, while strengthening collaboration with banks, payment intermediaries, and local businesses to broaden the acceptance network of VIETQRGlobal.

To date, NAPAS has completed bilateral QR code payment connectivity with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and China, and is continuing to expand to additional markets within the region.