QR Payments for Foreigners in Vietnam: What Works in Saigon
Scan with your home-country app if your country is linked to Vietnam's VietQRGlobal network: China, Korea and Singapore joined in 2026. Otherwise verify a MoMo wallet with your foreign passport and top it up from a Visa, MasterCard or JCB debit card at VND 2,200 plus 2%. Metro gates take contactless bank cards.
On this page
A plain VietQR plate on a Saigon shop counter is built for Vietnamese bank apps. Your route depends on where your home app is from, so pick it before you shop.
Which QR route fits you
Your home country decides the route. VietQRGlobal is the shop QR network that foreign apps plug into. China is linked: Alipay scans the codes and Weixin Pay joined in August 2026. Korea launched in April 2026 and Singapore in July 2026.
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| China | Alipay scans VietQRGlobal codes |
| Korea | Korean bank app or e-wallet |
| Singapore | Singapore payment apps |
| Thailand, Laos, Cambodia | Linked with VietQRGlobal |
| Any other country, including the US, UK, EU and Australia | MoMo wallet verified with a passport, topped up from a debit card |
Pay with your home-country app
Chinese visitors scan VietQRGlobal codes with Alipay at shopping centres, shops, restaurants, hotels and tourist sites in the NAPAS member network. The Alipay link opened on 3 April 2026.
Korea
The Vietnam-Korea QR service launched in Hanoi on 23 April 2026. Korean visitors, and Koreans living or working in Vietnam, pay with their usual Korean bank apps or e-wallets at VietQRGlobal acceptance points nationwide.
Singapore, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia
Singapore payment apps work at VietQRGlobal points after the launch on 2 July 2026. VietQRGlobal is also linked with Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Open your own app’s QR menu before you fly: if Vietnam is not listed, go the MoMo route.
Use MoMo with your passport
You verify a MoMo wallet in the app with your foreign passport. If the photo fails, retry two or three more times. For a stay of months, open a bank account too: how to open one as a foreigner.
At the counter you have two options:
- Choose “Quet ma” (scan) on the home screen, allow the camera and scan the QR code printed on the bill.
- Choose “Ma thanh toan” (payment code), open your QR code and show it to the cashier to scan.
Load a foreign debit card into MoMo
MoMo tops up from a linked international debit card: Visa, MasterCard or JCB. Follow these steps:
- Log in to MoMo and choose top up on the home screen.
- Pick the debit card as the source and enter the amount.
- Confirm the transaction and enter your password.
- Enter the OTP code on the card confirmation screen.
Budget VND 2,200 plus 2% of the amount on every top-up. Use a debit card: MoMo’s top-up route is for debit cards. A 2020 offer of free top-ups under VND 1 million sits on the old help page; ignore it.
Pay with the card itself
Metro Line 1 takes contactless bank cards, and Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay linked to a bank card. On bus route 04 foreign passengers have tapped a phone holding a Visa card on the validation device. See Metro Line 1 fares and hours.
For a SIM, Hi Vietnam is MobiFone’s app for foreign visitors: you pay in the app by Visa or Mastercard, with no cash or domestic e-wallet. Viettel takes cash in VND, Visa and Mastercard at sales points that support them. Alipay+ and WeChat Pay work at select Viettel locations serving international travellers. More in SIM card and eSIM in Ho Chi Minh City.
When you need cash
Keep VND cash as the last fallback. Mastercard is still rolling out scanning of local QR plates with a foreign card.
TPBank charges a foreign Visa card VND 55,000 for a withdrawal under VND 5,000,000 and 3.08% from VND 5,000,000 up. A Visa or Mastercard issued abroad pays BIDV 3% of the amount, minimum VND 50,000. Compare banks in ATM fees and cash in Ho Chi Minh City.
Step by step
- Check your home appSee whether your country is linked to VietQRGlobal: China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Laos or Cambodia.
- Verify a MoMo walletVerify the wallet with your foreign passport.
- Top up from a debit cardChoose top up on the home screen, pick the debit card as the source, enter the amount, confirm and enter the password.
- Pay at the counterScan the bill's QR code with Quet ma, or show your payment code to the cashier.
Not confirmed: Do not count on a foreign Visa or Mastercard paying a plain VietQR plate: Mastercard is still rolling out a service for that. Use a MoMo top-up or a card tap, and keep some cash.
Common questions
How does a tourist pay by QR in Vietnam?
With a home app from a linked country. Alipay from China scans VietQRGlobal codes at merchants in the NAPAS network, and Weixin Pay joined in August 2026. Korean and Singapore apps launched links in 2026.
Does my foreign banking app scan VietQR codes?
VietQRGlobal is linked with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and China. Korea and Singapore followed in 2026. For other countries, use a MoMo wallet.
Does MoMo accept a foreign passport?
Yes. MoMo verifies a wallet in the app with a foreign passport. If the passport photo fails, retry two or three more times.
Which foreign cards top up MoMo, and what does it cost?
MoMo takes Visa, MasterCard and JCB debit cards. Plan on VND 2,200 plus 2% of the amount.
Is a card top-up into MoMo free?
No: budget VND 2,200 plus 2% on every international-card top-up. A 2020 offer of free top-ups under VND 1 million, twice a month, sits on an old help page; do not count on it. Use a debit card.
What if a shop refuses my foreign card or app?
Pay the bill from your MoMo balance, or withdraw cash: TPBank charges VND 55,000 per foreign-card withdrawal under VND 5,000,000.
Does the metro take phone payments?
Metro Line 1 takes contactless bank cards and Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay linked to a bank card. Foreign passengers have tapped a phone holding a Visa card on bus route 04.
How do I pay for a SIM or eSIM with a foreign card?
Hi Vietnam, MobiFone's app for foreign visitors, takes Visa or Mastercard in the app. Viettel takes Visa and Mastercard at sales points that support them.
Do Koreans living in Vietnam qualify for the Korean QR link?
The Korea service covers Korean visitors and Koreans living or working in Vietnam.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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