Hanoi (VNA) – The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), and Weixin Pay (also known as WeChat Pay) on August 6 announced the expansion of cross-border QR code payment services between Vietnam and China.
Weixin Pay has become the third Chinese payment platform to complete cross-border QR payment integration with NAPAS. The connection enables Weixin Pay users to scan VietQRGlobal codes to make payments at merchants across Vietnam, while strengthening the digital payment infrastructure linking the two countries.
Under the arrangement, transactions will be processed through the connectivity infrastructure between NAPAS and Weixin Pay, together with BIDV's settlement system. The service is expected to benefit more than 1 billion Weixin Pay users, making it easier for Chinese tourists to pay at retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, accommodation providers, and tourist attractions throughout Vietnam. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Payment Department under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), said the bilateral QR payment link is not merely the introduction of another payment option, but also a milestone in developing a modern, secure, and convenient cross-border payment ecosystem, helping to promote economic, trade, investment, and tourism exchanges between Vietnam and China.
He added that amid rapid digital transformation, the central bank's objective is to make cross-border payments as seamless as domestic transactions, ensuring that technology serves as a bridge rather than a barrier to trade and travel between countries.
According to Tuan, the significance of the initiative is becoming increasingly evident as exchanges between the two countries continue to grow. In the first six months of 2026, Vietnam welcomed about 12.3 million international visitors, up nearly 15% year-on-year. Chinese visitors accounted for around 2.7 million arrivals, representing approximately 22% of the total.
Looking ahead, the central bank hopes NAPAS, Weixin Pay, and BIDV will continue expanding the acceptance network, improving service quality, ensuring system security, and soon completing the reverse payment function, allowing Vietnamese travellers to use domestic banking applications to pay via QR codes when visiting China.
Under the plan, NAPAS, Weixin Pay, and BIDV will study the rollout of the reverse payment service, enabling users of Vietnamese banking applications and e-wallets to make QR code payments in China, with the aim of completing a comprehensive cross-border payment ecosystem between the two countries./.
