Hanoi (VNA) – The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), in collaboration with Ant International - a unit of China-based Ant Group, and Vietcombank, on April 3 announced the expansion of cross-border QR code payment services between Vietnam and China.
The launch marks a significant step forward in digital payment connectivity, helping to facilitate trade and tourism flows between the two countries. Under the new arrangement, Chinese tourists can use Alipay - a member wallet of Ant International - to scan VIETQRGlobal codes and make direct payments at merchants within NAPAS’ network across Vietnam.
Bilateral QR transactions are processed through the integrated infrastructure of NAPAS and Ant International, alongside Vietcombank’s settlement system, enabling direct payments in local currencies - the Chinese yuan and the Vietnamese dong.
The rollout comes as China remains one of Vietnam’s largest sources of inbound tourists. Cross-border QR payments are expected to enhance visitor convenience by offering familiar payment methods, while enabling businesses in retail, services and tourism to better tap into international customer flows.
At the event, NAPAS CEO Nguyen Quang Minh said the corporation is steadily building a cross-border payment platform that ensures security, high performance and scalability in line with international standards. He described the partnership with Ant International as a milestone, connecting Vietnam’s national retail payment infrastructure with one of China’s largest payment ecosystems, which serves over one billion users.
Vietcombank CEO Le Quang Vinh noted that cross-border QR payments are emerging as a widely adopted solution in international transactions. As the designated settlement bank, Vietcombank has committed significant resources to the project to deliver a “home-like” payment experience for Chinese users, while opening new growth opportunities for millions of Vietnamese merchants.
Ant International President Douglas Feagin highlighted Vietnam’s strong potential for cross-border QR deployment, citing rapid digital transformation, a dynamic payment ecosystem and robust tourism growth. He emphasised that the initiative not only serves travellers but also enables small- and medium-sized enterprises to access global customers.
According to the State Bank of Vietnam, the initiative aligns with bilateral cooperation commitments on retail payment connectivity. Authorities are also working to soon enable outbound payments, allowing Vietnamese users to scan QR codes in China.
Once fully implemented in both directions, the system is expected to significantly drive tourism and trade growth between the two countries, while reinforcing Vietnam’s position in the regional digital economy./.
