Zalo also charges 5,000 VND for logging back into your account.

Many readers sent comments to Tuoi Tre Online shared the view that Zalo needs to charge fees to better serve its users; however, there were also many criticisms of the "vague" way the fees are collected.

Zalo uses the excuse of a busy system to subtly force users to pay for messaging and calling - Photo: DUC THIEN

Regarding the article "Zalo charges users for creating new accounts," many readers have sent their feedback to Tuoi Tre Online , including many opinions that agree and disagree.

Many users have reported that the Zalo platform subtly forces them to send text messages to a service number at a cost of 1,000-5,000 VND per message, depending on the number, to obtain verification codes when registering a new account, recovering a password, or switching to a different device; or to call the service number at a cost of 1,000 VND per minute.

Zalo needs to cover its expenses to survive, but the 5,000 VND fee is "a bit high".

Many users believe that Zalo is a domestic application that has been free for quite some time, and now that it's charging only a few thousand dong, it deserves support.

"Zalo has offered its services for free to users for many years. Now that it's difficult to sell advertising, they also need to charge fees to survive. It's only a few thousand dong. We should be understanding so they can continue to live and serve for a long time," wrote reader Nguyen Van Thuat.

Similarly, reader Minh Trieu commented: "Zalo's quality is quite good; I'd like to support this by paying a few thousand dong for high-quality Vietnamese products."

According to An G, the 5,000 VND fee is the same as the motorbike parking fee, not much, but perhaps people are used to free services and are now reacting negatively.

"I don't see the fee as much, but people have a habit of wanting everything for free and then complaining," reader Tài commented.

To explain the messaging fees in more detail, reader Kennedy stated that Zalo has to pay the network provider to send the OTP code to the verification phone number; it's not free.

For those who frequently forget their passwords, constantly clicking "forgot password" and resending the OTP is inconvenient for Zalo, as they have to pay the network provider for the OTP. Therefore, account holders incur a fee every time they need to retrieve an OTP. However, according to this reader, the 5,000 VND fee is "a bit too high."

Don't use the "system is busy..." excuse.

Conversely, many users are dissatisfied with Zalo charging fees while consistently claiming to be a free application.

"Even after getting a new phone and logging back into my own account, Zalo still charged me 5,000 VND for sending a message to get the activation code," one reader wrote.

This viewpoint was shared by many readers. "The app doesn't automatically save messages, which is restrictive. Images disappear after a while, while messages from other apps remain intact for 10 years. Now they're even asking for money," reader Beo commented.

Many others also believe that Zalo needs to be more transparent and clear about its messaging fees, as the charges are insignificant and don't warrant ambiguity.

"If there are fees, they should be clearly stated. If it brings benefits, users won't mind spending a few dollars to subscribe," commented reader Tra Hoa.

Similarly, reader Thich Cmt also suggested that Zalo, now that it has become a popular application, should have maintenance fees cleverly implemented to "accumulate small amounts into a large sum, so as not to alienate users."

Many users have suggested that Zalo should clearly state that obtaining the verification code is done through a premium rate service and that customers have to pay for it, instead of resorting to "tricks" like announcing: "The system is busy, we cannot automatically send the verification code at this time" to subtly pressure users.

You can't get the verification code without spending money.

On the morning of February 16th, a reporter from Tuoi Tre Online tried to register a new Zalo account and received the message: "The system is busy and cannot automatically send the verification code at this time," along with a suggestion: "To receive the code immediately, you can…", followed by the option to send a text message to the number 6020 (1,000 VND/SMS) or call the hotline 19001223 (1,000 VND/minute).

The same notifications and suggestions appeared when we tried switching accounts to a different phone or adding another account to the app we were using.

Tuổi Trẻ Online has also forwarded readers' questions to Zalo and is awaiting a response from the platform.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dang-nhap-lai-tai-khoan-cung-bi-zalo-thu-phi-5-000-dong-20250216111019161.htm