Many special offers for cardholders during the year-end season.

Consumer spending increases seasonally towards the end of the year. Banks are offering various incentives to encourage consumers to use cashless payment methods.

Plenty of offers from banks

The consumer market is entering the year-end phase with large-scale promotional campaigns such as Black Friday, Christmas, New Year's Eve 2026, and Year-end Sale. Accordingly, credit institutions are also collaborating with retail corporations and major brands to launch credit card payment promotions.

For example, Agribank recently launched three cashback promotions when shopping and paying with JCB cards at UNIQLO stores. Accordingly, customers can receive 20% cashback on purchases of 1 million VND or more; or 300-600 thousand VND cashback on purchases of 2-3 million VND or more. These promotions are valid until the end of Q1/2026. BIDV offers a 200,000 VND cashback to customers with at least 5 transactions using BIDV JCB credit cards via Apple Pay within the first 30 days of adding the card to Apple Pay. MB offers a maximum discount of 500,000 VND on online purchases at The Gioi Di Dong or TopZone with a value of 5 million VND or more, paid with an MB Bank Mastercard credit card.

PVcomBank is offering a VND 1.5 million discount to PVcomBank Mastercard credit card holders when purchasing iPhone 17 models on installment plans at Di Dong Viet stores. Meanwhile,SHB is offering a maximum discount of VND 100,000 when using SHB Mastercard international cards for payments at AEON shopping malls nationwide, even for bills of VND 100,000 or more.

Along with promotional programs, each bank has its own ways of attracting customers to use cashless payment tools to encourage consumers to shop at the end of the year.

From now until January 31, 2026, Cake by VPBank is running a promotional program: “First Apple Pay Payment with Cake Card, Instant Cashback.” The first 5,000 customers who successfully link their Apple Pay account and make their first transaction of 200,000 VND or more will receive 50,000 VND cashback. This program applies to all Cake credit and debit cards. Previously, this bank became one of the few banks in Vietnam to fully integrate cardless payment methods compatible with a variety of smart devices (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Garmin Pay, and Click to Pay online payment). These contactless payment methods incorporate Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and tokenization encryption.

NFC combined with tokenization is becoming the global trend in card payments due to its ability to streamline transactions and maximize security. Card information is encrypted and cannot be disclosed during transactions, allowing users to pay faster, more conveniently, and minimizing fraud risks. In particular, the Click to Pay feature integrates two-factor authentication and 3D Secure, ensuring cardholder identity before the transaction is completed.

Customers can simply place their purchases in the bin and then swipe their card to pay.

Credit for daily living expenses is increasing rapidly.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam is among the top 10 countries with the highest e-commerce growth rate in the world, with a scale of over US$25 billion in 2024, accounting for about two-thirds of the value of the digital economy. Meanwhile, the Shopping Cart Abandonment Statistics 2025 report by SellersCommerce reveals that up to 70% of online shopping carts globally are abandoned. Of these, 25% of buyers are concerned about security risks; and 22% believe the payment process on e-commerce sites is time-consuming. Currently, when making electronic payments, customers have to manually enter a lot of information such as card number, CVV code, cardholder name, expiration date, etc., which discourages users from completing transactions and causes businesses to lose revenue opportunities.

Recognizing this trend, developers of cashless payment technologies are rapidly improving their solutions, contributing to the seamless development of cashless payments. According to statistics from the State Bank of Vietnam's Regional Branch 2, consumer credit outstanding in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai reached over 1.48 trillion VND by the end of September 2025, of which approximately 251.8 trillion VND was for the purpose of purchasing household goods and equipment, and for daily living expenses of individuals and households (including loans through card issuance).

A previous UOB survey of 1,000 Vietnamese users showed that the majority gave positive assessments of economic (83%), political (82%), and social (81%) stability, creating a sense of confidence as they entered the major year-end sales season. Vietnamese users consistently praised digital payments for their speed, convenience, numerous cashback and discount offers, and ease of use even in small grocery stores and street food stalls, making them particularly suitable for the fast-paced, high-volume, and continuous shopping season.

Experts predict that the rise of digital payments will be a highlight of the 2025-2026 shopping season, reinforcing the shift of consumers towards faster, more convenient, and cost-effective shopping. In particular, the frequency of using cashless payment tools such as digital banking apps and e-wallets among Vietnamese people, especially young people, is increasing sharply during promotional periods, particularly at the end of the year when people shop continuously.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/nhieu-uu-dai-cho-chu-the-dip-cuoi-nam-174846.html