Deploying cross-border QR payments between Vietnam and China

(Chinhphu.vn) - The QR payment system between Vietnam and China has officially come into operation. The first phase applies to Chinese visitors in Vietnam, allowing payment via VIETQRGlobal; payment for Vietnamese people in China is expected to be implemented from 2026 according to the plan of the parties.

Representatives of units performing the ceremony to activate bilateral retail payment connection via QR code between Vietnam and China - Photo: VGP/HT

From commitment to cooperation to infrastructure connection

On December 2 in Hanoi, the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) in collaboration with UnionPay International (UPI), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam ( Vietcombank ) held a ceremony to announce the bilateral retail payment connection via QR code between Vietnam and China.

The event marks the official launch of the service after a period of technical implementation with the cooperation of four parties. The service aims to serve the payment needs of tourists and people when traveling, consuming and transacting between the two countries.

According to information at the announcement ceremony, in October 2024, during the official visit to Vietnam of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, witnessed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries, UnionPay and NAPAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in implementing cross-border payment services via QR codes.

Next, UPI, NAPAS and two settlement banks, ICBC and Vietcombank, signed a four-party cooperation agreement, agreeing to deploy bilateral retail payment connection via QR code between Vietnam and China. After a period of technical implementation, the project has now been completed and ready to supply to the market.

The service aims to serve the payment needs of tourists and people when traveling, consuming and transacting between the two countries - Photo: VGP/HT

Two-way payment implementation plan

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Payment Department (State Bank of Vietnam) said: In the first phase, the service is deployed in the Vietnam inbound direction. Accordingly, Chinese tourists can scan the VIETQRGlobal code to pay at payment acceptance points in Vietnam, including commercial centers, shopping areas, tourist attractions, restaurants and retail stores.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - Director of Payment Department (State Bank of Vietnam) spoke at the event - Photo: VGP/HT

Some retail and service systems participating in the payment acceptance network include the supermarket chain of Central Retail Vietnam Group, Highlands Coffee chain of stores and units of the Sun World ecosystem.

According to the plan, in early 2026, NAPAS and UnionPay International will complete the reverse connection (Vietnam outbound). At that time, Vietnamese users can scan QR codes using payment applications of NAPAS member organizations to pay at UnionPay network units in China.

The two-way implementation will form a complete cross-border QR payment ecosystem between the two countries.

According to the representative of the State Bank, the bilateral retail payment connection has contributed to promoting trade and tourism between Vietnam and partner countries.

"The QR payment connection project between Vietnam and China is one of the most anticipated projects in 2025. The official launch of the service in the last months of the year is considered an important milestone in the payment sector this year. It is expected that the payment method for Vietnamese customers in China will be deployed in the first quarter of 2026," said Mr. Pham Anh Tuan.

According to the State Bank of Vietnam, in the first 9 months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 15.4 million international visitors, an increase of 21.5% compared to the same period in 2024. China is the largest market sending visitors, with nearly 3.9 million, an increase of 43.9% over the same period. These figures show that the demand for cross-border payments is real and increasing.

Mr. Larry Wang, Vice President and General Director of UnionPay International, commented: Vietnam is an important economic and trade partner and a key tourist destination of China.

According to UPI representative, the cross-border QR connection project takes advantage of the local currency payment mechanism.

"UnionPay will continue to cooperate with NAPAS to build a regional payment ecosystem that is open, safe and efficient," affirmed Mr. Larry Wang.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh - General Director of NAPAS speaking at the event - Photo: VGP/HT

Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh, General Director of NAPAS, said that under the direction of the State Bank of Vietnam, NAPAS has proactively deployed international connections to develop cross-border payment solutions between Vietnam and countries in the region.

"The bilateral retail payment connection via QR code between Vietnam and China is the result of close cooperation between NAPAS, UPI and banks. This service not only brings a seamless and convenient payment experience to people of the two countries, but also contributes to strengthening financial connectivity, promoting the use of local currencies in cross-border payments, and developing trade, tourism as well as broader economic cooperation between the two countries," said Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh.

In the project, the parties have coordinated to deploy digital payment infrastructure in a synchronous, safe and international standard manner. The project's goal is to provide a fast and convenient payment method for users of the two countries in the context of continued development of trade and tourism exchanges.

Based on the inheritance and expansion of the VIETQR standard currently applied to NAPAS 247 fast money transfer transactions, since the beginning of 2025, NAPAS has upgraded the set of technical standards to standardize QR code payment services for domestic retail payment transactions, while creating a platform to promote cross-border payment transactions. In the roadmap for implementing cross-border payment services using QR codes, VIETQRGlobal was chosen as the official name so that international visitors to Vietnam can easily identify QR code payment acceptance points in Vietnam, thereby making cross-border payment transactions quickly and conveniently.

Mr. Minh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/trien-khai-thanh-toan-qr-xuyen-bien-gioi-viet-nam-trung-quoc-102251202142234548.htm