Vietnam - China: Cross-border QR payment connection

From December 2, the QR code payment systems between Vietnam and China officially connected, promoting bilateral trade and tourism.

Cross-border payment infrastructure

The announcement ceremony of bilateral payment connection via QR code between Vietnam and China took place on December 2 in Hanoi, marking a new milestone in the process of connecting payment infrastructure between the two economies .

The event was organized by the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) in coordination with the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam ( Vietcombank ) and UnionPay International (UPI), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Delegates perform the ceremony to announce the bilateral retail payment connection via QR code between Vietnam and China. Photo: Duy Minh.

Accordingly, NAPAS, Vietcombank, UPI and ICBC have completed the technical phase, officially bringing bilateral retail payment services to the market, paving the way for a unified and secure cross-border digital connection standard between the two countries.

From today, Chinese tourists can scan the VIETQRGlobal code at shopping malls, tourist areas, restaurants, and retail stores in Vietnam. The list of payment acceptance units ranges from the Center Retail supermarket system, the Highland Coffee chain to the Sun World entertainment ecosystem.

From an infrastructure perspective, this is a significant expansion of the digital payment acceptance network in Vietnam, creating a cross-border connection standard based on a QR code platform upgraded from the VIETQR standard set.

At the event, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - Director of Payment Department, State Bank of Vietnam emphasized that this project is the result of a process of continuous work and efforts of related units; QR Code has gone through an impressive journey, from a new technology to a popular payment habit, contributing to the construction of modern economic and social infrastructure.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - Director of Payment Department, State Bank of Vietnam spoke at the event. Photo: Duy Minh.

According to the plan, in early 2026, NAPAS and UPI will continue to connect outbound, allowing Vietnamese users to scan QR codes of the UnionPay network when going to China.

“When two-way payment is completed, the cross-border QR ecosystem will be closed, fully meeting the spending, travel and work needs of people of the two countries,” said Mr. Pham Anh Tuan.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh - General Director of NAPAS assessed that this connection brings a seamless and convenient payment experience, contributing to strengthening financial connectivity, promoting the use of local currency and developing trade and tourism. By sharing infrastructure, standardizing technical standards and synchronous coordination between parties, the project is creating a digital traffic route between two markets with the largest trade density in the region.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh - General Director of NAPAS speaking. Photo: Duy Minh.

Direct benefits for tourism and trade

Citing data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the Director of the Payment Department, State Bank of Vietnam said that in the first 9 months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 15.4 million international visitors; of which, China was the largest market sending visitors with nearly 3.9 million, an increase of 43.9% over the same period.

It can be seen that the demand for spending and payment at destinations of Chinese tourists is extremely large, the implementation of cross-border QR payment service today takes place at the right time when the market accelerates.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - General Statistics Office of Vietnam, Director of Payment Department, State Bank of Vietnam affirmed that the project brings a happy ending to the payment sector this year and opens a positive start for the new year 2026; reflecting the market's great expectations for the standardization of non-cash payments for the group of customers with the highest frequency of travel and shopping in the Vietnamese market today.

Using cross-border QR codes, Chinese tourists do not need to carry cash or do complicated currency conversions, while Vietnamese businesses can access a large source of Chinese visitors through a payment method familiar to them. Transaction flows will be more consistent, reducing risks and reducing operating costs.

On the other hand, when the outbound channel is activated, the prospect of “millions of Vietnamese tourists using their own banking apps to scan QR codes in China” will become a reality, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan emphasized. From commercial payments to simple shopping, Vietnamese tourists can use the same payment methods that are familiar in the country, eliminating foreign currency barriers and conversion costs.

Chinese tourists scan VIETQRGlobal code to pay in Vietnam. Photo: Duy Minh.

Mr. Larry Wang - Vice Chairman and General Manager of UnionPay International highly appreciated the impact of the project: "Optimizing the cross-border payment experience will facilitate economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries."

For Vietnam, the VIETQRGlobal standard helps international tourists easily identify acceptance points, and at the same time helps Vietnam promote its QR brand further. This is also an opportunity to bring Vietnam's QR Code brand to the world and form a comprehensive digital service ecosystem.

Previously, in October 2024, during the official visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Vietnam, witnessed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries, UPI and NAPAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in implementing cross-border payment services via QR codes. UPI, NAPAS and two settlement banks from China and Vietnam, ICBC and Vietcombank, signed a four-party cooperation agreement, affirming their common commitment to implementing bilateral retail payment connections via QR codes between Vietnam and China.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/viet-trung-lien-thong-thanh-toan-qr-xuyen-bien-gioi-432988.html