International visitors explore cross-border payment solutions at Digital Finance Day in Ho Chi Minh City

The event opened on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday morning, and runs until Sunday.

Exhibition booths at the event attracted visitors from early morning, with a notable number of foreign attendees, particularly expatriates who have lived and worked in Vietnam for years.

These foreigners excitedly explored the latest digital financial services and payment technologies.

Banks and payment service providers are showcasing a range of cross-border QR payment solutions, highlighting cultural elements from markets already connected to Vietnam through QR payment networks, including South Korea, Singapore, China, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Julia, a tourist from the United States, shared that she arrived in Vietnam on the day of the event.

She happened upon the Digital Finance Day initiative while walking along Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street.

After participating in several activities at the VietinBank booth, she noted that she carries multiple international payment cards and is able to pay for a wide variety of services electronically.

“I prefer not to carry too much cash because I’m not familiar with local currency and there is the risk of losing it,” she said.

At the event, KiotViet is introducing VietQRGlobal, a cross-border QR payment solution developed in cooperation with the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS).

A KiotViet representative said that the platform allows visitors from countries such as China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Laos and Cambodia to use the payment applications they are already familiar with in their home countries when making purchases in Vietnam.

“With the number of international visitors to Vietnam continuing to grow, the ability to accept diverse payment methods is becoming increasingly important for businesses and merchants seeking to improve customer experiences and boost revenue,” the representative said.

South Korean tourist Kim Sang Sik, who visited the KiotViet booth, said he was able to complete a purchase instantly using the Naver Pay application with a simple QR code scan.

“Various payment options make traveling much easier,” he said.

Interest in cross-border payments was not limited to foreign visitors.

Hoang Yen Nhi, a 25-year-old resident of Ho Chi Minh City who frequently travels overseas, said she is particularly interested in payment solutions that offer convenience and continuity across markets.

“International payment cards have been around for a long time, but I’m still looking for financial products that are lighter, simpler and more secure,” she said.

“When I travel, I don’t want to install too many applications or go through multiple conversion steps.

“If a payment method works conveniently in Vietnam, I would expect it to work just as smoothly abroad,” she shared.

VNPT Money and Visa are treating visitors to a series of interactive activities in the event’s Payment Zone and FinTech Zone.

Visitors can test international QR payments in a Singapore-inspired environment, participate in zero-cost shopping experiences, and activate international transaction features to receive promotional vouchers worth VND300,000 (US$11.4).

A Visa representative said that the company’s partnership with VNPT Money is aimed at supporting the continued growth of Vietnam’s tourism industry by accelerating the adoption of global payment solutions.

Organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in collaboration with the Payment Systems Department under the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, and NAPAS, the Digital Finance Day 2026 was designed as an open, creative, and inclusive platform serving a broad range of audiences.