Recently, NAPAS, Ant International, and Vietcombank have introduced a cross-border QR code payment service for transactions between Vietnam and China.
According to the arrangement, Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam can use Alipay to scan VIETQRGlobal codes at merchants connected with NAPAS’ network, thereby completing payments directly. These transactions are processed through the combined infrastructure of NAPAS and Ant International, with Vietcombank acting as the settlement bank. Transactions are settled in local currencies—both CNY and VND—to eliminate the need for on-site currency conversions.
Technical Architecture and Settlement
The underlying technical architecture links Vietnam’s national retail payment system with Ant International’s platform. NAPAS operates as the domestic QR code payment operator, while Vietcombank’s settlement system handles cross-currency clearing between the two markets. This initiative aligns with prior bilateral cooperation commitments on retail payment connectivity agreed upon by both governments.
This service is designed to address a significant commercial need. China constitutes one of Vietnam’s main sources of inbound tourism, and offering familiar payment methods at the point of sale aims to enhance user experience for Chinese visitors. Businesses within NAPAS’ merchant network are expected to see an expansion in their customer base without needing additional payment infrastructure.
Moreover, authorities are working on enabling outbound functionality, allowing Vietnamese users to scan QR codes from merchants in China and making a fully bilateral payment corridor possible. However, no specific timeline for this phase has been disclosed.
Regional Context and Ecosystem Implications
Cross-border QR code interoperability is increasingly prominent across Southeast Asia, with several bilateral corridors already established between countries like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The Vietnam-China link adds to this regional trend by connecting a rapidly digitalizing domestic market with one of the world’s largest mobile payment ecosystems.
This integration benefits Vietnamese merchants, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which can now accept payments from Chinese visitors without having to install separate Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals or enter into agreements with foreign payment providers. The use of QR code infrastructure in both markets eases the onboarding process.
The initiative showcases NAPAS’s strategic direction, aimed at expanding VIETQRGlobal’s reach across multiple international markets as part of Vietnam’s digital payment development strategy. Similarly, Ant International has been pursuing similar bilateral QR arrangements throughout Asia to extend Alipay’s cross-border utility beyond China’s borders.
