For South Korean travelers in Vietnam, paying for coffee, taxis, or hotel bills may soon feel much more like paying at home.
BIDV, Vietnam National Payment Corporation (NAPAS), South Korea’s KEB Hana Bank, and GLN International have launched a cross-border QR code payment service linking Vietnam and South Korea, as both markets push deeper into cashless retail transactions.
The service allows South Korean visitors and residents in Vietnam to use their domestic banking apps and e-wallets to scan QR codes at payment acceptance points across the country, BIDV said.
NAPAS will operate the Vietnam-side network through VIETQRGlobal, while GLN International will connect participating South Korean banks and apps.
BIDV and Hana Bank will act as clearing banks, supporting transaction processing between the two markets.
The launch follows a cooperation agreement signed at the Vietnam–South Korea Economic Forum in August 2025.
BIDV said system integration and infrastructure development were completed in less than a year.
Pham Anh Tuan, director of the Payment Department at the State Bank of Vietnam, said the initiative is intended to promote bilateral QR-based retail payment connectivity, improve user convenience, and support trade and tourism between the two countries.
The rollout comes as Vietnam continues to attract strong inbound travel demand. The country recorded more than 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, up 20% year-on-year.
South Korea was the second-largest source market, with about 4.3 million arrivals, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the total. Vietnamese outbound travel to South Korea reached about 550,000, up 9%.
For Vietnam, the service adds another layer to its digital payments infrastructure. For South Korean consumers, it removes one of the common frictions of overseas travel: switching payment habits at the border.
Nguyen Quang Minh, general director of NAPAS, said expanding cross-border QR payment connectivity remains a priority in developing Vietnam’s payment infrastructure.
Hana Bank and GLN International also indicated plans to broaden cooperation and expand digital financial services beyond payments.
