HÀ NỘI — The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) and Weixin Pay on Thursday announced the expansion of cross-border QR payment services between Việt Nam and China, marking a new step in strengthening digital payment connectivity between the two countries.

The partnership completes NAPAS' QR payment connection with Weixin Pay, giving Chinese visitors a seamless way to pay by scanning VietQRGlobal codes at outlets across Việt Nam. The service is expected to reach more than one billion Weixin Pay users in China.

Weixin Pay, also known as WeChat Pay, is one of China's most widely used mobile payment platforms, providing online and in-store payment services across a broad range of sectors.

Under the cooperation, Chinese travellers can use the Weixin app to scan VietQRGlobal codes at retail stores, restaurants, hotels, accommodation providers and tourist attractions nationwide. Transactions are processed through the payment infrastructure jointly operated by NAPAS and Weixin Pay, with BIDV serving as the settlement bank to ensure fast and secure payments.

NAPAS said Weixin Pay is the third Chinese payment platform to complete cross-border QR payment integration with its network, reinforcing Việt Nam's national payment infrastructure and supporting growing demand from Chinese consumers and visitors.

CEO of NAPAS Nguyễn Quang Minh said the partnership marks an important milestone in expanding the international reach of Việt Nam's digital payment infrastructure.

"The connection completes QR payment interoperability for Chinese visitors in Việt Nam, while extending VietQRGlobal to one of the world's largest user markets. As demand for cross-border payments continues to grow alongside tourism, trade and the digital economy, we expect this cooperation to improve customer experience and strengthen economic ties between Việt Nam and China," he said.

BIDV CEO Hoàng Việt Hùng said the expanded service would provide a more convenient payment option for travellers while helping connect the two economies through modern financial infrastructure.

As the settlement bank and payment acceptance network developer, BIDV would continue working with the Government, the State Bank of Vietnam and its partners to promote cashless payments, support businesses and boost tourism and trade, he said.

Ben Yang, Executive Director of Weixin Pay for Southeast Asia and North America, said the initiative would improve the travel experience for Chinese visitors, encourage spending and help Vietnamese businesses better serve international customers.

NAPAS said the three partners are also studying the next phase of the project, which would allow Vietnamese travellers to use domestic banking apps and e-wallets to scan QR codes and make payments in China, creating a more seamless cross-border payment ecosystem for tourism, trade and economic exchanges. — VNS