> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.fizen.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 115 Million Korean Accounts Can Now Scan and Pay in Vietnam. Here Is How It Works. - URL: https://blog.fizen.io/how-koreans-pay-in-vietnam-qr-2026/ - Published: 2026-08-30T03:38:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-31T13:41:01.000Z - Description: Korea to Vietnam is one of Asia's busiest travel corridors, and it just got a payment rail. Over 115 million Korean accounts can now pay by QR in Vietnam, with the usual caveats nobody prints on the poster. - Author: Quinn Dao - Tags: QR Pay, Travel, Guide **Key takeaways** - A cross-border QR service between Vietnam and South Korea lets more than 115 million Korean user accounts pay through e-wallets or banking apps in the GLN International network at acceptance points across Vietnam. - The Vietnamese side runs on the NAPAS network, the same rails behind VietQR, which is why acceptance is counted in hundreds of thousands of points rather than a handful of tourist districts. - The same programme has extended to Chinese tourists: since April 2026, Alipay users can scan VIETQRGlobal codes at merchants in the NAPAS network. - Coverage is not universal. A merchant needs to be in the participating network, and a QR sticker on a table is not proof that your specific app is accepted there. - Rates and any fees are set by your Korean bank or wallet, not by the merchant, and they are the part worth checking before you fly. Korea to Vietnam is one of the busiest travel corridors in Asia, and until recently the payment experience did not reflect that. A Korean visitor landed in Da Nang with a phone full of payment apps that all stopped working at the border. That has changed: a cross-border QR service now lets more than **115 million Korean user accounts** pay through e-wallets or banking apps in the GLN International network at acceptance points across Vietnam. ## Why this one is different from a tourist gimmick Because of what it plugs into. The Vietnamese side runs through NAPAS, the national payment switch behind VietQR, which is the network the corner cafe and the market stall already use. That is why the acceptance figure is counted in hundreds of thousands of points rather than in shopping malls. The same infrastructure push has opened the Chinese corridor too: since April 2026, Alipay users can scan VIETQRGlobal codes at merchants across the NAPAS network ([The Paypers](https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/napas-ant-international-and-vietcombank-launch-vietnamchina-qr-payments?ref=blog.fizen.io), [VietnamPlus](https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnamchina-qr-payment-expansion-boosts-tourism-business-opportunities-post340444.vnp?ref=blog.fizen.io)). [NAPAS, Ant International and Vietcombank launch Vietnam-China QR paymentsChinese tourists can use Alipay to scan VIETQRGlobal codes and pay directly at merchants within NAPAS' network across Vietnam.The Paypers](https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/napas-ant-international-and-vietcombank-launch-vietnamchina-qr-payments?ref=blog.fizen.io) ## What to check before you fly - **Is your specific app in the network?** GLN International covers a large set of Korean bank and wallet apps, but not automatically every one. Confirm in your own app rather than assuming. - **What rate does your bank use?** The merchant charges dong. Your Korean provider decides what that costs in won, and that spread is the real price of the transaction. - **Is there a per-transaction or daily cap?** Cross-border QR products usually have them, and they tend to be low enough to matter for a hotel bill but not for lunch. - **Does the merchant's QR belong to the participating network?** A QR sticker is not a promise. Small merchants often display codes from several schemes at once. ## The honest read This is a genuine improvement and it is worth setting up before you travel. It is also a network product, which means it works beautifully right up until the moment it does not, and the moment it does not is usually a small merchant outside the participating set, on a Sunday, with a queue behind you. Treat cross-border QR as the primary method and keep something that does not depend on your home bank's network as the backup. Every experienced traveller in Southeast Asia ends up carrying two payment methods for exactly this reason, and the second one earns its place about once a trip. ## What actually works from day one The backup worth having is one that pays the same VietQR codes without routing through a Korean bank, a Vietnamese bank or any network agreement between them. Vietnam runs on QR. Nearly every cafe, pharmacy, market stall and taxi takes [VietQR](https://blog.fizen.io/vietqr-for-foreigners-2026/), and almost none of them take a foreign card without a fee. The loop most visitors get stuck in is that paying by QR normally needs a Vietnamese bank account, and a Vietnamese bank account needs residence status. [Fizen's QR Pay](https://fizen.io/?ref=blog.fizen.io) exists for exactly that gap: scan the same code the locals scan and pay from a USDT balance in a self-custody wallet, with no Vietnamese bank account and no local ID involved. It is built for foreigners spending in Vietnam, which is precisely who is reading this. The other thing to sort before you land is data, because every one of these apps needs a connection to set up. [Fizen's eSIM](https://fizen.io/esim?ref=blog.fizen.io) covers 150+ countries from $4 and installs in one tap, so you arrive online rather than queuing at an airport SIM counter. ## Frequently asked questions #### Can Koreans pay by QR in Vietnam? Yes. A cross-border QR service lets more than 115 million Korean user accounts pay through e-wallets or banking apps in the GLN International network at acceptance points across Vietnam, running on the NAPAS network that also carries VietQR. #### Which Korean apps work for QR payments in Vietnam? Those participating in the GLN International network, which covers a large set of Korean bank and wallet apps. Confirm inside your own app before you travel rather than assuming coverage, since participation varies by provider. #### Does Alipay work in Vietnam? Since April 2026, Alipay users can scan VIETQRGlobal codes and pay at merchants within the NAPAS network in Vietnam, under a programme run with Ant International and Vietcombank. Acceptance depends on the merchant being in that network. #### What exchange rate do I get paying by QR in Vietnam? The merchant charges in Vietnamese dong. Your home bank or wallet decides the rate and any fee applied when converting, so the cost sits with your provider rather than the merchant. Check that rate before you travel, since it is usually larger than any visible fee. #### What should Korean travellers use as a payment backup in Vietnam? Some cash for the smallest purchases, and one QR method that does not depend on a network agreement between your home bank and a Vietnamese one, so that a merchant outside the participating network does not leave you stuck. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/04/ee/04eee3a6-7d95-474c-80a5-48f84338363b/content/images/2026/08/_b_korea_vn-2.png) #### Pay by QR in Vietnam without a local bank account Fizen QR Pay lets travellers scan the same VietQR codes locals use and pay straight from a self-custody USDT balance. Travel eSIM in 150+ countries from $4 in the same app. Backed by a strategic investment from Tether. [Get the app](https://link.fizen.io/s/B3Aenpj7fz?ref=blog.fizen.io) ### Terms and conditions - **Not advice, and not affiliated.** This article describes third-party apps and rules as published and as of 26 August 2026\. Fizen is not affiliated with MoMo, ZaloPay, VNPAY, NAPAS or any bank named here. Onboarding rules change without notice; the app itself is the authority on what it currently requires. - **Verify before you travel.** Acceptance, limits and registration steps vary by merchant, bank, nationality and the version of the app you install. Test a small payment before relying on any method. - **Availability.** Fizen is not offered to US Persons. Product availability varies by country and can change without notice. QR Pay is built for foreigners and travellers spending in the supported markets, not for local residents of those markets. - **Self-custody.** You hold your own keys. No one, Fizen included, can restore your wallet if you lose your recovery phrase. - **Rates and fees.** Exchange rates and third-party fees apply at the point of conversion and are not set by Fizen. Compare the amount actually charged, not the headline rate. - **Full terms.** [Master Terms of Use](https://fizenltd.mintlify.app/master-terms-of-use?ref=blog.fizen.io), [Privacy Policy](https://fizenltd.mintlify.app/privacy?ref=blog.fizen.io) and [Disclaimer](https://fizenltd.mintlify.app/information/disclaimer?ref=blog.fizen.io). As reported in 2026\. Vietnam-China QR programme via [The Paypers](https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/napas-ant-international-and-vietcombank-launch-vietnamchina-qr-payments?ref=blog.fizen.io) and [VietnamPlus](https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnamchina-qr-payment-expansion-boosts-tourism-business-opportunities-post340444.vnp?ref=blog.fizen.io); VietQR background via [Wise](https://wise.com/sg/blog/vietqr-for-foreigners-guide?ref=blog.fizen.io). Fizen is not affiliated with NAPAS, GLN International, Alipay or any bank named here. ### Paying in Vietnam, the rest of the series - [Can foreigners use MoMo?](https://blog.fizen.io/momo-for-foreigners-vietnam-2026/) - [ZaloPay for foreigners](https://blog.fizen.io/zalopay-for-foreigners-vietnam-2026/) - [The best local pay wallet for foreigners in Vietnam](https://blog.fizen.io/best-vietnam-local-pay-wallet-foreigners-2026/) - [VietQR for foreigners, explained](https://blog.fizen.io/vietqr-for-foreigners-2026/) - [Fizen QR Pay vs LocalPay vs Moreta Pay](https://blog.fizen.io/fizen-qr-pay-vs-localpay-vs-moreta-pay/) - [Apps that scan QR codes in Vietnam](https://blog.fizen.io/mobile-apps-to-scan-qr-codes-in-vietnam-a-complete-guide/) - [Paying in Vietnam without a bank account](https://blog.fizen.io/how-to-pay-vietnam-without-bank-qr-pay/) - [How Chinese tourists pay in Vietnam](https://blog.fizen.io/how-chinese-tourists-pay-in-vietnam-2026/) - [How Indians pay in Vietnam by QR](https://blog.fizen.io/how-indians-pay-vietnam-qr-2026/) ### The full comparison - [MoMo vs ZaloPay vs VNPAY vs VietQR: which one a foreigner can actually open](https://blog.fizen.io/momo-vs-zalopay-vs-vnpay-foreigners-2026/)