HÀ NỘI — The Vimo Technology Joint Stock Company (Vimo.vn) and Southern Airport Services Joint Stock Company (SASCO) on Tuesday signed a co-operation agreement on launching electronic payment services for Asian tourists when travelling into Việt Nam.

From January 1, 2018, Asian travelers will be able to use electronic payments in Vietnamese currency (VNĐ) at SASCO duty-free and retail shops in the international terminal of HCM City’s Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport.

Foreign customers can use WeChat Pay electronic accounts installed on their mobile phones to scan quick response (QR) codes and make payments quickly and conveniently. One of the advantages of QR code payment is that customers do not need to carry a wallet or multiple cards, so they don’t have to worry about the security of their card information at payment points.

Nguyễn Văn Hùng Cường, SASCO’s deputy director, said that in accordance with the trend of electronic commerce, the company wants to catch up, leverage technology to optimise the business model, bringing convenience, options, quality and competitive prices to customers. The application of this advanced payment method also contributes to reducing the proportion of cash payments under the Government’s guidelines, he added.

VIMO e-wallet is the first payment intermediary in Việt Nam allowing travellers to use WeChat Pay e-wallets paid for goods in Việt Nam đồng currency at VIMO-accepting shops when traveling in Việt Nam. Currently, Vino.vn has nearly 500 stores accepting payments by WeChat Pay, including more than 50 stores of seven corporations at five international airports with direct flights to and from China.

According to Đỗ Công Diễn, general director of Vimo, Việt Nam is one of the most attractive destinations in the region for Chinese tourists, with an estimated 3.5 million arrivals and turnover of nearly US$3 billion in 2017. The co-operation among Vimo and other business units around the country will help build a secure, convenient non-cash payment environment for international travellers in general and Chinese travelers in particular when visiting Việt Nam. — VNS