Which payment gateway to integrate for the Vietnamese market
Choosing the wrong payment method is a silent reason customers abandon their carts before you even realize it.
Prioritize local payment methods: e-wallets (MoMo, ZaloPay), VNPay gateway, QR code transfers, and cash on delivery, as these are the most familiar payment methods for Vietnamese people. International cards should be available but are not the main focus. Properly integrating local payment methods helps significantly reduce cart abandonment rates.
- mass retail, prioritizing e-wallets, QR codes, and cash on delivery
- selling to corporate clients, requires clear reconciliation and invoicing
- selling to international clients, requires foreign currency payment gateways
- only attaching international card ports, missing out on most Vietnamese customers
- stuffing too many gateways causing confusion at checkout
Buyers in Vietnam have payment habits that differ significantly from the Western market. International credit cards are not the first choice for most domestic customers. If your website only supports international cards, a large number of customers will leave at the payment step. Not because they do not want to buy, but because there is no suitable payment method.
Which method Vietnamese people actually use.
According to market research on payment in Vietnam, four methods account for the majority of domestic e-commerce transactions. These are e-wallets (MoMo, ZaloPay), QR code transfers (VietQR), the VNPay aggregator, and cash on delivery (COD). International cards have a place but are not the main focus.
This means in practice: if you overlook any of these methods, you are narrowing the pool of customers who can complete purchases directly on your website.
Factors to consider before integrating
- What payment methods do your customers prefer: individual customers favor e-wallets and cash on delivery, while corporate clients typically prefer bank transfers and require invoices.
- Transaction and reconciliation fees: Each gateway has a different fee structure. It's important to understand the fees before signing a contract to calculate the selling price.
- Is there built-in web support: VNPay has plugins for WooCommerce and Shopify, significantly reducing integration time and costs.
- Order tracking and shipping reconciliation flow: integrating shipping is not just about delivery, but the entire flow from order creation, label printing, to status updates for customers.
When to choose which direction
Mass retail in the domestic market: Must include e-wallets, QR codes, and cash on delivery. International cards are secondary, not the main focus. Aggregator gateways like VNPay help consolidate multiple methods into a single integrated point, reducing technical complexity.
High-value business customers or orders: Prioritize bank transfers and platforms that can issue invoices, with clear reconciliation. Collecting payment upon receipt is less suitable for high-value orders.
There are international customers: Adding support for international cards and foreign currencies. This is an additional layer and should not be the starting point if most customers are still Vietnamese.
Common errors when integrating
- Only attach international card ports: missing out on a large number of regular customers who use e-wallets and pay on delivery.
- Piling on too many gateways: The more options there are at checkout, the more confused customers become and the more likely they are to abandon their carts. Choose just enough, not the maximum.
- Forget the shipping reconciliation flow: Integrating delivery without a reconciliation process leads to confusion in after-sales, especially when order volumes increase.
- Let customers guess the order status: Lack of automatic update notifications increases unnecessary customer service inquiries.
The payment method is not a technical detail. It is part of the shopping experience. If customers cannot find a familiar way to pay, they will not make a purchase, even if they want to.
Practical experience of Sinh Vũ
The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ
Sinh Vũ integrates payment gateways and connects shipping providers into the sales website, prioritizing domestic methods. The payment flow is designed to be streamlined: customers select familiar methods, confirm quickly, and avoid excessive page transitions.
Sinh Vũ builds the technical flow and connects the gateway. The service contract with the payment gateway provider and the shipping company is in your name and operated directly by you. This way, you maintain control and commercial relationships with the stakeholders.
In terms of shipping, popular domestic providers typically have an API (application programming interface) or plugins integrated into the main web platform. More important than choosing which provider to use is designing the correct flow: creating orders, printing labels, updating statuses, and reconciling at the end of the day. If you do not consider this flow from the beginning, it will become a time-consuming manual task as orders start to increase.
Decision checklist
Topic: Payment gateways and shipping for the Vietnamese market. Sinh Vũ Handbook, sinhvu.com
Tick each item that applies or that you can already answer, then print or save as PDF to take with you.
If you have marked most of the signs above, this is the time to discuss in more detail. Sinh Vũ can help you review and propose a direction.
References
CartDNA: Shopify Payment Methods in Vietnam. Mad Devs: Leading Payment Gateways in Vietnam. NORBr: Payment Methods in Vietnam. Practical experience from Sinh Vũ.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to integrate both MoMo and ZaloPay, or just one?
You do not necessarily need to have both from the start. If resources are limited, begin with an aggregator like VNPay, which supports multiple wallets and cards in a single integration point. As order volume increases and you understand which wallets customers use more, you can add separate integrations if needed.
Does collecting payment upon receipt complicate reconciliation?
Yes, if there is no clear process. Collecting payment upon receipt requires manual reconciliation or through the shipping unit's invoice, which can easily lead to oversights if the order volume is large. Sinh Vũ encourages setting up a reconciliation process from the start, even if it’s just a simple spreadsheet, to avoid confusion later.
This article is for reference. The scope, pricing, and specific commitments of Sinh Vũ are detailed in the proposal and signed contract.