How can international travelers pay and withdraw cash in Da Nang without a Vietnamese bank card?

QR payments through Sber may add roughly 8.5% in fees or conversion charges, so factor this into the cost when comparing it with exchanging cash.

For a holiday or short stay, you can generally manage without a local card. A practical backup is to bring cash in US dollars, euros or Chinese yuan and exchange it for Vietnamese dong.

Visa and Mastercard from non-sanctioned banks may work for purchases and cash withdrawals, but carry cash as a backup because card acceptance is not universal.

MIR cardholders report being able to withdraw cash through VRB. This can be a way to obtain dong, though it is wise to verify current availability and limits before travelling.

Some Russian banking apps support QR-code payments, including Sber, VTB, T-Bank, Gazprombank and MTS Bank. Availability depends on whether the individual merchant accepts QR payments.

For mobile service, buy a SIM directly from an official Viettel, MobiFone or VinaPhone shop rather than relying on an unofficial reseller.