Paying by QR code in Da Nang: which apps work and why does the exchange rate vary?

Recent experience indicates that QR payments are accepted not only in malls but also by street vendors. App reliability can differ: VTB did not work, Sber did not read every code, while T-Bank worked in all reported attempts.

T-Bank performance may depend on the type of VietQR: payments reportedly failed for courier QR codes, while checkout-counter QR codes sometimes worked.

Sber QR payments can have a noticeably worse conversion rate: on about VND 3 million, the reported loss was roughly RUB 1,000. Bybit funded through P2P was suggested as an alternative for QR payments.

When paying via VietQR in the Sber app, the QR code may need to be scanned repeatedly: a payment can go through after 3–7 attempts.

In addition to the already mentioned services, Gazprombank’s app and LocalPay are also used in Da Nang for payments via local VietQR codes.

QR payment and card payment are not the same: card payments go through the Mir payment system, while QR payments go through VietQR. The app is not directly tied to the card.

RSHB (Rosselkhozbank) cards are also accepted for QR code payments at shops in Da Nang.

The Bybit app also works for QR payments in Da Nang, alongside Sber, VTB, and Binance.

Binance Pay QR payments work reliably at cafes and shops in Da Nang. However, the exchange rate varies each transaction and is typically below the market rate — with a market rate of 26307, actual transactions went through at 25892, 26210, and 26220. The difference is due to Binance's dynamic rate at the moment of payment.

QR payments are made through a bank's mobile app, not directly with a card. Sber and VTB apps work for QR payments in Vietnam. Tbank's app also supports this feature but is unreliable — payments fail more often than they succeed.