Do foreign (CIS/Central Asian) bank cards work in Ho Chi Minh City, and where can I exchange currency?

From messages by 3 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 56 days ago

TL;DR

Cards from some CIS banks (e.g. Kyrgyzstan's Bakai Bank Visa) frequently fail at HCMC terminals and ATMs, showing errors like 'wrong PIN' even when withdrawing cash or transferring to a local Vietnamese account (e.g. BIDV). For currency exchange, local banks often refuse VND-to-USD/EUR conversion, so try jewelry shops like Ha Tam Jewelry instead.

What the community said

A traveler with a Bakai Bank (Kyrgyzstan) Visa card reported being unable to withdraw cash from ATMs or transfer funds to a local BIDV account — the system kept showing a 'wrong PIN' error. They were looking for money changers who accept such cards instead.

Bakai Bank Visa / BIDV ATM

Exchanging VND for USD or EUR at regular banks in Ho Chi Minh City can be refused outright — one traveler was turned down. As an alternative, try the jewelry shop Ha Tam Jewelry, which reportedly handles currency exchange.

Ha Tam Jewelry

A USD Visa card issued by a Kyrgyz bank failed when trying to pay at an H&M store — the terminal returned an error. It's worth carrying a backup payment method (cash or another card) if relying on a CIS-issued card at major chain stores.

H&M store / USD Visa card