Can you use Grab or Maxim in Nha Trang with a foreign phone number and bank card?

Paying in Maxim: in September 2026 participants said they pay the driver in cash. A traveler who tried to link a bank card for cashless payment while still at home wrote that the app redirected her to Zalo and she could not get any further. If linking a card does not work, cash is the practical option.

Asked whether Maxim and Grab would work with a Russian phone number, a participant advised in August 2026: register once you are already in Nha Trang and enter your home number — the activation code will arrive via WhatsApp. In his experience, you do not need to switch to a Vietnamese number.

Maxim does not show Vietnam before you arrive: in August 2026 a traveler tried to check prices while still in Russia, and the app would not let him select Vietnam. In September participants explained that you do not need to switch anything manually — once you land, the geolocation changes and you can order a car. No separate app is needed for Vietnam; the one you already have installed works.

For Russian-speaking travelers, Maxim is convenient because the app works in Russian: in June 2026 a participant described it as "order and go, just like at home". For example, he suggested taking a Maxim to the northern port simply by entering "northern port" as the destination.

InDrive was suggested in June 2026 as an alternative: the app detects Nha Trang automatically, works without a Vietnamese number and, according to one participant, is cheaper than a taxi. Experiences differ: in September a traveler setting up apps before leaving home wrote that InDrive was confusing and offered no cash payment option, while Bolt would not let her choose Nha Trang and suggested other cities. This may be because the apps were opened before arrival.