Paying in Vietnam: QR codes, cards and Grab for Singapore visitors

Check the app and the specific merchant

Singapore’s SGQR combines multiple payment options; the Association of Banks in Singapore says the merchant’s displayed labels show which options are accepted. Your app must also support the relevant payment scheme. That description is about SGQR in Singapore; it does not establish that every Vietnamese QR code accepts PayNow or every Singapore banking app.

Before relying on a QR payment in Vietnam, check your bank or wallet provider’s current overseas coverage, the exact payment network and the merchant’s acceptance. Ask what currency and fees will appear before confirming. A familiar QR logo or a successful transaction at one shop is not a guarantee at another.

1. Check your app’s travel and payment settings before leaving Singapore.
2. At the shop, ask which network and apps its QR actually accepts.
3. Check the recipient, amount and currency on the confirmation screen.
4. Keep another way to pay if the scan is unsupported or the service is unavailable.

Grab rides and foreign-issued cards

Grab’s Vietnam Help Centre says that a payment card issued outside Vietnam incurs a 4% foreign payment fee, including VAT, on the final payment amount excluding tips for Grab rides, Food and Mart in Vietnam. Its intermediary payment provider Moca charges the fee. Your card issuer may separately apply its own foreign transaction or currency-conversion charges.

Illustration, not a live fare: if the eligible payment amount before this fee and excluding tips is 100,000 VND, 4% is 4,000 VND. The total would be 104,000 VND before any tip or separate issuer charges. Check the current amount and terms in the app; fares and fees may change. This is a Grab service fee, not Rabbit Bar’s in-store card fee.

For the trip to our venue, check the airport pickup guide. For a late return, see the 15B alley pickup guide and confirm your driver and destination in the app.

Card terminal currency and cash backup

A terminal or ATM may offer dynamic currency conversion (DCC): the merchant or ATM converts the transaction to your home currency. Visa says the choice, exchange rate and additional markup should be disclosed, and the cardholder can accept or decline the conversion. Compare what is displayed with your issuer’s terms; choosing VND does not eliminate every possible issuer fee.

Check the amount and currency before confirming and keep the receipt. Carry a practical amount of VND for businesses that do not accept your card or wallet. For notes and exchange questions, use the cash and exchange guide; rates and acceptance can change by provider.

Paying at Rabbit Bar: confirm before ordering

Rabbit Bar is our own venue at 15B/32 Lê Thánh Tôn, Phường Sài Gòn, Ho Chi Minh City, normally open 20:00–04:00 local time. The venue’s published information lists VND, USD, cards and USDT. Ask the venue which method, card conditions and any charges apply to your bill before ordering.

Do not assume a particular QR wallet is available at Rabbit Bar from a network announcement or a Grab payment method. Confirm the payment method directly with the venue. The Singapore visitor contact section and published price information are separate from Grab’s payment terms. Sending an enquiry does not itself confirm a reservation.

Questions before you go

Sources and what was checked

• Grab Vietnam Help Centre: payment methods and foreign-card fee
• Association of Banks in Singapore: how SGQR payment options are identified
• Visa: dynamic currency conversion, disclosures and cardholder choice

Sources checked 27 October 2026. Payment availability and terms may change. This is researched travel guidance, not a claim of first-hand visits or a live availability feed. Reconfirm the branch and terms before travelling.