For a country with a high proportion of its population living in rural areas – who account for over 60% of the nation’s economic activity through agriculture, aquaculture, and rural trade – it is of absolute and critical importance that digital financial services be made accessible, inclusive, and tailored to the needs of these communities.
In Vietnam, the divide between cities and countryside is deepening. While one enjoys modern infrastructure and is attracting millions from foreign direct investment companies; paving the way for rising incomes, increased consumer spending, and a growing middle class – as was evident in the surge of urban per capita income reaching VND 6.9 million (≈ US$272) per month in 2024 – the other remains underserved; due to limited connectivity, low digital literacy, and a lack of available services.
Bridging this gap is, therefore, essential to Vietnam’s long-term development. In practical terms, advancing financial inclusion would enable greater economic participation from rural communities – leading to higher productivity, more stable incomes, and a more equitable distribution of wealth. It would significantly strengthen their national economy, by unlocking untapped potential.
Digital banking, if implemented strategically, can serve as the backbone of this transformation. By expanding access to financial services, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency for the same, it can empower rural individuals and businesses to fully, collectively participate in the formal economy.
Cash vs. Digital: Which, and why?
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For many in Vietnam’s rural communities, cash remains the most familiar means of exchange. It is tangible, trusted, and immediate. Farmers, small traders, and local markets rely entirely on cash transactions to conduct their daily business; reasons being the simplicity in context, where people’s lack of access to reliable internet, smartphones, or formal bank accounts create cash-reliant systems.
However, this continued dependence on cash – especially in the digital age – brings limitations.
Physical money is costly to print, transport, and secure. It also exposes individuals and small enterprises to risks of loss, theft, and counterfeit currency. In rural Vietnam, where cash accounts for nearly 80% of daily transactions, its heavy circulation burdens the logistics of financial management. Farmers and traders travel long distances to deposit or withdraw cash, spending valuable time and income on transport. Local businesses face liquidity challenges during peak seasons when physical cash runs short, slowing down trade and daily operations. Above all, perhaps the most defining limitation of cash, is its invisibility.
Cash transactions leave no trace, making it nearly impossible for households and micro-enterprises to build credit histories, or prove their financial stability; preventing them from accessing credit, insurance, or digital payment incentives that could improve their livelihoods. Moreover, during times of environmental disruption – such as severe weather, floods, or public health emergencies – the physical exchange of money can be disturbed and put off balance entirely, barring communities from engaging in basic economic activities.
Such a cash-dependent system is, therefore, keeping a large segment of the population outside the formal financial ecosystem; denying them – as mentioned above – opportunities for growth, security, and participation in the modern economy. It limits their ability to access savings accounts, credit facilities, or insurance products that could safeguard their livelihoods against risks. It also prevents them from receiving government aid, subsidies, or digital welfare which, today, relies more on electronic payment channels.
It is all to say, that the persistence of cash perpetuates inequality.
It reinforces it, by keeping rural communities locked out of systems that enable upward mobility. The natural, most sensible and effective alternative, therefore, is to develop and adopt digital alternatives to conducting transactions.
Bottom line – reducing reliance on cash is indispensable for Vietnam to achieve true financial inclusion.
Vietnam’s Book of Legal Whats & What Nots
In recognition of such challenges and opportunities, Vietnam’s regulatory bodies have been relentless in the adoption of initiatives and frameworks in support of advancing digital financial services.
The government has taken several policy measures that identify and position digital payments as a key driver of inclusive growth – aiming to ensure that every citizen has access to formal financial services.
One of those key policies is the National Financial Inclusion Strategy – a cross-government plan that aims to expand ownership of formal financial accounts to ensure affordable financial services reach remote and rural populations, with digital payments seen and utilized as a core instrument for such an expansive reach.
Complementing this, is Decision No. 1813/QD-TTg, the ‘Scheme on Development of Non-Cash Payments 2021-2025,’ which laid out concrete targets to scale up electronic payments across public services, retail transactions, and government collections.
The State Bank of Vietnam also issued Decision No. 810/QD-NHNN, a plan for digital transformation of the banking sector in 2025 through 2030. This mandates banks and payment intermediaries to adopt digital channels, strengthen mobile banking, deploy e-KYC and open-API systems to support faster, traceable payments.
Another major boost to fintech innovation came via Decree No. 94/2025/ND-CP, effective from mid-2025, establishing a regulatory sandbox ( – i.e., a controlled environment where businesses can test new products, services, or business models under the supervision of regulators) specifically for fintech and financial services. It created an effective way for new solutions – like novel credit scoring, peer-to-peer lending, and API/data sharing models – to be tested in a controlled environment, enabling thorough risk mitigation.
The government and the central bank are also running campaigns and operational measures to promote QR-code payment standardizations; encouraging merchants to accept non-cash payments by offering incentives (taxes, utilities, healthcare, etc.) and using other public-awareness tactics to drastically, and strategically, shift behaviour.
The Ripple Effects
The impact of such progressive policies is evidently visible: Vietnam’s fintech market grew to be estimated at about USD 16.9 billion in 2024 – its highest ever – and present forecasts suggest it may swell up to approximately USD 62.7 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of about 14.2%.
User adoption is escalating too. As of mid-2024, approximately 34 million e-wallets were actively in use, and given Vietnam’s high smartphone penetration – with over 84 million users and internet coverage exceeding 75% of the population – the expansion of digital payment systems is further being fuelled by greater accessibility, improving mobile connectivity, and increasing people’s ease and comfort with cashless transactions across all demographics.
Fintech apps – aided by government incentives and competitive innovation among providers like MoMo, ZaloPay, and VNPay – have also been driving digital adoption in smaller towns and semi-urban districts.
All this momentum and nationwide collaboration is undeniable proof of a cultural and economic shift in how Vietnam manages, moves, and perceives money.
As digital finance continues to penetrate rural and underserved areas, it is enabling individuals and micro-enterprises to participate more fully in the formal economy. The result is – naturally – a more connected, transparent, and resilient financial ecosystem; one that supports growth, empowers inclusion, and gives every Vietnamese citizen the essential tools to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
It is a truly pivotal moment in the country’s financial evolution, and the WFIS Vietnam 2026 arrives at just the right time – because the need for meaningful dialogue between government, industry, and community stakeholders has never been greater.
The platform – curated and hosted by Tradepass – brings together policymakers, banking leaders, fintech innovators, and technology partners under one roof to collectively address how Vietnam can continue to deepen financial inclusion, extend digital access, and build greater trust in a cashless future.
With discussions set to explore the next wave of digital banking, regulatory frameworks, and emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, and data-driven credit models, WFIS Vietnam 2026 aims to chart the country’s path towards a truly inclusive and innovation-led financial ecosystem.
The event will also recognize success stories from local fintech pioneers and global leaders that help shape Vietnam’s digitally innovative financial future.
WFIS Vietnam, therefore, intends to be far more than just a gathering of experts – it will be a platform for collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose; uniting all stakeholders around the collective vision of a digitally empowered Vietnam.
For more information on the upcoming event, log on to: https://vietnam.worldfis.com/