Vietnam QR Payments Guide 2026: Purple GLN App Review

Planning a trip to Vietnam? Forget the hassle of currency exchange and counting endless Vietnamese Dong notes! For a long time, many travelers, including myself, relied on travel cards for withdrawals, but still found themselves needing stacks of cash for everyday purchases.

Before, my partner and I would arrive in Vietnam without exchanging cash, relying solely on two travel cards. It meant frequent trips to ATMs, like the Shinhan Bank ATM near K-Market in Thao Dien, to withdraw 3,000,000 VND (~$120) at a time to pay for everything in cash.

But those days are over! The essential task of exchanging Vietnamese Dong for your Vietnam trip is now a thing of the past.

Introducing the Purple GLN App!

Since October 1st, 2025, the Purple GLN app has made its debut in Vietnam, enabling direct account linking and QR payments. This means no more fumbling with cash, struggling with large VND denominations, or getting confused during calculations. It's truly a game-changer!

Once you link your account and top up your balance (you can start with as little as ~$8 USD), you can use the app to scan QR codes at cafes or even cash-only restaurants, and the payment will be processed at the day's exchange rate.

I first tried it at a cafe that charges a 3% fee for card payments. Two coffees cost 130,000 VND, and when I scanned the QR code, the app showed that ~$5 USD would be deducted from my balance.

After confirming the amount, I simply hit 'Pay,' and just like that, the QR payment was complete, making me feel like a local! It's incredibly simple, fast, eliminates the risk of losing cash, and you don't even have to touch money. It's truly fantastic!

The Purple GLN app also allows you to withdraw cash. You can easily find BIDV ATMs, a common bank in Vietnam, and use the app to get local currency.

There's even an ongoing event offering a 45,000 VND cashback (~$2 USD) when you withdraw over 4,000,000 VND (~$150 USD).

Here's a photo of a QR code displayed at a barbershop inside Masteri Thao Dien where I got a quick haircut. While Vietnam uses various QR codes, most are compatible. However, occasionally you might encounter a QR code that doesn't link up.

In such cases, simply ask the merchant to show you a 'VIET QR' or present your Purple GLN app, and they can usually provide a compatible QR code for payment.

Payment was successful even at this barbershop that only accepted cash!

Once your payment is complete, a digital receipt will appear, which you can show to the staff for confirmation.

Even at Mixue, a popular spot often found in the basements of Vincom Malls across Southeast Asia, which used to be cash-only, leaving me disappointed when I didn't have enough local currency.

Now, I can simply use the QR code next to the counter and pay with Purple GLN! It's incredibly convenient!

Thanks to Purple GLN, I can now enjoy my life in Vietnam with just my phone and a travel card. Along with Grab and GreenSM, it has truly become an essential app for anyone traveling to or living in Vietnam!