

Maximize your withdrawals of Vietnamese dong.Look for Maestro or Cirrus logos if you want to withdraw money with a debit card. Withdrawing money by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) is possible at almost every ATM however, it is a lot more expensive.Check with your own bank what they charge for PIN payments abroad. There are limits for foreign bank cards (2 to 10 million VND) and you usually also pay a fee (25.000-50.000 VND €/$1-2) to the Vietnamese bank. ATMs are readily available in every city in Vietnam. If lost, it is likely that you will need to go to a major city to have them replaced.A second way to get money in Vietnam is to withdraw cash at an automated teller machine (ATM). They can be cashed in at leading banks and exchanges, as well as at airlines and high-end hotels for a small commission. Traveler’s ChecksĮncashing and using traveler’s checks in not the best option in Vietnam, although it is a good to carry a few in case of emergency. If needed, you can also get a cash advance at the bank drawn on your credit card. Airlines, travel agents, upscale hotels and restaurants, as well as shops catering to tourists, are all glad to accept major credit cards such as American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. Credit and Debit CardsĪlthough credit cards are not widely accepted in Vietnam’s smaller towns, plastic is just as useful as dollars and dong in larger cities, especially Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

With the proliferation of ATMs in most cities, however, many travelers opt simply to use their debit cards instead. In fact, the best rates are given by gold and jewelry shops, but they offer no security against short changing or counterfeit bills. The process is faster at the private exchange, although the rates are not as good sometimes. The process of changing cash has improved over the past few years, but a long wait at the banks is still a norm. If you are planning to stay in Vietnam for more than a few months, consider opening your own account. Larger withdrawals can be arranged with a bank teller. Unlimited number of withdrawals may be made in a day, but each is limited to 2,000,000 dong, with a fee for each withdrawal, usually between US$ 2 and US$ 5. Money is issued only in the Vietnamese currency, calculating dollar withdrawals at the daily official rate of exchange. All provide instructions in Vietnamese and English, and are available 24 hours a day. Now they are found virtually everywhere there is a bank. In 1999, there were only two ATMs in the country, both in Hanoi. Most private currency exchanges set their own hours. While it can vary marginally in different cities and banks, banking hours are generally from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, with some banks closing at midday for lunch. Going to banks for currency exchange or credit card withdrawal is more time consuming than an ATM or private exchange.
#VIETNAM CURRENCY RATES PLUS#
All maintain offices and ATMs throughout the country, and are connected to Plus ATM network. Vietnam’s leading banks are Vietcombank and Sacombank, while the most common international banks are ANZ and HSBC. All notes bear Ho Chi Minh’s visage, and notes from 10,000 upwards are made of polymer. The most common is 50,000d note which is worth about US$ 3. Bear in mind that the dong cannot be converted outside Vietnam. It is also advisable to keep some dong notes and coins at hand for day-to-day expenditure. Always ensure that these notes are in mint condition. Though it is not “official,” US dollars are now accepted everywhere, especially in tourists zone. The current rate of is about 22,000d to US$ 1. The dong, abbreviated to VND or d, is the Vietnamese unit of currency. See this detailed guide to know more about banking and currency in Vietnam. Remember to carry a sufficient amount of Vietnamese currency to such places, although you will never be more than a day’s journey from a banking facility of some kind. While currency exchanges and Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are common in most towns and cities, this is not yet the case in rural and remote areas. Many shopkeepers catering to tourists are also happy to accept US dollars, through they may charge a two percent transaction fee. Traveler’s checks can be cashed at banks and well-established hotels in Vietnam accept them as payment. In all major cities, as well as towns of appreciable size, financial services are abundant.
