Vietnam emerges as one of Asia Pacific’s most future ready consumer markets: Visa study

05/28/2026

• Findings from Visa’s latest Consumer 360 study show how confidence, technology and payment habits are shaping the next phase of commerce in Vietnam.

 

Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, today released new findings from its latest Visa Consumer 360 study¹, which surveyed 1,000 consumers in Vietnam, showing that Vietnamese consumers are entering the next phase of digital commerce with a level of confidence and readiness that sets them apart in Asia Pacific. 

The study identifies Vietnam as one of the most optimistic consumer markets in the region, even as confidence remains uneven across much of Asia Pacific, reflecting the country’s accelerating progress under its national digitalization agenda. This positive outlook is increasingly shaping how consumers in Vietnam shop, pay and engage with new technology. 

As confidence improves, Vietnamese consumers are showing greater willingness to adopt more advanced, digital‑first ways of shopping and paying, placing the country at the forefront of the region’s evolving commerce landscape. Vietnam stands out for its strong interest in AI‑assisted shopping and its leadership in cross‑border payment readiness. 

“Vietnam’s strong consumer confidence reflects the country’s broader economic momentum and the rapid maturation of its digital economy. This is translating into clear behavioral shifts – from growing openness to AI-assisted shopping to stronger readiness for cross-border digital payments. As the government advances its digitalization agenda, Visa is aligned with that ambition, working closely with ecosystem partners and policymakers to support an open and trusted payments ecosystem so innovation can scale while payments remain seamless and secure for businesses and consumers,” said Ms. Dung Dang, Country Manager for Visa Vietnam & Laos. 

 

 

From confidence to new commerce behaviors

One of the clearest signals of this shift is Vietnam’s openness to AI-assisted shopping. Visa Consumer 360 shows that around half of consumers across Asia Pacific are open to using AI agents to help them shop online, with Vietnam among the markets showing the strongest interest at 57%, compared to 50% for Asia Pacific overall.

These tools are expected to make shopping more efficient by helping consumers search, compare and complete purchases. At the same time, concerns around data privacy, accuracy and unauthorized payments remain important considerations, reinforcing the role of trust and transparency as AI becomes more embedded in everyday commerce.

Cross‑border payments reflect global readiness

Vietnam’s future readiness is also evident in how consumers pay beyond their borders. The study highlights Vietnam as a regional leader in multi-currency card adoption, with 56% ownership and 34% usage, compared to the Asia Pacific average of 52% ownership and 28% usage, reflecting growing demand for secure and predictable payment options when travelling or shopping internationally.

Across Asia Pacific, credit cards have overtaken cash as the preferred payment method for overseas travel, marking a broader shift toward payment methods that offer wider acceptance and stronger consumer protection. Vietnam’s position within this shift underscores its readiness for increasingly connected cross‑border commerce. 

The findings point to a market where consumer confidence is increasingly shaping how people engage with digital commerce, from everyday shopping to international travel. In Vietnam, growing familiarity with digital tools is lowering barriers to more advanced experiences, including AI‑assisted shopping and cross‑border payments. 

This momentum is also reflected in Visa’s role as a companion sponsor of Digital Finance Day 2026, an annual series of activities organized by Tuoi Tre Newspaper under the direction of the State Bank of Vietnam. Under the theme “Smart Payments Driving Digital Finance,” the initiative brings together policymakers, businesses and consumers to advance conversations around secure, innovative and inclusive digital payments – as highlighted in the Visa Consumer 360 findings.

 

 

“Over the past 30 years, Visa has contributed to the advancement of cashless payments in Vietnam by expanding card issuance, growing the payment acceptance network, building secure infrastructure standards, and introducing advanced payment technologies to the market. Looking ahead, Visa will focus on expanding QR payment infrastructure, strengthening AI readiness, and supporting businesses in capturing opportunities from digital payments more effectively,” said Mr. Kelvin Utomo, Head of Products and Solutions, Visa Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, at the press conference announcing Digital Finance Day 2026.

As commerce becomes more connected and automated, the ability to pay securely and transparently becomes a foundation rather than a feature. The Visa Consumer 360 insights highlight how trusted payment infrastructure supports this shift – insights that also underpin Visa’s engagement with initiatives such as Digital Finance Day 2026 – giving consumers the confidence to adopt new technologies while remaining in control of their spending decisions.
 

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¹ Launched in 2020 as Green Shoots Radar, Visa Consumer 360 is an ongoing study that tracks consumer spending patterns, payment preferences, financial attitudes, and emerging trends across Asia Pacific. The latest online survey gathered insights from 16,250 consumers aged 18–65 across 17 markets in January 2026, providing nationally representative views across the region. Key markets include Indonesia (1,500 respondents), the Philippines (1,000), and Vietnam (1,000). The study is a flagship research initiative led by Visa’s Asia Pacific Marketing Strategy, Insights and Analytics team.

 

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.