Visa deepens partnership with Vietnam government to advance smart cities and digital payments

09/16/2025

• Digital Government Forum 2025 hosted by Visa for the second year running included government agencies, transit operators, banks, fintechs, and strategic partners in Vietnam, in line with Vietnam’s ambition to accelerate digital transformation and smart city development.

 

Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, reaffirmed its commitment to Vietnam’s digital transformation by hosting the Digital Government Forum 2025 in Hanoi. Held for the second consecutive year, the forum centered on the theme “Powering the Future of Smart Cities” and brought together government agencies, transit operators, banks, payment facilitators, fintechs, and strategic partners.

The event featured a dynamic lineup of speakers and sessions focused on enabling smart city ecosystems through digital innovation. Highlights included:

  • Digital Citizen ID presented by Ms. Bella Lai, Head of Visa Government Solutions, Visa Southeast Asia.
  • Unified Urban Mobility Payments led by Mr. Takayuki Fujimori, Head of Urban Mobility, Visa Asia Pacific.
  • Smart City initiatives leveraging VNPT capabilities presented by Mr. Nguyen Dang Thang, CEO, VNPT Money.
  • A panel discussion titled “Unleashing the Power of Smart City”, moderated by Ms. Dung Dang, Visa Country Manager for Vietnam and Laos, with participation from key public and private sector leaders including Ministry of Construction and Hanoi Metro.

“Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a regional leader in digital innovation, and the government’s vision for a smart, connected, and inclusive society is both ambitious and inspiring. At Visa, we are proud to be a long-term partner in this journey – supporting the government’s drive to modernize national infrastructure, accelerate digital transformation, and build a robust digital economy. Through our collaboration on citizen ID solutions, open-loop transit systems, and integrated payment platforms, we aim to help Vietnam unlock new efficiencies, expand financial inclusion, and deliver seamless digital experiences for every citizen. Together, we are laying the foundation for smart cities that are not only technologically advanced but also sustainable, secure, and accessible to all,” said Ms. Dung Dang, Visa Country Manager for Vietnam and Laos.

Visa’s global expertise in digital payments and citizen identity solutions is helping governments worldwide simplify public services, improve data connectivity, and promote financial inclusion. In Vietnam, Visa is actively supporting initiatives such as QR payments, digital disbursement of government budgets, and seamless urban mobility systems.

A key focus of the forum was the integration of Citizen Wallets into digital city platforms. These wallets enrich citizen data through payment insights, enabling personalized services and single-app access for both domestic and international transactions. According to McKinsey, digital IDs and wallets could save over 110 billion hours annually, unlock economic value equivalent to 3–13% of GDP, and bring millions of unbanked citizens into the formal economy1.

Visa is also working closely with ministries and agencies to build an open-loop payment ecosystem for public transport, allowing Visa cardholders to tap and pay across buses, metros, and other systems in major cities. These efforts aim to modernize infrastructure, boost tourism, and improve convenience for citizens and businesses.

Through public-private partnerships, Visa supports Vietnam’s digital transformation by helping regulators scale online public services, ensure platform interoperability, and uphold high standards of data security and cybersecurity.

In line with its sustainability goals, Visa is leveraging smart city data and analytics to promote environmentally friendly payment solutions that help reduce carbon emissions. Open payment innovations for public transportation also enable seamless mobility within digital city ecosystems.

Visa remains committed to working alongside the government of Vietnam and its partners to build smart, green, and livable cities – where every citizen can access digital services, make secure payments, and contribute to the country’s sustainable future.

 

 

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1 McKinsey Global Institute. Digital identification: A key to inclusive growth. 2019.

 

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.