Short answer: You need both — but you'll use cash far more than most travellers expect. Street food, local markets, motorbike taxis, small guesthouses, temples and pretty much everywhere outside Hanoi's Old Quarter and Ho Chi Minh City's tourist districts is cash only. Cards work at mid-range restaurants, large hotels and some shops — but ATM fees apply every time you withdraw. Here's exactly how to handle money in Vietnam without overpaying.
The Honest Reality of Paying in Vietnam
Vietnam is still a heavily cash-based country for day-to-day spending. This catches a lot of travellers off-guard, especially those coming from cities like Singapore or Bangkok where tapping a card works almost everywhere.
The Vietnamese dong (VND) comes in notes from 1,000 to 500,000. At today's rate, 1 USD ≈ 25,000 VND — which means you're regularly handling notes in the tens of thousands, and a coffee costs around 30,000–50,000 VND (roughly $1.20–$2.00). The numbers look big, but the actual amounts are small, which is why locals still strongly prefer exact change and cash transactions.
Cards are accepted at: large hotels, many mid-range and upscale restaurants in the main cities, official tour operators, shopping malls and some convenience stores (Circle K, Vinmart). Everywhere else — street food stalls, bánh mì carts, local markets, independent guesthouses, most motorbike taxi drivers and temple entry fees — it's cash or nothing.
ATM Fees in Vietnam — The Real Numbers
ATMs in Vietnam almost always charge a local fee on top of whatever your bank charges at home. This is where travellers bleed money without realising it.
| ATM Network | Local Fee Per Withdrawal | Typical Withdrawal Limit | Worth Using? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietcombank | ~44,000 VND (~$1.75) | 5,000,000 VND (~$200) | Best choice |
| Techcombank | ~44,000 VND (~$1.75) | 5,000,000 VND (~$200) | Good |
| Agribank | ~22,000 VND (~$0.90) | 2,000,000 VND (~$80) | Low fee, low limit |
| BIDV | ~44,000 VND (~$1.75) | 5,000,000 VND (~$200) | Common, reliable |
| Airport ATMs (any) | 165,000–220,000 VND (~$7–9) | Varies | Avoid if possible |
| Hotel lobby ATMs | 110,000–165,000 VND (~$4.50–7) | Varies | High fee |
On top of the local ATM fee, your home bank will likely charge a foreign transaction fee of 1.5–3% plus a flat withdrawal fee. If you're using a standard debit card, a single $200 withdrawal could easily cost you $10–15 in fees once everything is added up.
💡 The fix: Use a Wise or Revolut card with fee-free international withdrawals. Both cards give you at least one or two free ATM withdrawals per month and charge the real mid-market rate, not the bank's padded exchange rate. See our Wise vs Revolut comparison for the full breakdown.
Where Cash Is Non-Negotiable in Vietnam
- Street food and local restaurants — Pho stalls, bánh mì shops, market food courts and any family-run quán ăn (local eatery). These almost never have card readers.
- Motorbike taxis (Grab bike and local xe ôm) — Even with Grab, the cash option is common and preferred outside central areas. Cash-only is the norm for street-level xe ôm drivers.
- Markets — Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An Night Market, Dong Ba Market in Hue — all cash only.
- Small guesthouses and homestays — Most guesthouses below $30/night per room don't take cards.
- Temple and heritage site entry fees — The Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (180,000 VND), temple entry across the country — cash only at the gate.
- Bus tickets and local transport — City buses, open-tour sleeper buses between cities, local ferries.
- Pharmacy and small shops — Outside of Vinmart or Circle K chains, most pharmacies, small supermarkets and convenience shops are cash only.
Where Cards Generally Work
- Mid-range and upscale restaurants in Hanoi's Old Quarter, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hoi An
- Hotels and hostels rated 3-star and above
- Official tour operators and day trip agencies (though confirm before booking)
- Shopping malls (Vincom, Aeon Mall, Lotte Mart)
- Circle K and 7-Eleven convenience stores
- Most coffee chains (Highlands Coffee, The Coffee House)
- Online payments for accommodation (Booking.com, Airbnb)
⚠️ Watch out for card surcharges. Some tourist-facing restaurants and shops in Vietnam add a 2–3% card surcharge without telling you upfront. Always check before you hand over your card, especially at souvenir shops near major tourist sites.
How Much Cash to Carry Day-to-Day
This depends on how you travel, but here's a realistic guide:
| Travel Style | Daily Cash Budget (Approx) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (street food, hostel) | 200,000–400,000 VND ($8–16) | Street food 3× day, local transport |
| Mid-range (mix of restaurants) | 500,000–1,000,000 VND ($20–40) | Some sit-down restaurants, tours |
| Comfortable (hotels, tours) | 1,000,000–2,000,000 VND ($40–80) | Taxi, day trips, nicer meals |
Practically: withdraw in chunks of 3,000,000–5,000,000 VND at a time from a reliable ATM to minimise the number of withdrawal fees you pay. Keep 500,000–1,000,000 VND on you at all times — that covers a full day of meals and local transport with buffer.
Getting the Best Exchange Rate
The best rates in Vietnam come from two places: Vietcombank ATMs (which use the official interbank rate) and licensed exchange offices in gold shops (known locally as tiệm vàng) on the main streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The gold shop rate is slightly better than ATMs but requires you to have foreign cash to exchange.
Airport exchange booths offer poor rates — sometimes 5–10% worse than the street rate. Only exchange a small emergency amount at the airport and get the rest in the city.
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Wise and Revolut in Vietnam — Do They Actually Work?
Yes — both Wise and Revolut work well at Vietnamese ATMs and for card payments where cards are accepted. The key advantage is:
- Both charge the mid-market exchange rate (no marked-up bank rate)
- Both offer some free ATM withdrawals per month before fees kick in
- Wise charges a small fixed fee per withdrawal beyond the free tier; Revolut charges 2% after your monthly free limit
- Neither adds the foreign transaction percentage that most standard bank cards do
For a two-week Vietnam trip, either card can save you $20–40 compared with using a standard travel debit card from your home bank. See our full Wise vs Revolut comparison if you want the side-by-side breakdown.
Practical Money Tips Before You Travel to Vietnam
- Get your Wise or Revolut card before you leave home — both take a few days to arrive by post and can't be expedited once you're already travelling.
- Bring some USD in cash — Small US dollar bills ($1, $5, $10) are accepted in some tourist areas and are easy to exchange at any gold shop at a fair rate. Don't bring $100 bills with any marks or folds — many places won't accept them.
- Use bank ATMs inside branches, not freestanding street ATMs or ATMs in convenience stores, which tend to have higher fees and occasional skimming issues.
- Keep small notes — Getting change from a 500,000 VND note at a street food stall can be awkward. Ask your ATM for a mix of denominations or break large notes at a supermarket before heading to markets.
- Vietcombank over Citibank at airports — If you must use an airport ATM, Vietcombank is usually present and has more reasonable fees than international bank ATMs.
🇻🇳 Vietnam Money — The Short Version
Carry cash for everything at street level — food, transport, markets and most small guesthouses. Use your card (ideally Wise or Revolut) for hotels, tours and larger restaurants where acceptance is reliable. Withdraw in reasonable amounts from Vietcombank or Techcombank to keep fees down. The dong's large face values look alarming at first but you'll get used to it by day two.