Money in Hội An: Cash, Cards, ATMs & Local QR
Two things get you through Hội An: cash and QR codes. Cards work at the nicer hotels and a handful of tourist restaurants — but the tailor, the bánh mì cart, the parking guy, and half the cafés you'll actually fall for? Cash or a scanned QR, every single time.
Here's how money really works here: where to pull it out, what it'll cost you, and how to pay like you live here instead of hunting for a card machine that doesn't exist.
Getting cash: ATMs in Hội An
You'll never be far from an ATM in the Old Town, An Hội, or out toward the beach — but not all machines are equal, and the fees add up fast if you're not paying attention. Use VPBank if you can find one. It's the traveller's best friend here. You can withdraw up to 20,000,000 VND in a single transaction (roughly US$750–800, depending on the day's rate), and its own ATM surcharge is lower than most - so you're pulling out more cash for fewer fees. This is accurate, and tested, as of July 2026.
Here’s what you need to know before you hit the ATM Line
Your home bank still charges its own fee. VPBank's lower surcharge is great, but whatever your own bank or card provider tacks on for a foreign withdrawal still applies. Pull out a large amount in one go rather than making five small trips — you pay the fee each time.
There's almost always a line. Peak times (evenings, weekends) mean queuing. Build in a few minutes.
Machines run dry. It's not unusual for a popular ATM to be out of cash, especially around holidays. Don't count on your first machine working — you may need a second stop. Carry a backup card and don't leave your cash run to the last 100k in your wallet.
Skip the standalone "gold" or generic ATMs with sky-high flat fees if a bank-branded machine is nearby.
Denominations matter. ATMs love to spit out 500,000 VND notes, and nobody at the market wants to break a 500k for a 20k coconut. Ask for, or break down into, smaller notes early. And watch the two blue ones — the 20,000 and 500,000 notes look alarmingly similar. Mixing them up is the most common (and expensive) tourist slip in Vietnam.
Using Credit Cards in Hội An
More and more local spots are beginning to use cards - think, restaurants that target tourists and popular hot spots - but if you’re hitting up the market, leaving town, paying for a badminton court in the rice fields or grabbing Mixue from the location outside of Old Town - it’s cash or QR payment.
When you’re paying for street food, most local cafés, markets, xe ôm and Grab-cash rides, parking, small tailors, coconut-forest boats, entry tickets at smaller sites, still prefer cash.
Bring a card as a safety net and for big-ticket spends — but never assume it'll cover your day. If cards were all you had, you'd go hungry in the best parts of town that exist without a card reader.
QR payments: how locals actually pay
Vietnam runs on QR. Every café, market stall, and corner shop has a laminated code taped to the counter, and locals pay by scanning it - instant, free, no change fumbling. If you can get onto the QR network, you've basically unlocked the country. There are two ways in, depending on how long you're staying.
A local bank account + QR (easier than you'd expect)
Here's the good news nobody tells you: opening a local Vietcombank account on a tourist visa is genuinely painless in Hội An. No appointment, no residence card, no runaround. I walked into the branch with just my passport and tourist visa, and thirty minutes later I had a live account — they set it up and connected it straight to my phone. That gets you a local QR code and instant, fee-free payments anywhere a Vietnamese pays.
From there, pairing the account with a Wise card makes moving money in and out effortless. I send and receive internationally through Wise and top up as I go, at the real mid-market exchange rate instead of the quiet markup your home bank adds. For a family setting up here for a season, that combo — local QR for daily spending, Wise for the international side — is the whole system. [YOUR WISE AFFILIATE LINK]
One honest caveat: branch discretion varies across Vietnam, so a friend in another city might hear a different answer. But in Hội An it's been a simple walk-in. Bring a local SIM registered in your name too — you'll need it for the app's one-time passcodes. Your card and QR stay tied to your visa's validity, so when you extend your visa, pop back to update your details.
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Moreta Pay (for shorter stays, no local account needed)
Don't want the bank-account hassle? Moreta Pay is the traveller's shortcut. It lets you scan Vietnam's local QR codes and pay in your own currency, funded from your home bank or card — no Vietnamese account required. You verify with a passport and selfie, top up your wallet, scan the merchant's code, and pay instantly. Moreta Pay is simple to use, and allows you to pay like a local - no bank account required.
You can sign up for Moreta Pay app in minutes, and transfer seamlessly from your bank account to the Moreta Pay account. Since using Moreta Pay, there has been only one day of down time in more than one year.
Worth knowing:
It's QR-only — there's no physical card, so it won't cover the rare card-only spot.
Acceptance is wide but not universal; keep some cash for the stalls it doesn't reach.
It's most seamless if you fund from a US bank account, though EU/UK bank and international card top-ups work too.
For a two-week trip, Moreta plus a stash of cash covers almost everything without a single bank appointment.
Cash Tips/Practical Daily Use
Carry small notes. Markets, parking, Grab, and street food all want small change. Keep a fold of 10k–50k notes separate from your big ones. Once you break a 500k, consider it spent - as a good rule of thumb.
Tipping isn't expected, but rounding up or leaving small change for a great meal or a hardworking guide is genuinely appreciated.
Exchanging cash? Reputable gold/jewellery shops (tiệm vàng) in and around the Old Town often give better rates than hotels but since early 2026 there’s been finance changes in the country that have shut most of these shops down. Exchange with caution. We have still found locations that are willing to exchange, but they’re willing to accept only large bills. The exchange rate rivals that of the current market value - saving you a big chunk of change compared to the airport counter. Bills to be exchanged must be in pristine condition.
Keep a backup card in a different pocket or bag. One machine eating your card, or one bank flagging your withdrawal, shouldn't strand you.
FAQ
Can I use my credit card in Hội An? Yes, for more mainstream locations. Hotels, resorts, and bigger restaurants usually take cards (as long as you don’t mind the 3% surcharge). Street food, markets, cafés, tailors, and small tours are cash or QR only. Never rely on cards alone.
Where's the best ATM in Hội An for foreigners? VPBank — it allows large single withdrawals (up to 20 million VND) and has a lower machine surcharge than most. Just remember your home bank's foreign-withdrawal fee still applies.
How much cash should I carry in Hội An? Enough for the day plus a buffer, in a mix of small and large notes. Break 500,000 VND notes early — small vendors can't change them.
Can tourists pay by QR code in Vietnam without a local bank account? Yes — apps like Moreta Pay let you scan local QR codes and pay in your home currency, no Vietnamese account needed. It's QR-only, so keep some cash for spots that don't take it.
Can I open a Vietnamese bank account on a tourist visa? In Hội An, yes — and easily. I opened a Vietcombank account with just my passport and tourist visa, no appointment, in about thirty minutes, connected right to my phone. Branch discretion varies elsewhere in Vietnam, but locally it's a walk-in job. Bring a local SIM registered in your name for the app setup, and pair it with a Wise card for cheap international transfers.