Wondering if I need cash for taxis in Vietnam or if I can just pay with card or app like in other countries?
I traveled solo through Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Hue. In Hanoi, Grab worked really well card linked and everything digital. But in Hue and Ninh Binh, there were barely any Grab cars, and I had to take local taxis. None accepted cards, and in Hue one taxi even insisted on exact change. It’s best to keep a bit of cash handy for areas where apps aren’t available or for backup in case your phone battery dies. Also, some hotels can call trusted taxi drivers, but again cash only. Even some high-end hotels couldn’t guarantee a driver with a card reader.
In Da Nang and Hoi An, I found that Grab and Be both worked, but coverage was thinner compared to Hanoi or HCMC, especially late at night. I had to use a local taxi in Hoi An, and they asked for cash no card reader, no app. I paid 150,000 VND in bills. If you're heading into smaller towns or rural areas, assume taxis will be cash-only. Even the hotel-arranged drivers in those regions preferred cash. I used a Wise Visa card to withdraw from TPBank ATMs with no fee and kept about 500k VND in notes for transport just in case.
In Ho Chi Minh City, I used Grab to get to and from my hostel in District 1, and it worked flawlessly with my Revolut Mastercard. But one time I flagged down a Vinasun taxi from outside Ben Thanh Market the driver didn’t take cards, only cash. I asked about card machines and he said “broken,” which seemed like the norm. Also, they don’t use QR codes or local e-wallets like MoMo for foreigners. If you want to avoid cash entirely, stick to Grab or Be (another ride-hailing app in Vietnam) both accept in-app card payments.
I just got back from two weeks in Vietnam and used Grab almost exclusively for getting around Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. You can link a card (Visa/Mastercard) in the app and pay digitally no need to carry cash for those rides. It worked great with my Wise debit card. That said, if you're using regular street taxis like Mai Linh or Vinasun, most of them are still cash-only, even in big cities. Always carry some small denominations of Vietnamese Dong just in case.