ZaloPay, ViettelPay, and VNPay: Can Vietnamese E-Wallets Receive Money From Abroad?

Vietnamese e-wallets like ZaloPay, ViettelPay, and VNPay dominate everyday spending inside Vietnam. They do not all handle inbound money from abroad the same way, though. This guide explains what each app actually is and which ones a sender abroad can realistically use. It also covers why VNPay in particular works differently than most people assume.

You want to send money home, and your family mentions a wallet you have never used yourself. Maybe it is ZaloPay, maybe ViettelPay, maybe VNPay shows up on a receipt somewhere. All three get lumped together as “Vietnamese e-wallets” in casual conversation. They are not interchangeable, though, and that matters a great deal when you are trying to get money from a bank account abroad into your family’s hands in Vietnam.

This guide breaks down what each of these three platforms actually does and whether a sender abroad can use them directly. It also covers what to check before you assume your family’s app of choice will simply work.

The Vietnamese E-Wallet Market at a Glance

Vietnam’s digital payment market is genuinely competitive, more so than almost anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Decision Lab’s Connected Consumer research for the second quarter of 2025 found MoMo leading user penetration at 64%. ZaloPay follows close behind at 43%. ShopeePay, VNPay, and ViettelPay follow, each carving out a smaller but meaningful share of daily transactions.

That competition matters for you as a sender. These apps behave differently rather than converging on one standard approach. MoMo built its early lead partly by courting remittance partners directly. That is why it shows up so often as a delivery option on international transfer apps. ZaloPay, ViettelPay, and VNPay each took a different path to get where they are today. Those different paths shape how well each one handles money arriving from outside Vietnam.

ZaloPay: Built on Zalo, Increasingly Remittance-Friendly

ZaloPay comes from VNG Corporation, the same company behind Zalo, Vietnam’s dominant messaging app. That connection is not incidental. ZaloPay rides on Zalo’s existing user base and social graph. That connection is part of why it reached 43% penetration so quickly.

Beyond peer-to-peer transfers, ZaloPay covers bill payments, mobile top-ups, e-commerce checkout, event ticketing, and even short-term loans. It functions as a genuine all-in-one financial app rather than a narrow payment tool. That range is a big part of its appeal to younger, urban Vietnamese users.

On the international side, ZaloPay has made real progress. Major remittance providers, including Remitly, list ZaloPay as a direct delivery option for transfers from countries like the United States. A sender abroad can, through a supported provider, route funds straight into a recipient’s ZaloPay balance. That money never has to pass through a separate bank account step first. Not every international provider supports this yet. Check whether your specific sending app or platform lists ZaloPay as a delivery option before assuming it will work.

ViettelPay, Now Viettel Money: Reach Beyond the Cities

Viettel Money, previously branded ViettelPay, comes from Viettel, Vietnam’s largest telecommunications company. This state-owned enterprise has a footprint that reaches deep into rural areas most fintech companies never bother with.

That telecom backbone is Viettel Money’s real advantage. MoMo and ZaloPay concentrate their strength in cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Viettel Money, by contrast, benefits from an agent network built on Viettel’s existing telecom shops and rural presence. For families in provincial areas without easy access to a bank branch, Viettel Money often fills a genuine gap.

Direct international delivery support for Viettel Money is less commonly advertised among global remittance apps compared to MoMo or ZaloPay. In practice, most senders fund a family member’s Viettel Money account indirectly. They send to a linked bank account first and let the recipient top up their wallet from there, rather than finding a provider that delivers straight into the wallet itself. Reaching a rural recipient might matter more to you than direct wallet delivery. If so, Viettel Money’s agent network is still worth knowing about, even if the international leg runs through a bank account first.

VNPay: Not Quite a Wallet the Way You Think

This is where the comparison gets genuinely useful. VNPay works differently from the other two in a way that trips people up. MoMo and ZaloPay are consumer wallets. You hold a balance inside the app itself, and that balance is what gets topped up or spent down.

VNPay is closer to payment infrastructure than a wallet you personally hold a balance in. VNPay-QR is a widely adopted QR payment standard. It sits embedded inside the mobile apps of many Vietnamese banks, rather than existing as a standalone app most consumers download and fund directly the way they would MoMo or ZaloPay. A VNPay QR code at a shop counter is usually a payment rail connecting a bank account to a merchant. It is not a separate wallet balance sitting apart from that bank account.

Practically, the question “can I send money into VNPay” is a bit like asking whether a debit card network can receive a deposit on its own. The honest answer is that money headed toward a VNPay-linked payment experience actually lands in the underlying bank account. VNPay is simply the rail that lets your family spend it afterward using a QR code. Your family might mention using VNPay to receive your transfer. If so, ask which bank account sits behind it, since that account, not VNPay itself, is what you actually need the details for.

So Can These Wallets Actually Receive Money From Abroad?

Pulling this together, the picture across Vietnamese e-wallets looks like this: ZaloPay increasingly can, through specific supported remittance providers, with direct delivery into the wallet balance itself. Viettel Money technically can through some routes. Direct-to-wallet delivery is less commonly offered, though, and a bank-first approach remains the more reliable path in most cases. VNPay is not really a deposit destination on its own at all. It operates as a payment rail sitting on top of a bank account rather than a separate holding balance.

The broader pattern across Vietnam’s digital payment ecosystem backs this up. Most international inflows still hit a bank account first, and the wallet layer handles how that money gets spent locally afterward. That is not a limitation so much as how the plumbing is actually built. A bank account remains the most universally reliable landing spot for money from abroad. E-wallets serve as the fast, convenient way your family actually spends it day to day.

The KYC Requirement That Applies to All Three

One rule cuts across ZaloPay, Viettel Money, and any bank account linked to VNPay alike. Full verification requires a Vietnamese citizen ID, specifically the chip-embedded CCCD now required under current State Bank of Vietnam rules. Foreigners living in Vietnam cannot complete this tier of verification, since they do not hold a CCCD. That is one reason expats often stick to a bank account with VietQR support instead of chasing full wallet access.

For your family receiving money from you, this should not be a new hurdle. It works fine as long as their CCCD is current and properly linked to whichever account or wallet you are sending to. Their identity documents might have lapsed, or never gotten updated to the chip-embedded version. That mismatch can quietly block a transfer no matter which of these three platforms you use, so confirm it before you send anything time-sensitive.

Choosing Between a Wallet and a Bank Account for Receiving

Your family might already actively use ZaloPay, with your sending provider explicitly listing it as a delivery option. If so, sending directly there is convenient and often just as fast as a bank transfer. They might rely more on Viettel Money because of where they live, or VNPay might come up because of how they pay at local shops. Either way, a bank account is still the more dependable target for the international leg of your transfer.

None of this means you need to become an expert in Vietnamese payment infrastructure before sending money home. It does mean asking your family one direct question before your next transfer. Which bank account sits behind whichever app they actually use day to day? That single detail settles almost every question this guide raises.

Where ZoltMoney Fits

ZoltMoney already supports delivery to Vietnamese bank accounts and e-wallets. The underlying bank account stays available as the most universally reliable option, regardless of which wallet your family prefers day to day. Check ZoltMoney’s current rate and delivery options before your next transfer. Confirm with your family which account or wallet actually works best for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send money directly to a ZaloPay account from abroad?

Yes, through specific supported providers. Some major remittance apps, including Remitly, list ZaloPay as a direct delivery option for international transfers. Funds land straight in the wallet balance rather than passing through a separate bank account first.

Does Viettel Money accept direct international deposits?

Direct-to-wallet delivery for Viettel Money is less commonly offered among international remittance providers compared to MoMo or ZaloPay. Most senders fund a linked bank account first and let the recipient top up their Viettel Money balance from there.

Can money be sent directly into VNPay?

Not really, since VNPay functions more like payment infrastructure than a standalone wallet with its own balance. VNPay-QR is typically embedded inside a Vietnamese bank’s app. Money intended for a VNPay-linked experience actually lands in the underlying bank account.

Do these e-wallets require a Vietnamese ID to receive money?

Yes. Full verification requires a chip-embedded CCCD under current State Bank of Vietnam rules. That applies to ZaloPay, Viettel Money, and VNPay-linked bank accounts alike. Foreigners without a CCCD generally cannot complete this level of verification.

Is it better to send to a bank account or an e-wallet in Vietnam?

A bank account is generally the more universally reliable landing spot for international transfers. It works regardless of which wallet your family prefers locally. E-wallets are excellent for how your family actually spends the money day to day. The bank account underneath is usually the safer target for the international leg itself, though.

Disclaimer

This blog is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. ZoltMoney facilitates transfers exclusively through authorised and fully licensed banking and financial partners. Wallet features, provider support, and verification requirements mentioned here are illustrative. They change as these platforms and State Bank of Vietnam rules evolve. Confirm current delivery options and requirements with your provider and your recipient’s bank or wallet before sending.