HCM CITY — The “Ting Ting Day” Festival on Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street in District 1 was launched this morning (June 14) as part of the 2025 HCM City Cashless Day programme, aimed at promoting cashless payments and the development of the digital economy.

The event is co-organised by the State Bank of Vietnam, Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper, the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, and the National Payment Corporation of Việt Nam.

As a key highlight of the 2025 HCM City Cashless Day, the festival offers thousands of visitors the chance to experience modern cashless payment methods — including cards and e-wallets — while purchasing food, drinks, beauty products, and a wide variety of other goods from participating businesses.

Visitors also enjoy special promotions and giveaways, take photos with eye-catching decorations, and play mini-games themed around cashless payment.

A modern take on the traditional market is simulated at the festival, where vendors promote their products via livestream and customers can purchase food items simply by scanning QR codes.

In addition, attendees can explore an exhibition showcasing the evolution of cashless payments in HCM City and discover the latest in financial technology from leading Vietnamese banks, e-wallet providers, and payment intermediaries.

Several visitors tried using their bank cards to pay for a metro ride simply by tapping the cards on a scanner — a quick and seamless experience.

Nguyễn Thúy Hằng, a resident of District 7, told Việt Nam News that she had once used her Visa card to pay for a ride on the Bến Thành – Suối Tiên metro line and found it highly convenient and time-saving.

“For many years, I’ve been using mobile apps and QR codes to pay for things at convenience stores and shopping malls. Cashless payment methods are really easy to use and much more convenient to carry around than a stack of cash,” she said.

The festival also features musical performances, large-scale gameshows, and livestream sessions promoting products and offering financial literacy education, attracting enthusiastic participation from young visitors.

The 2025 Việt Nam Grand Sale, a national promotional month, is being held alongside the event from June 14 to July 14 to help stimulate consumer demand. During this period, businesses are allowed to offer promotional discounts of up to 100 per cent of a product’s value, as opposed to the usual cap of 50 per cent.

Lê Hoàng Tài, Deputy Director of the Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that localities and businesses across the country will carry out promotional programmes alongside fairs, exhibitions, and other events to boost trade and attract international tourists during the summer.

As part of the 2025 Cashless Day and the Việt Nam Grand Sale, a 2025 Shopping Season will be held in HCM City in two phases: from June 15 to September 15, and from November 15 until the end of the year.

More than 10,000 businesses across various sectors will offer a wide range of promotional deals to attract customers — particularly targeting workers in industrial parks and export processing zones, as well as shoppers at major malls and city-wide events.

A conference on how cashless payment facilitates the development of the digital economy was also held today.

Experts discussed emerging consumer trends, the growing shift toward cashless payment, and its role in modernising traditional business models and supporting small-scale traders.

According to Phan Thị Thắng, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, it is essential to raise public awareness of cashless payment methods, invest in digital infrastructure, and provide training for small traders to keep up with modern trends.

A study conducted by Tuổi Trẻ newspaper and the Cốc Cốc web browser revealed that 59 per cent of surveyed participants prioritise cashless payments for daily purchases, with many preferring QR code transactions.

Since its launch in 2019, the annual Cashless Day event has promoted the benefits of cashless payments and digital transformation to millions of Vietnamese.

As of 2024, Việt Nam has recorded over 204.5 million bank accounts held by individual customers and 154.1 million bank cards in circulation. Nearly 87 per cent of Vietnamese adults now have a bank account. — VNS