Lessons · Level 1
1-2. Spending money — notes, payment, change and receipts
Trả tiền
🎯 Goal Tell banknotes apart, pay by cash, card or bank transfer (QR), and ask for change and receipts · about 30 min
3 ways to pay in Vietnam
All three are common in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Cash (tiền mặt) — still the default at markets, street stalls and small shops
- Card (thẻ) — supermarkets, chain cafés, restaurants in D2. In the South, swiping a card is cà thẻ ('ka theh')
- Bank transfer (chuyển khoản) — scan the shop's QR code with your banking app. Common even at street stalls. You need a Vietnamese bank account (covered in Level 2)
Notes of 10,000 VND and up are plastic (polymer); 5,000 and below are paper. Every note shows President Hồ Chí Minh, so tell them apart by color and number.
Telling banknotes apart
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| tờ năm trăm ngàn | 500,000 dong note (cyan blue) tờ = counter for sheets (paper, notes). The largest note. Similar in color to the 20,000 note | tuh nam cham ngang |
| tờ hai trăm ngàn | 200,000 dong note (reddish brown) Similar in color to the 10,000 note | tuh hai cham ngang |
| tờ một trăm ngàn | 100,000 dong note (green) | tuh mohk cham ngang |
| tờ năm mươi ngàn | 50,000 dong note (pink purple) | tuh nam mew-ee ngang |
| tờ hai mươi ngàn | 20,000 dong note (blue) | tuh hai mew-ee ngang |
| tờ mười ngàn | 10,000 dong note (brown yellow) | tuh mew-ee ngang |
| tiền giấy | paper money (5,000 dong and below) 1,000 · 2,000 · 5,000 VND. You'll often get these for parking and as change | tee-uhng yuhy |
Words for paying
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| tiền mặt | cash | tee-uhng mak |
| thẻ | card | teh |
| cà thẻ | to pay by card (Southern) North: quẹt thẻ | ka teh |
| chuyển khoản | bank transfer | chwee-uhng khwang |
| quét mã | to scan the code qu = 'w' in the South | wek ma |
| tính tiền | to pay the bill | tin tee-uhng |
| tiền lẻ | small change | tee-uhng leh |
| thối tiền | to give change (Southern) North: trả lại tiền thừa | toy tee-uhng |
| hóa đơn | receipt, bill | wa duhng |
Sentences at the checkout
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Tính tiền giùm em. | The bill, please. giùm = please (do it for me) (Southern) | tin tee-uhng yoom em. |
| Bao nhiêu tiền vậy chị? | How much is it? | bao nyee-oo tee-uhng yuhy chee? |
| Cà thẻ được không? | Can I pay by card? | ka teh dew-uhk khohng? |
| Chuyển khoản được không? | Can I pay by bank transfer? | chwee-uhng khwang dew-uhk khohng? |
| Em quét mã nha. | I'll scan the code. | em wek ma nya. |
| Có tiền lẻ không? | Do you have small change? | kaw tee-uhng leh khohng? |
| Em không có tiền lẻ. | I don't have small change. | em khohng kaw tee-uhng leh. |
| Chị thối thiếu rồi. | You gave me too little change. | chee toy tee-oo roy. |
| Không cần thối đâu. | Keep the change. | khohng kuhng toy duh-oo. |
| Cho em xin hóa đơn. | Can I have the receipt? | chaw em sin wa duhng. |
Real conversation — at a D2 bakery checkout
Minsu buys bread and coffee at a small bakery in Thảo Điền. He holds out his card, but…
| Staff | Dạ, của anh hết tám mươi lăm ngàn. | That's 85,000 dong in total. |
| Minsu | Cà thẻ được không em? | Can I pay by card? |
| Staff | Dạ, tiệm em chỉ nhận tiền mặt với chuyển khoản thôi anh. | Sorry, we only take cash or bank transfer. |
| Minsu | Vậy anh chuyển khoản nha. | Then I'll transfer. |
| Staff | Dạ, anh quét mã này nha. | Okay, please scan this code. |
| Minsu | Rồi, anh chuyển rồi đó. | Done, I've sent it. |
| Staff | Dạ, em nhận được rồi. Cảm ơn anh. | Got it. Thank you. |
| Minsu | Cho anh xin hóa đơn luôn nha. | Can I have the receipt too? |
| Staff | Dạ, đây anh. | Here you are. |
Tips for catching prices
- Shops often drop ngàn. Just tám mươi lăm means 85,000 VND.
- At markets people also use chục (ten). năm chục = 50 = 50,000 VND.
- hết ('hek') = 'all together'. Hết bao nhiêu? = How much is it all together?
- After a bank transfer, show the staff your transfer-complete screen to speed things up.
Watch out for payment scams and mistakes
- Before paying by QR, check the recipient's name matches the shop or the owner. There's a scam where a fake QR sticker is stuck over the real one.
- 20,000 ↔ 500,000 VND and 10,000 ↔ 200,000 VND look similar in color. Count the zeros when paying, and say the amount as you hand it over, like 'năm trăm ngàn nha'.
- Have your card swiped in front of you. If someone takes it out of sight, it's fine to follow them or say no.
- Count your change on the spot. If it's short: Chị thối thiếu rồi.