A late-evening message from a customer in Hoi An: “Why does my bank app ask me to verify by branch when I’m nowhere near one?”
Moments like this are pushing Vietnam’s banks to rethink how every digital touchpoint, mobile, app, call centre, or branch must feel like one continuous journey. With AI entering centre stage, the opportunity to move towards a delightful customer experience has never been better
The Digital Banking Revolution is On
Vietnam’s digital banking momentum is accelerating. Customers increasingly expect seamless, intuitive experiences across every touchpoint, from payments to personal finance. AI is now at the heart of how banks in Vietnam design and deliver these journeys.
- Digital-only banks are setting the pace. The Asian Banker highlights Cake by VPBank as a leader, combining innovation with profitability in Vietnam’s fast-growing digital landscape.
- Banks are deploying AI for fraud detection, biometric verification, and real-time customer insights to strengthen trust and efficiency.
- Mobile-first strategies dominate, with apps integrating payments, lending, and account management into unified platforms.
In short, the market is ripe: demand is high, and digital banking solutions that deliver seamless CX are quickly becoming the norm.
Navigating Legacy Channels & Compliance Challenges
Even as Vietnam’s banks expand digital banking solutions, seamless customer journeys remain a challenge. Legacy systems can slow integration, and channels such as mobile apps, web portals, and branches can feel disconnected.
Regulatory change is accelerating too. From July 2025, the Vietnam Banks Association mandates biometric verification for corporate accounts and phases out magnetic stripe cards. These updates are opportunities to modernise systems, close accessibility gaps, and design digital journeys that are compliant, inclusive, and adaptive.
AI, PFM and More: Personalised Banking at Scale
Predictive Analytics & AI-driven segmentation allow offers, alerts, or insights timed to individual behaviour (e.g. when someone’s spending on groceries spikes). How else can financial tech lift CX to new heights? The answer lies in these key tools:
- PFM tools embedded in mobile or digital corporate banking solutions to help users visualise cash flow, forecast expenses, or manage savings/loans, across retail & SME clients.
- Automation of routine tasks (e-KYC, identity verification via VNeID, biometric checks, simple queries via chatbots/LLMs) reduces friction.
- AI-powered fraud monitoring in real time ensures security without adding unnecessary steps for legitimate users.
When executed properly, these tools offer banking not just faster, but more relevant and more human, despite the digital medium.
Unifying CX with Omnichannel Platforms
Consistency across channels is becoming a key differentiator for banks in Vietnam. Whether a customer is using a mobile app, walking into a branch, or interacting with a call centre, every touchpoint should feel seamless and connected. For both retail and corporate clients, this unified experience builds trust and improves engagement.
- Aligned Messaging: A customer checking a loan on mobile should see the same rates and documents in a branch.
- Seamless Handovers: Processes moving from chatbot to human support must carry full context.
- Single Customer View: Unify data from mobile, call centres, branches, and digital payments for a complete picture.
Building omnichannel experiences reduces duplication, enhances satisfaction, and lowers costs.
Looking Ahead Towards a Swipe-friendly Future
Vietnam’s digital banking sector is moving fast. To succeed, banks must not only build digital banking solutions but design experiences that are seamless, inclusive and compliant. Legacy systems and fragmented channels are real barriers but AI, automation, and PFM tools offer a way forward. Platforms like Clayfin’s can help bring it all together: unifying retail banking solutions, digital corporate banking solutions, and mobile banking into journeys that feel effortless.
Clarity, consistency and customer-centricity will separate the leaders from the laggards.
