HCMC | Breakfast Talk | How can European travellers access local payment ecosystems in Asia?

how can European travellers and internationally mobile employees access local payment methods in Vietnam and Southeast Asia?

Overview

International mobility is growing across Southeast Asia, but payment experiences remain highly fragmented. European travellers and internationally mobile employees still rely heavily on cash and international cards, while local QR payment systems are becoming increasingly central to everyday transactions.

On Monday, 23 November 2026, CCI France Vietnam (CCIFV) invites you to a Breakfast Talk in Ho Chi Minh City: “International Mobility Challenges: Paying in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.”

This session will explore the main payment challenges faced by international users in Vietnam, the evolution of local payment infrastructure and the new solutions emerging to make local payments more accessible to European travellers.

Topics covered

• International mobility and payment challenges
• Payment habits in Vietnam
• Cash, international cards and local QR payments
• VietQR and local payment infrastructure
• Frictions faced by European travellers and internationally mobile employees
• Cross-border accessibility to local payment methods
• Emerging payment solutions in Southeast Asia

What will you learn?

• Understand how payment habits are evolving in Vietnam
• Compare cash, international cards and local QR payments
• Understand the main payment challenges faced by international travellers and employees
• Discover how VietQR and local payment ecosystems work
• Explore new solutions connecting European users to local payment methods
• Identify implications for companies managing international mobility and business travel

Agenda

9:00 – 9:15 AM | Welcome coffee & networking

9:15 – 9:25 AM | Introduction

International mobility and changing payment habits in Vietnam

9:25 – 9:45 AM | Finance / payments perspective

How international employees and travellers currently manage payments in Vietnam

9:45 – 10:05 AM | Pierre Lahbabi, Lumifin

Connecting European travellers to local QR payment ecosystems

10:05 – 10:20 AM | Discussion and Q&A

What still needs to change?

10:20 – 10:30 AM | Networking and introductions

Who should attend?

European and French companies operating in Vietnam, CEOs and business leaders, CFOs and finance directors, HR and international mobility managers, frequent business travellers, banking and payment professionals, fintech companies, travel and hospitality players, and organisations supporting international communities in Vietnam.

Speakers

Pierre Lahbabi

Co-founder and CEO, Lumifin

Pierre Lahbabi is Co-founder and CEO of Lumifin, whose app Lumi lets European travellers pay with local QR codes across Southeast Asia, starting with VietQR in Vietnam. He has built payment businesses from both sides, as an executive in large companies and as a co-founder of start-ups. At BNP Paribas he led marketing and innovation for payments worldwide and co-founded Lyf Pay. He then ran strategy and international development at Morpho (Safran group), was CEO of Galitt and headed the financial services business of Sopra Steria as a member of its Management Committee. He is a graduate of École Polytechnique and the Corps des Mines.

At Lumifin he is joined by Alexis Roque, co-founder of Bridge, as Chief Revenue Officer, and by an advisory board that includes Bhavesh Gupta, former President and COO of Paytm, one of the largest payment companies in India. Pierre spent several weeks this year in Hanoi and Da Nang, where Lumi’s beta started, and will share what it really takes to open Vietnam’s domestic payment rails to international users.

Frequently asked questions

How can European travellers and expats pay in Vietnam?
Travellers often combine cash and international cards, while local QR payments are becoming central to everyday purchases. This Breakfast Talk compares these three options and presents solutions that make local payments more accessible.

What is VietQR?
VietQR is one of the main QR code payment systems in Vietnam. The session explains how it works, along with local payment infrastructure.

Why does this matter for companies?
Companies that send employees abroad or organise business travel in Southeast Asia are directly concerned. The session highlights the practical implications.

Who is organising this event, when and in which language?
CCI France Vietnam, on Monday, 23 November 2026, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM in Ho Chi Minh City. The session is held in English.

Event Location