Circular No. 45/2025/TT-NHNN amends and supplements certain provisions of Circular No. 18/2025/TT-NHNN on bank card activities

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 18/2024/TT-NHNN on bank card activities

 

Pursuant to the Law on the State Bank of Vietnam No. 46/2010/QH12;

Pursuant to the Law on Credit Organizations No. 32/2024/QH15 amended and supplemented by Law No. 96/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Anti-Money Laundering No. 14/2022/QH15;

Pursuant to Decree No.52/2024/NĐ-CP of At the proposal of stipulating on non-cash payments;

Decree No. 19/2023/NĐ-CP of the Government detailing some provisions of the Law on Anti-Money Laundering;

Decree No. 26/2025/NĐ-CPof the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the State Bank of Vietnam;

At the proposal of the Payment Department Director;

The Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam promulgates this Circular amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 18/2024/TT-NHNN on bank card activities.

Article 1. Amending and supplementing certain Clauses of Article 3

1. Amend and supplement Clause 15 as follows:

"15. A secondary cardholder is an individual permitted by the primary cardholder in writing (in case the primary cardholder is an individual) or authorized in writing by the primary cardholder to use the card of an organization (in case the primary cardholder is an organization).".

2. Amend and supplement Clause 24 as follows:

"24. Card acceptance devices at points of sale include Point of Sale (POS), Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS), and other types of card acceptance devices which are card readers and terminal devices installed and used at payment service providers' branches, transaction offices, and payment agency points (as stipulated in the Circular on payment agency activities) where cardholders can use cards to pay for goods and services. Card acceptance devices may be installed at branches, transaction offices, and payment agency points of payment service providers to provide cash to cardholders according to agreements between payment service providers and cardholders consistent with the scope of card usage as stipulated in this Circular.".

Article 2. Amend and supplement some clauses of Article 9

1. Amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

"2. Before concluding a contract for issuing and using cards upon customer request, the payment service provider requires the cardholder to provide complete documents, information, and data to identify customers in accordance with laws on anti-money laundering and related laws:

a) In the case of individual customers who are Vietnamese citizens, the payment service provider requests customers to provide identity documents to identify customers: Citizen Identification Card or Identity Card or Electronic Citizen Identification Card;

b) In the case of individual customers who are Vietnamese origin persons without confirmed nationality, the payment service provider requests customers to provide identification documents to identify customers: Certificate of Identity;

c) In the case of foreign individual customers, the payment service provider requests customers to provide identity documents to identify customers: Passport or electronic identity (through accessing an electronic identity account level 02) (if available). The payment service provider requests customers to provide necessary documents to verify the duration of residence permit in Vietnam;

d) In the case of corporate customers, the payment service provider requires customers to provide information, documents, and data to identify customers in accordance with laws on anti-money laundering and the provisions of this Article, including information, documents, and data of the legal representative of the corporation or the authorized representative of the corporation (hereinafter referred to as the legal representative) and secondary cardholders.".

2. Supplement Clause 2a, 2b after Clause 2 as follows:

"2a. After receiving all customer-provided documents, information, and data in accordance with Clause 2 of this Article, the payment service provider shall check the legality and validity of these documents, information, and data provided by customers and ensure their accuracy and consistency, and conduct verification of customer identification information in accordance with laws on anti-money laundering and the following provisions:

a) For individual customers:

(i) In cases where customers use an identity card, electronic identity card, citizen identification card (with encrypted information storage section) or electronic identity, the payment service provider must meet the customer in person and perform checks and verifications of identity documents, ensuring the accuracy of biometric information of the customer in accordance with Point b, Clause 1, Article 10 of this Circular;

(ii) In cases where customers use a citizen identification card (without encrypted information storage section), certificate of identity, or passport, the payment service provider must meet the customer in person and perform checks and verifications of identity documents, ensuring the accuracy of biometric information of the customer with the biometric information displayed on the identity document of that person;

b) For corporate customers: the payment service provider must meet the legal representative of the corporation in person to verify the information of the legal representative of the corporation in accordance with Point a of this clause;

c) The payment service provider is not required to comply with the provisions of Point b of this clause for the following organizations:

(i) State agencies, public service units;

(ii) Credit institutions, foreign bank branches;

(iii) Listed organizations under the Securities Law;

(iv) Organizations listed in the Fortune Global 500 list published by Fortune Magazine in the previous year;

(v) Other organizations selected by the payment service provider and fully responsible for risks arising from such selection. The list of organizations selected by the payment service provider must comply with internal criteria stipulated in regulations on issuing and using cards of the payment service provider. The payment service provider must ensure accurate verification of card-issuing customers and bear full responsibility for customer identification at its own unit;

d) In the case of customers registering transactions through online banking applications, the payment service provider must verify the information about the cardholder's phone number or the legal representative's phone number (for corporate customers) to ensure that the user of the mobile number matches the information on the identity document of that person.

2b. The provisions of Clause 2a of this Article do not apply to card issuance in accordance with Article 10 of this Circular.".

Article 3. Amend and supplement some points and clauses of Article 10

1. Replace the phrase "legal representative" with "person acting as legal representative" at point a, point b clause 1; point b clause 2.

2. Amend and supplement Clause 3 as follows:

"3. The issuance of electronic cards under this provision shall not apply to the objects specified in point b clause 1 and point b, point c clause 3 of Article 15 of this Circular."

Article 4. Amend and supplement point d clause 1 of Article 11

"d) Name and surname of the cardholder for individual cardholders; name of the organization and name and surname of the deputy cardholder for organizational cardholders. This provision does not apply to anonymous prepaid cards."

Article 5. Amend and supplement some points of clause 1 of Article 12

1. Amend and supplement point c as follows:

"c) Name of the Payment Service Provider; name and surname of the cardholder for individual customers; name of the organization, name and surname of the person acting as legal representative and name and surname of the deputy cardholder for organizational customers;"

2. Amend and supplement point h as follows:

"h) Scope, usage limit, validity period of the card. Usage period of the card for foreign cardholders according to the provisions of clause 4 of Article 15 of this Circular;"

Article 6. Amend and supplement clause 3 of Article 13

"3. For credit cards, the total cash withdrawal limit for the cardholder calculated based on the BIN of the credit card shall be a maximum of VND 100 million in one month."

Article 7. Amend and supplement some clauses of Article 15

1. Amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

"2. For main cardholders who are organizations: Organizations meeting the conditions to open a settlement account according to the law may use debit cards. Legal entities established and operating legally according to Vietnamese law may use credit cards and named prepaid cards. Main cardholders who are organizations must authorize in writing the deputy cardholders to use the organization's card according to the provisions of this Circular and the regulations on authorization."

2. Amend and supplement Clause 3 as follows:

"3. For deputy cardholders: The main cardholder commits in writing to fulfill all obligations arising from the use of the deputy cardholder's card according to the card issuance and use contract. Deputy cardholders can use the card within the specific scope designated by the main cardholder as follows:

a) Individuals aged 18 years or older with full capacity for civil conduct according to the law may use debit cards, credit cards, and prepaid cards;

b) Individuals aged 15 years or older but under 18 years old who have not lost or been restricted in their capacity for civil conduct may use debit cards, credit cards, and prepaid cards;

c) Individuals aged 6 years or older but under 15 years old who have not lost or been restricted in their capacity for civil conduct may use debit cards and prepaid cards upon written consent of their legal representative (the main cardholder)."

3. Amend and supplement clause 4 as follows:

"4. In cases where the subjects permitted to use cards under clause 1 and clause 3 of this Article are foreigners, the usage period of the card shall not exceed the remaining duration of their residence permit in Vietnam."

Article 8. Amend and supplement some points and clauses of Article 16

1. Amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

"2. Credit cards may be used to pay for lawful goods and services; withdraw cash according to the agreement between the cardholder and the Payment Service Provider; credit cards may not be used to transfer funds (or credit) into settlement accounts, debit cards, prepaid cards, or electronic wallets."

2. Amend and supplement Clause 6 as follows:

"6. Cards may only be used to perform card transactions through electronic means after completing the verification process to ensure that the identity documents and biometric information of the cardholder match those stored in the encrypted information storage section of the citizen identification card or verified citizen identification card issued by the police authority or through the electronic identity account authentication system; or

b) Biometric data collected and checked (ensuring the correct match between the biometric data of the individual and the biometric data stored in the encrypted information storage section of the citizen identification card or verified citizen identification card issued by the police authority or with the biometric data of the individual through the electronic identity account authentication system); or

c) Biometric data collected through direct face-to-face contact with the individual in cases where the individual is a foreigner not using an electronic identity or a Vietnamese origin individual whose nationality has not been determined; or

d) Biometric data of the individual stored in the National Population Database when using a citizen identification card without an encrypted information storage section."

3. Supplement clause 7, clause 8 of Article 16 as follows:

"7. For organizational customers, deputy cardholders may use the card to perform card transactions through electronic means if the organization has complied with the provisions of clause 6 of this Article and registered with the Payment Service Provider to allow such deputy cardholders to perform card transactions through electronic means.

8. The provisions of clause 6 of this Article shall not apply to the following cases:

a) Performing transactions using physical cards at automatic teller machines;

b) Paying at acceptance terminals at sales points;

c) Withdrawing cash at acceptance terminals installed at bank branches, transaction offices, or payment agency points to provide cash to cardholders;

d) Automatic debits according to agreements between the Payment Service Provider and the cardholder;

e) Cardholders who are organizations as specified in point c clause 2a of Article 9 of this Circular."

e) The cardholder is an organization as specified in point c, Clause 2a, Article 9 of this Circular.

Article 9. Amending and supplementing some points and clauses of Article 17

1. Amending and supplementing point e clause 1 as follows:

"e) Implement measures to check, verify, and cross-reference customer identification information during the issuance and use of cards, including:

(i) Measures to ensure the legality, validity, and accuracy of customer documents, information, and data collected during the issuance and use of cards; periodic verification and cross-referencing of customer identification information during card usage;

(ii) Measures to prevent impersonation, interference, modification, and distortion of customer identification information verification during the issuance and use of cards;

(iii) Technical measures and technological solutions to cross-reference biometric information of customers as stipulated in point b clause 1 Article 10 and clause 6 Article 16 of this Circular;

(iv) Measures to ensure that card usage is conducted by the cardholder themselves; applying electronic transaction confirmation methods for online card payment transactions according to the State Bank's regulations on safety and security for online service provision in the banking sector;

(v) Other measures prescribed by the Card Issuing Entity to prevent fraud, deception, violation of laws, or misuse of cards for illegal purposes."

2. Amending and supplementing point i (iii) clause 1 as follows:

"(iii) Cases of refusing or temporarily suspending electronic card transactions; including cases where card transactions occur but the customer cannot be contacted using the contact information provided by the customer;"

3. Amending and supplementing clause 2 as follows:

"2. The cardholder must safeguard the card, keep the PIN secure, other confirmation codes, card information, and transaction information confidential, and not disclose card information; report and cooperate with the Card Issuing Entity to handle situations involving lost cards or requests for review or complaints."

Article 10. Amending and supplementing clause 4 of Article 19

Replacing the phrase "State Bank branch in the province or city" with the phrase "State Bank Regional Branch."

Article 11. Amending and supplementing clause 2 of Article 26

Replacing the phrase "Bank Inspection and Supervision Agency" with the phrase "Credit Institution Management and Supervision Department."

Article 12. Amending and supplementing clause 5 of Article 27

"5. On a regular basis before the 10th day of each month, the Card Issuing Entity shall provide information about suspected fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful activities related to cards and cardholders to the State Bank upon request. Information provision shall be carried out electronically in accordance with technical connection guidelines issued by the State Bank.

In case of changes to the information in Appendix No. 02, the Card Issuing Entity must promptly update and send it to the State Bank; the Card Issuing Entity is responsible for the truthfulness and accuracy of the information and data provided to the State Bank."

Article 13. Amending and supplementing Article 30

"Article 30. Responsibilities for Implementation

1. The Payment Department is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and coordinating with relevant units to address issues arising during the implementation of this Circular.

2. The State Bank Inspectorate, Credit Institution Management and Supervision Department, and State Bank Regional Branches are responsible for inspecting and supervising the implementation of this Circular and handling violations within their authority.

3. Heads of relevant units under the State Bank, credit institutions, foreign bank branches, payment service providers, and other related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./."

Article 14. Amending and supplementing Appendix number 02 attached to Circular number 18/2024/TT-NHNN

Replacing Appendix number 02 issued together with Circular No. 18/2024/TT-NHNN with Appendix number 02 issued together with this Circular.

Article 15. Responsibility for implementation

The heads of units under the State Bank of Vietnam, credit organizations, foreign bank branches, service providers of payment intermediation, and other relevant organizations and individuals shall be responsible for organizing and implementing this Circular.

Article 16. Implementation Provisions

This Circular takes effect from January 5, 2026./.