“Cashless street" replicated

The model of non-cash payment street is being replicated in many localities and received a good response from people and businesses in the province. This is gradually changing the habit of direct payment in cash to scanning QR-Code and transferring money, contributing to accelerating the development of the digital economy and digital society.

People in Phuoc Vinh town of Phu Giao district are eager about the cashless payment service when making transactions.

 New service experience

Currently, Phu Giao district is piloting the non-cash payment street on four streets in Phuoc Vinh town including Hung Vuong, 18-9, Doc Lap, and DT741 streets to encourage and create habits for consumers and business establishments using online payment services as shopping and making transactions. Currently, there are about 500 business households on these streets that are equipped with QR-Code for online payment.

At cafes, restaurants, fashion stores on 18-9 Street in Phuoc Vinh town, many customers come to shop and enjoy drinks, then make payment through mobile applications or convenience cards instead of cash payment. Nguyen Thi Le Thu, owner of a beverage shop on 18-9 street, said that she was assisted by her bank to open an account to pay online. Very excited about this new payment form, she encourages her customers to make payment by QR-Code scanning.

With the enthusiastic response of business households, customers' cash habits have also changed markedly. Nguyen Thanh Ha, quarter 9, Phuoc Vinh town said: “In the past, I thought non-cash payment is only applied when buying and selling high-value items, but now drink one cup of coffee, buy some pills can also pay by scanning the code or by bank transfer. Now, when going out, just carrying a smartphone we can pay for everything, very convenient."

Along with Phu Giao district, recently districts such as Dau Tieng and Bau Bang have also piloted the non-cash payment street at the district centers. NC streets in Dong So quarter, Lai Uyen town, Bau Bang district, and Hung Vuong street in Dau Tieng town, Dau Tieng district are routes that have implemented this model. Accordingly, service providers such as VNPT and commercial banks actively instruct people to install electronic payment applications such as QR codes, POS machines, e-wallets, Mobile Banking applications, and internet Banking.

Nguyen Thi Be, a small shop owner in Quarter 4B, Dau Tieng town, said: “Having an account I find convenient and fast for both buyers and sellers. At first, I was surprised as making online payment, but after doing it once or twice, it is much easier and more convenient than using cash.”

Form a consumption habit

Non-cash payment is very convenient, interests not only businesses and people but also service providers and local authorities. Tran Hong Dung, Vice Chairwoman of Phu Giao District People's Committee, said: “Before choosing a route to set up non-cash payment street, competent branches and unions went to each business household to propagate and encourage them, and received a very high consensus from small businesses, telecommunications units, and banks that assisted people to install the QR Code application, everything was done very quickly.

According to Ms. Tran Hong Dung, the district will coordinate with communes to implement this model. Namely, each commune will have at least 5 households who are businesses and people buying and selling, transacting through online payment, even including two rural communes, An Long and Phuoc Sang, with a low density of household businesses, low possibility of participants. Since then, contributing to the implementation of digital transformation of the district and gradually raising the rate of non-cash payment in the area.

Nguyen Thanh Tung, Vice Chairman of Dau Tieng District People's Committee, affirmed that the implementation of the non-cash payment routes in the area aims to promote digital transformation, development of the digital economy, digital society, and digital citizenship. “We continue to enhance communication and dissemination of knowledge about fraudulent acts, measures to identify risks, ways to prevent and solutions to ensure security, safety and confidentiality in using digital platform, non-cash payment. Besides, we coordinate with agencies to answer questions and handle complaints to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of consumers in the current digital transformation period.

 Le Thi Thu Binh, Director of Agribank in Phu Giao district: “On streets with many business establishments selected by the district, Agribank in Phu Giao district has participated in mobilizing, encouraging, instructing people and business establishments to install free non-cash payment services. In addition, the bank has a policy of opening accounts and opening ATM cards for free in order to create opportunities for people in the area to experience and enjoy preferential policies, thereby building a habit of using non-cash payment".

 Reported by Thanh Hong - Translated by Ngoc Huynh