Biometric Bank Transfer Rules: What Vietnam Users Should Know

Biometric bank transfer checks are coming to Vietnamese banking apps, and the State Bank of Vietnam has set the date. Under Decision 2345/QD-NHNN, signed on December 18, 2023, banks must check your face against your ID for larger online transfers from July 1, 2024. This guide explains what changes and what to do now.

What the rule says

The decision sets safety rules for online payments. Its main point is simple. For some transfers, a password and an SMS code are no longer enough. The bank must also confirm that the person at the screen is the account holder.

The check is a face match. Your phone camera captures your face, and the app compares it with the photo stored in your chip-based citizen ID card. Banks may also accept other biometric data they already hold, but the face match is the method most people will see.

The rule is aimed at fraud. In recent years, scammers have taken over accounts by stealing passwords and one-time codes. A face match is harder to copy than a code sent by text.

Sources: State Bank of Vietnam, Decision 2345/QD-NHNN of December 18, 2023, on safety and security for online payments.

Which transfers need a face match

Two limits matter. A single online transfer above 10 million VND needs biometric confirmation. So does a day of transfers that adds up to more than 20 million VND. The limit applies to each account holder.

Smaller transfers keep the old steps. If you usually send 2 or 3 million VND to family, you may not notice the change at all. But a rent payment, a tuition fee or a supplier invoice will often pass 10 million VND. Plan for the extra step on those days.

Sources: State Bank of Vietnam, Decision 2345/QD-NHNN of December 18, 2023.

Who must register, and how

You need to register your biometric details with your bank before the date. Banks are asking customers to confirm their identity with a chip-based citizen ID card.

There are usually two ways to register. You can visit a branch with your ID and let staff capture your face. Or you can use the bank's app, scan the chip in your ID card with your phone, and take a live photo. Not every phone can read the chip, so keep the branch option in mind.

Banks set the exact steps in their own apps. Read your own bank's notice, because the screens and wording differ from bank to bank. If you hold accounts at several banks, you will likely repeat the process at each one.

Sources: State Bank of Vietnam, Decision 2345/QD-NHNN of December 18, 2023.

How to avoid fake update links

Whenever a new rule starts, scammers copy it. Expect texts, calls and chat messages that say your account will be locked unless you "update your biometrics" through a link. Do not click it.

• Register only inside the official app, which you installed from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or at a branch.
• Never share your one-time code, PIN or password. A real bank does not ask for them.
• Be careful with links in SMS, even if the sender name looks like your bank.
• If a caller pressures you to act fast, hang up and call the number printed on your card.
• Never let someone else hold your phone while you take the face photo.

If you already clicked a suspicious link, contact your bank at once and ask it to lock the account. Then change your app password.

Sources: State Bank of Vietnam, Decision 2345/QD-NHNN of December 18, 2023.

What to do before the start date

You have until July 1, 2024. Do not wait for the last week, because branches and apps may be busy.

• Check that your citizen ID card has a chip and that your details are current.
• Make sure your phone camera works and your banking app is up to date.
• Register in the app or at a branch, and keep your ID with you.
• Test the face match on one small step if your bank offers a trial.
• Tell family members who use online banking, especially older relatives, so they are not caught out.

Businesses that pay suppliers online should also tell the staff who approve payments. Whoever signs off on a large transfer will need to pass the face match themselves.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Your bank's own notice is the final word on how it applies the rule to you.

Sources: State Bank of Vietnam, Decision 2345/QD-NHNN of December 18, 2023.

Sources

• State Bank of Vietnam, Decision 2345/QD-NHNN of December 18, 2023, on safety and security for online payments.