Can I pay with US Dollar for my purchases in Vietnam?

Question

I'll be in Hanoi for a week as a tourist. Do shops and restaurants accept US Dollar (or Euro)? If not, where can I get the best conversion rates?

Answer 1

Bring USD and change them in one of hundreds of gold shops.I changed some yesterday {the rate quoted is for 100 dollar bills,which is higher then smaller bills}.

Bank==16600vnd per dollar.

Gold shop==18700 per dollar.The difference quite suprised me,make sure the bills are in good condition and you will have no problem.

Answer 2

There are restaurants and shops that will charge in dollars / dong. Most businesses charge in dong, but if you get in a bind you can use $. There are cash machines in Ha Noi (ANZ Bank and CitiBank) on opposite sides of Hoan Kiem Lake where you can withdraw from western bank accounts with a normal bank cash machine - I lived there for 4 years and used the ATM to withdraw funds from my personal banking account back in the US.

Answer 3

No or in my viet language khong

Answer 4

You could, but it would definitely be advisable NOT to. Unfortunately, shops that cater to tourists in countries such as Vietnam or China would not hesitate to rip foreign tourists off if they are spending US dollars. You would also attract unwanted attention and become a potential target for pickpocketting or robbery. Definitely change them into the Vietnamese currency.

Answer 5

You can use US dollars for your purchases in Vietnam. It is not advisable to do so, their Dong to USD conversion are most probably not advantageous to you. When I've been there, the price gaps are very obvious, but all the stores charge roughly the same for the same item.  Hence, it would be advisable to buy items in Dong, especially since in the recent months with the Us Currency dropping quite a lot since its original worth.

Answer 6

You can go online and look up currency converters, they will useually show you what the rate is. As for where to go to get US dollars converted to Vietnamese Dong, I have no idea. You can check with your local bank or maybe ask a travel agency.

http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

Answer 7

Yes you can but DON'T they will ask you for more than the original price !!! Pay in dongs, it's better.

Answer 8

Anyway you should exchange your Dollars in Vietnam as you will get the better rates. And usually it is no problem to pay with US-Dollars as it is well used in this part of Southeastasia. Vietnams neighbour country Cambodia for example uses US Dollars as main currency