The Government of Ho Chi Minh City has introduced contactless trip validation for international passengers using its public bus network, allowing tourists to validate journeys with EMV chip-enabled bank cards or digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay. The initiative supports the city’s recently launched free bus travel programme, which is available to all passengers regardless of nationality or residency.
Under the new process, passengers simply tap a Visa or Mastercard EMV bank card, or a compatible contactless payment device, on the onboard card reader when boarding. No fare is charged during the free travel programme; instead, the validation system collects passenger journey data to help the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center monitor demand, optimise service frequencies, allocate buses more efficiently, and improve network planning. Bus attendants are responsible for assisting passengers with the validation process, and tourists experiencing technical issues are still permitted to travel under the free bus policy.
To improve accessibility for international visitors, the Public Transport Management Center has introduced English-language support across its MultiGo mobile application and other digital platforms, enabling users to search routes, identify eligible bus services, and access validation instructions. The agency has also installed bilingual information boards at bus stations and major transport hubs and plans to expand multilingual passenger information through onboard announcements, additional visual guidance, and collaboration with airports, the metro system, and the tourism sector to promote the city’s public transport services.