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Introduction: Vietnam Is the Next Stop for Chinese Shared Power Bank Brands — the Largest Scale and the Longest Window
On Southeast Asia’s shared power bank map, Thailand already has Chinese brands deployed at scale and Malaysia is in its tourism-year dividend period, whileVietnam, with nearly 100 million people, remains a lowland where supply lags far behind demand. If you had to pick a market where ’demand is mature, supply is not saturated and policy is still adding points’, the answer is Vietnam.
Vietnam meets three conditions simultaneously:
- A national-level tourism dividend — in 2025 Vietnam received 21.5 million international visitors (up about 22% YoY), with an official 2026 target of 25 million visitors and total tourism revenue of VND 1,125 trillion (about USD 43 billion); Politburo Resolution 26-NQ/TW explicitly lists the sharing economy, digital platforms and the night-time economy as breakthrough areas for new tourism formats;
- Heavy phone dependence + a supply gap — Vietnam’s smartphone penetration is about 73.5%, users average over 7 hours of daily phone use, far above the global average, yet public-space charging coverage is estimated at only about 19%, with shared power bank penetration still in the single digits;
- A mature payment ecosystem — local wallets like MoMo and ZaloPay have high penetration, and the VietQR unified QR code connects dozens of bank apps — user education cost for scan-to-rent is nearly zero.
This article focuses on Vietnam alone, covering market fundamentals, the MIC/CR dual certification, the payment ecosystem, the three core scenarios of Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi/Da Nang, Honeycomb Era’s landing experience and a 4-step execution checklist — six dimensions for directly actionable decisions.
1. Vietnam’s Shared Power Bank Market: 4 Key Data Points
1.1 Data 1: 21.5 million visitors in 2025, targeting 25 million in 2026
Per the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT): Vietnam received about 21.5 million international visitors in 2025, up about 22%, far above the global average (about 5%) and the Asia-Pacific average (about 8%), fully surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 peak of 18 million; domestic tourists reached 135.5 million trips and total tourism revenue exceeded VND 1,000 trillion (about USD 38 billion) for the first time.
For 2026, Vietnam’s official tourism targets are 25 million international visitors, 150 million domestic tourists and total tourism revenue of VND 1,125 trillion (about USD 43 billion). More crucial is the policy framing: the Politburo’s Resolution 26-NQ/TW positions tourism as a pillar industry and names the sharing economy, digital platform operations and the night-time economy as new formats to develop — shared power banks hit all three keywords, and expansion of downstream venues (night markets, commercial districts, entertainment complexes) directly drives device demand.
1.2 Data 2: 100 million people × 70% under 35 × 7 hours daily
Vietnam’s population exceeds 100 million — Southeast Asia’s third most populous country — with over 70% under age 35. A young population plus an intense mobile digital life — ride-hailing (Grab), food delivery, short video, mobile payments — pushes daily phone use beyond 7 hours; ’battery anxiety’ is a shared pain point across young age groups. This makes shared power banks in Vietnam not a nice-to-have but a high-frequency rigid demand.
1.3 Data 3: Public charging coverage only about 19%, single-digit penetration
Per industry estimates, Vietnam’s public-space charging facility coverage is only about 18.7%, and shared power bank market penetration is below 5%. Compare with Thailand and China: China has over 10 million power bank locations, Thailand’s head brands deploy in the tens of thousands per country, while Vietnam still relies on scattered small-merchant placements with no systematically operated head brand. Using China’s mature model of ’10,000 devices per 1 million people’, Vietnam’s reasonable device capacity is in the hundreds of thousands — today’s supply falls short of that by multiples to tens of multiples.
1.4 Data 4: Mature e-wallet penetration, one VietQR code for all
Vietnam’s mobile payments have entered daily life: MoMo is the largest local wallet by users, followed by ZaloPay, VNPAY and Viettel Money; the banking-led VietQR unified QR standard connects most Vietnamese commercial bank apps — users scan the same VietQR code with any bank app to pay. For operators, integrating VietQR + MoMo + ZaloPay covers most local users at nearly zero education cost.
Honeycomb Era 0289 series 8-bay shared power bank cabinet: 22.5W super fast charging, supports OEM white-label customization
2. Compliance Certification: The MIC and CR Dual System — Both Required
Vietnam runs two independent mandatory certification systems for electronics; shared power banks (lithium battery + 4G/Wi-Fi module + power adapter) must satisfy both:
2.1 MIC certification: mandatory entry for lithium batteries and wireless modules
Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), under Circular 02/2024/TT-BTTTT, mandates certification for radio and IT equipment. Lithium batteries (including power bank cells and packs) are listed in Annex II, requiring a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) to standard QCVN 101:2020/BTTTT (corresponding to the IEC 62133 series); the cabinet’s built-in 4G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules are in Annex I, requiring a Type Approval (TA) certificate.
Process essentials: (1) prepare product specs, circuit diagrams, UN38.3 reports and ISO 9001 certificates; (2) test at a qualified Vietnamese lab (battery items do not strictly require an existing CB report); (3) a locally registered Vietnamese entity applies as certificate holder; (4) overall testing and issuance takes about 1 month, with DoC validity of 2 years. Note: each importer must separately hold or obtain manufacturer-authorized certification documents, and labels need Vietnamese information and the ICT mark.
2.2 CR certification: the baseline threshold for safety and EMC
Chargers, power adapters and other powered parts are regulated by STAMEQ under the Ministry of Science and Technology, with safety and EMC certification per QCVN/BKHCN regulations and the CR mark affixed on pass. Lithium batteries and charging equipment are on the CR mandatory list; goods without CR certificates risk customs detention. For volume shippers, scheme 5 (CoC certificate, 3-year validity with annual surveillance) is recommended over batch certification.
2.3 A local certificate-holding entity: the unavoidable hard requirement
Overseas factories cannot directly hold MIC/CR certificates; a locally registered Vietnamese importer or company must be the certificate holder. Brands commonly either partner with a local agent for certification or set up a joint/wholly-owned company in Vietnam. Either way, consistency between the certification documents and the import contract entities must be planned early, or customs clearance will loop.
2.4 Honeycomb Era’s compliance-reuse advantage
Shenzhen Honeycomb Era Technology Co., Ltd.’s full product line has passed CCC, CE, FCC, NBTC and other mainstream certifications; batteries use pure NMC cells from ATL, EVE and Ganfeng with UN38.3 transport test reports and MSDS, and units reserve IEC 62133 test interfaces. Brands applying for MIC DoC and CR certification on top of Honeycomb Era’s existing test reports can sharply compress test items and documentation time — expect to save 40%-50% of certification cost and cycle.
3. Payment Ecosystem: The MoMo + ZaloPay + VietQR Trio
3.1 MoMo: the No.1 local wallet entry
MoMo is Vietnam’s most penetrated e-wallet, covering transfers, QR payments, top-ups and utility bills — nearly every young user has one. Integrating MoMo plugs a shared power bank into Vietnamese users’ default payment habit.
3.2 VietQR: one QR code for all bank apps
VietQR, promoted by the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), unified QR standards across bank apps. For operators, posting one VietQR mark on the cabinet lets users of dozens of banks pay directly — merchant-side integration costs far less than integrating wallets one by one. We recommend VietQR as primary with MoMo/ZaloPay as supplements, covering local users and younger customers.
3.3 International tourists: Visa/Master and cross-border wallets as supplements
Vietnam is among the fastest-growing inbound destinations, with high shares of European, American, Korean, Japanese and Chinese visitors. Tourists are unfamiliar with local wallets; at airports, scenic areas and upscale malls, add Visa/Mastercard channels or UnionPay/Alipay+ cross-border solutions to avoid losing orders where ’the device is right there but the tourist cannot pay’. Honeycomb Era’s software system has completed a Southeast Asia multi-wallet architecture, supporting on-demand integration of these channels with no secondary development.
4. Ho Chi Minh City Scenarios: Vietnam’s ’King of Order Density’
4.1 Ben Thanh Market — Bui Vien Street — Cafe Apartment commercial belt
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s economic center and largest foot-traffic pool: Ben Thanh Market, the Bui Vien backpacker district, The Cafe Apartment and the area around Bitexco Financial Tower form a walkable high-density commercial belt with night markets running past midnight. Local youth plus foreign tourists make this Vietnam’s highest per-location output deployment area. We recommend an 8-bay + 12-bay cabinet combination: 8-bay units for dining, convenience stores and bars; 12-bay units for malls and transport hubs.
4.2 Tan Son Nhat Airport and metro nodes
Tan Son Nhat International is Vietnam’s largest aviation hub — long international layovers and rigid charging demand make arrival halls and taxi queues natural spots; the commercial belt along Metro Line 1 can replicate the same deployment model.
4.3 Ho Chi Minh City payback estimate
At per-power-bank daily rotations of 2-4 times, at VND 10,000-15,000 per hour (about RMB 3-4.5), an 8-bay cabinet generates about RMB 2,000-3,500 monthly — after location share and O&M, payback in about 6-10 months; airport and upscale mall locations may be faster.
5. Hanoi Scenarios: Political-Cultural Center + University Dividend
5.1 Hoan Kiem Old Quarter and the 36 Streets
Hoan Kiem Lake and the 36 Streets are Hanoi’s core zone of overlapping tourist and local traffic — long walking tours, dense photo/navigation needs and an extreme cafe density. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee exporter, and cafes are themselves the Vietnamese ’mother scenario’ of shared power banking — the one-cabinet-per-store model replicates easily in Hanoi.
5.2 University towns and chain tea/fast-food systems
Hanoi hosts dozens of universities including Vietnam National University; students are shared power banking’s most active user profile. Chain tea shops, fast-food outlets and 24-hour convenience stores lock in well and rent low — deploy with a high-density, low-per-point strategy, starting with 30-50 units to start.
6. Da Nang and Nha Trang: Twin Seaside Tourism Cities — Peak Season Sets the Ceiling
6.1 Da Nang: beach + MICE dual drivers
My Khe Beach, Ba Na Hills and the MICE economy bring steady domestic and international flows; hotels and beachfront dining suit 6-8 bay cabinets — prioritize beachfront hotel front desks, seafood eateries and night markets.
6.2 Nha Trang: a high-share Chinese tourist market
Nha Trang is a top destination for Chinese tourists, with Chinese-language service and Alipay/WeChat acceptance above the national average — a natural first pilot city for cross-border payment solutions. Tourist flows are seasonal: scale up in peak season, contract by data in the off-season, keeping per-point output healthy.
6.3 Twin-city payback estimate
In seaside tourist cities, peak-season daily rotations reach 3-5 per device, with monthly revenue about RMB 2,500-4,000, payback in about 6-9 months; off-season data falls but location contracts are mostly locked annually — full-year weighted returns still beat most Southeast Asian tier-2 markets.
Honeycomb Era 0289 series 12-bay shared power bank cabinet: for high-traffic venues such as malls and airports
7. Case Support: Honeycomb Era’s Southeast Asia Track Record and Manufacturing Strength
As a source manufacturer serving 100+ white-label clients with exports to 100+ countries and regions, Shenzhen Honeycomb Era Technology Co., Ltd.has completed scaled deployments along Bangkok’s BTS lines, Chiang Mai night markets and Phuket beaches (see Thailand Shared Power Bank Market Outlook: Tourism-Driven Growth + NBTC Compliance + Honeycomb Era’s 600+ Unit BTS Deployment), and hosted a Vietnamese power bank startup’s factory audit (see Vietnamese Power Bank Startup Visits Shenzhen Honeycomb Era Technology Co., Ltd.).
Honeycomb Era shared power bank overseas deployment cases: airports, malls, dining, scenic areas and more
On manufacturing, the company has a 10,000 m2 smart manufacturing base running full in-house production from mold making, injection molding and sheet metal (Fengxian base, Xuzhou, Jiangsu) to SMT and assembly, with monthly capacity of 1 million power banks and 100,000 cabinets and cumulative power bank cabinet shipments above 5 million units — clients from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia have all completed on-site audits.
For Vietnam’s hot-humid environment and multilingual needs, Honeycomb Era offers:
- Trilingual UI: Vietnamese + English + Chinese, covering local users and international tourists;
- Climate adaptation: whole-unit protection and thermal design optimized for tropical conditions, cell cycle life above 500;
- Payment pre-integration: architecture reserved for VietQR + MoMo + ZaloPay channels;
- Full brand customization: bay count, ad-screen size, appearance colors and LOGO customized on demand, helping brands build a local Vietnamese image.
Honeycomb Era WL-008A shared power bank: 8000mAh, 22.5W fast charging, complete UN38.3 documentation — easy to apply for Vietnam MIC certification
8. Vietnam Landing Path: A 4-Step Execution Checklist
8.1 Step 1: Choose the ODM manufacturer and certification path (4 weeks)
Prioritize ODM manufacturers with Southeast Asia certification experience and landing cases (such as Honeycomb Era), starting MIC DoC + CR applications on their UN38.3/IEC 62133 test foundations. Require: (1) original battery UN38.3 reports and MSDS; (2) Southeast Asian client cases and audit records; (3) a cooperation plan with a local Vietnamese certificate-holding entity.
8.2 Step 2: Choose first deployment cities and models (2 weeks)
For the first batch, lock Ho Chi Minh City districts + Hanoi Old Quarter, deploying 50-100 units (mainly 8-bay cabinets, with 12-bay units for malls and hubs), with Vietnamese + English + Chinese trilingual UI.
8.3 Step 3: Payment integration and localization (4 weeks)
Complete VietQR merchant onboarding and MoMo/ZaloPay channel testing; post VietQR signage and trilingual instructions on cabinets; set up 24-hour Vietnamese/English customer service. In parallel, secure the local certificate-holding entity and operations entity (own company or compliant local partner).
8.4 Step 4: Launch and quarterly expansion (ongoing)
Evaluate per-device ARPU and turnover in month 3 after launch; if healthy, expand to Da Nang + Nha Trang in month 6, reaching a 12-month total of 300-500 units, leaning into the 2026 target of 25 million visitors at tourist locations.
9. Recommended Reading
1. Vietnamese Power Bank Startup Visits Honeycomb Era: Chinese Smart Manufacturing for Southeast Asia
4. 12-Slot Power Bank Sharing Station
10. FAQ
How big is Vietnam’s shared power bank market?
Vietnam’s market is early-stage, with penetration below 5% and scattered small-merchant placements. Based on population (100+ million), phone-use intensity (7 hours daily) and public charging coverage (about 19%), reasonable device capacity is in the hundreds of thousands, with supply short by multiples. Add the 2026 target of 25 million international visitors and Resolution 26’s policy support for the sharing economy — Vietnam is widely seen as Southeast Asia’s next scale market.
What certifications do Chinese brands need to enter Vietnam?
Two mandatory systems, both required: (1) MIC — lithium batteries apply for DoC under QCVN 101:2020/BTTTT (about 1 month, 2-year validity); cabinet wireless modules apply for TA type approval; (2) CR — chargers and other powered parts get safety and EMC certification with the CR mark. Both require a locally registered Vietnamese entity as holder, and labels need Vietnamese information and the ICT mark.
How do Vietnamese users pay? How many wallets to integrate?
We recommend a three-channel combination: VietQR (one QR code covering dozens of bank apps) + MoMo (the top local wallet) + ZaloPay. Tourist-heavy airports and scenic areas can add Visa/Mastercard or Alipay+/UnionPay cross-border channels. Honeycomb Era’s software system has the Southeast Asia multi-wallet architecture reserved, with on-demand integration.
How to choose among Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang?
Ho Chi Minh City has the highest order density and per-point output — the ideal first station to validate the single-city model; Hanoi is driven by Old Quarter tourists and university students, with the most replicable cafe model; Da Nang and Nha Trang are seaside tourism twins with high peak-season output but clear seasonality — second phase. We recommend 50-100 units across Ho Chi Minh City + Hanoi first, expanding to the tourism twins in month 6.
What is the payback period for investing in Vietnam?
At Ho Chi Minh City commercial-district rates of RMB 2,000-3,500 monthly revenue per 8-bay cabinet, payback is about 6-10 months; tourist-city peak season can shorten it to 6-9 months. Overall better than China’s saturated markets, with location rents and competition far below Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
