"Salary Advance" - a secure, automated digital experience on BIDV SmartBanking

In 2025, Vietnam will maintain a population of approximately 101.6 million people, reflecting a large consumer and labor market and increasingly diverse financial service needs. According to employment statistics, in the first nine months of 2025, the labor force aged 15 and above reached 53.1 million people, indicating that wage earners continue to be a key component of the economy and a group of customers with frequent personal cash flow management needs.

With the increasingly fast pace of life and volatile living costs, the story of "paying bills before receiving salary" has become a familiar situation for many workers: at the beginning of the month, they need to pay rent and tuition fees for their children; medical expenses arise; they need to make urgent purchases or travel; or they need to find a small amount of money to make payments on time.

In real life, spending needs often arise "just when they are most needed" - when urgent expenses occur such as medical bills, tuition fees, transportation, or living expenses at sensitive times (the beginning of the month, before holidays, Tet, etc.); while payday is "a few days or weeks later." Without timely access to formal capital, people are easily drawn into high-risk, opaque short-term loan channels. Therefore, developing fast, convenient, and secure capital access solutions on digital channels not only solves immediate difficulties for people but also contributes to guiding healthy financial behavior and promoting financial inclusion.

In line with the national digital transformation policy and the orientation of digitizing banking services, BIDV has, in recent years, intensified the implementation of digital credit products on the BIDV SmartBanking platform, aiming to help customers access services more conveniently while ensuring security. In this context, Smart Payroll – an automated online salary advance solution on BIDV SmartBanking – was developed as a direct approach to address the "bottlenecks" faced by people: the need for quick capital, small-scale short-term loans, simple, transparent, and secure procedures; while also helping the bank optimize operations, reduce counter workload, and enhance service capabilities on digital channels.

A notable feature of Smart Payroll is that it shifts the experience of "requesting an advance/short-term loan" from the traditional method to a simple digital journey right on the phone, bringing practical value to ordinary users. Instead of having to arrange time to visit the counter, wait and complete many procedures at the bank or wait for the accountant/business owner to approve the salary advance, customers can do it right on BIDV SmartBanking with simple steps. Loan information, conditions, amount, term, and repayment obligations are clearly displayed for customers to consider before confirming. For shift workers, those far from transaction points, or busy individuals who find it inconvenient to visit a counter, being able to proactively handle financial needs right on the Mobile App is a practical support.

With its "few steps – clear information – fast processing" approach for customers, Smart Payroll helps workers meet their spending needs during sensitive times without disrupting their work or daily life. After the loan is disbursed, customers can track their repayment schedule, receive payment reminders, and manage their loan directly on the app – helping them proactively plan their personal finances and avoid missing repayment deadlines.

Beyond convenience, Smart Payroll prioritizes safety in a banking industry increasingly focused on protecting users from fraud, identity theft, and account hijacking. This is a crucial foundation for digital credit products like Smart Payroll to achieve both processing speed and tiered risk control, minimizing abuse or fraud. In other words, workers can access short-term support from official channels, reducing the risks associated with turning to unknown lending channels.

More broadly, when solutions such as Smart Payroll are put into operation, people will have an additional channel to access safe and transparent short-term capital, thereby helping to reduce pressure on informal lending channels and supporting the goal of improving access to financial services for many customer groups.

In the coming period, BIDV will continue to focus on improving digital utilities to make them increasingly convenient and secure, while strengthening communication to guide people in actively using digital banking services, being vigilant against scams, and protecting personal information.

Smart Payroll is therefore not just a feature on the app, but a solution that brings the bank's loans closer to the people through digital channels, contributing to the realization of the Government and SBV's goals of innovating processes through technology, improving operational efficiency, and promoting financial inclusion for all Vietnamese people.

BIDV