{"id":4865,"date":"2026-08-25T17:53:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T08:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&p=4865"},"modified":"2026-10-06T15:42:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T06:42:15","slug":"etc-wallet-fee","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/etc-wallet-fee\/","title":{"rendered":"Even toll-free months now cost 6,600 dong: VETC withdraws its e-wallet management fee"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early August, residents who own private cars in Vietnam received an unfamiliar billing notice. The ETC payment apps VETC and ePass announced they would start charging a monthly management fee on electronic wallets from August 1 \u2014 6,600 dong a month for individuals, 66,000 dong a month for businesses. But the backlash from users spread quickly, and both companies announced on August 20 that they were withdrawing the fee. For anyone who drives the expressway often, this is money that may have been quietly deducted without their noticing \u2014 worth checking your own account settings once.<\/p>\n

\"\u4f7f\u3063\u3066\u3044\u306a\u3044\u8eca\u306eETC\u30bf\u30b0\u3068\u6708\u6b21\u660e\u7d30\u3092\u78ba\u8a8d\u3059\u308b\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u306e\u8eca\u6240\u6709\u8005\"<\/figure>\n

This article, for residents and long-term expats driving in Vietnam, lays out exactly what was about to be charged and for what, and what to watch for in your own settings even after the withdrawal.<\/p>\n

6,600 Dong for Individuals, 66,000 for Businesses: The Monthly Charge That Started August 1<\/h2>\n

VETC and ePass announced that, starting August 1, they would charge a monthly management fee on the electronic wallets used to hold ETC (electronic toll collection) balances. The amount was 6,600 dong per wallet per month for individuals (including VAT, about 38 yen), and 66,000 dong per month for businesses (about 377 yen). Annualized, that comes to 79,200 dong for individuals and 792,000 dong for businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Classification<\/th>\nMonthly (dong)<\/th>\nAnnual (dong)<\/th>\nYen equivalent (approx.)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Individual wallet<\/td>\n6,600<\/td>\n79,200<\/td>\nAbout 38 yen\/month, about 450 yen\/year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Business wallet<\/td>\n66,000<\/td>\n792,000<\/td>\nAbout 377 yen\/month, about 4,500 yen\/year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Approximate figures converted at roughly 175 dong to the yen. Amounts include VAT and are based on each company's notice as of August 2026.<\/small><\/p>\n

The amount itself is less than the price of a can of coffee. What sparked outrage was the nature of the fee and how broadly it applied.<\/p>\n

Charged Even in Months You Never Use a Toll Booth \u2014 VETC Alone Covers About 2.6 Million Wallets<\/h2>\n

The core of the backlash was that you'd be charged even if you never once used the expressway that month. The wallet management fee was a flat monthly charge unrelated to actual toll usage, deducting 6,600 dong even in a month the car sat parked in the garage. VETC alone had about 2.6 million wallets subject to the charge, and nationwide there are about 6.3 million vehicles fitted with ETC. Now that urban expressways and ring roads have switched almost entirely to ETC-only, owning a car effectively means you can't escape this app \u2014 that's how users read it. It also came right after private-car ride-hailing services becamesubject to fines of up to 14 million dong from August 15<\/a>\u2014 around the same time, and the sense that a string of new car-related rules were landing back-to-back only fed the backlash.<\/p>\n

Traffic Account and E-Wallet Are Different Things \u2014 Link Directly to a Bank Account to Avoid This Fee<\/h2>\n

This is where it helps for residents to understand the difference between a \"traffic account\" and an \"electronic wallet.\" They're easy to confuse, but they play different roles.<\/p>\n