Cashless payment – inevitable trend

​Cashless payment is increasingly popular because of the benefits it brings. According to the plan of the Provincial People's Committee, in 2023, the province will pilot non-cash payment at 7 schools at all educational levels and 2 medical facilities in the province. In which, select 2 schools to pilot additional implementation of school data digitization.

The provincial delegation visited and learned from the experience of non-cash payment of hospital fees at Military Hospital 175 (HCMC)

Simple and effective
Nguyen An Ninh Primary School (Tan Mai Ward) is one of the few primary schools in Bien Hoa city that organizes semi-boarding and teaching. The whole school currently has more than 1,000 students in all 5 grades, most of the students are registered by their parents for part-boarding at the school. That is, in the morning after finishing school, students will have lunch, rest at school, then continue studying in the afternoon.
Principal of Nguyen An Ninh Primary School Hoang Thi Ngoc said that in order to pay for boarding fee, teachers of each class will notify parents of the monthly payment amount, the school's account number (collect on behalf the unit that provides lunch for students) so that parents can directly transfer money to the account without having to go to the school office to pay. In addition, students who participate in learning English with foreigners at the school also pay tuition fees by transfer to the account number of the representative of the foreign language center that the school coordinates with the teaching organization.
Ms. Bui Thi Ngan (living in Tan Mai Ward, Bien Hoa City) has a child who is in grade 1 at Nguyen An Ninh Primary School, said that the payment for her children's school fees via a quick transfer on smart phone helps her save time and effort compared to having to pay cash directly to school.
In some other schools, when the school's account number is not available, in order to facilitate the payment of tuition fees, the homeroom teacher will notify the parents of the tuition fee and the teacher's account number. Parents will then transfer the money to the teacher's account, asking the teacher to pay it for the school.
In the health sector, since 2019, a number of hospitals in the province have also piloted non-cash payment of hospital fees. As at Dong Nai General Hospital, patients are supported by hospital staff to make One Card. This card integrates the patient's personal information, the patient's health insurance card number. When patients come to the hospital, they only need to scan One Card to select the specialty to be examined, get the examination order number without having to wait in line to register for the examination manually like before.
After completing the medical examination, the patient comes to the checkout counter and waits for his name to be called to sign the payment slip. Hospital staff will deduct the patient's hospital fee from the One Card account (the patient has already paid when opening the card). Thus, patients will not have to carry cash, pay cash at the counter as before, avoiding the risk of theft and related troubles. At the same time, reducing the waiting time in the hospital fee payment process.

Supermarket staff swipe customers' ATM cards to pay for purchases

Expanding into many fields
Recently, the delegation including leaders of a number of departments, branches and units under the Education and Health sector of the province visited the non-cash payment model at a number of medical and educational units in Ho Chi Minh City.
Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications Vo Hoang Khai said that after the visit, the relevant departments and branches of the province will coordinate and pilot the payment of online shopping at a number of establishments in the province, first of all in educational institutions. After that, it will be expanded to the whole province and other sectors.
Accordingly, the Green House Culture Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City) will support all costs for the implementation of the digital transformation pilot plan in the fields of education and healthcare to cashless payment in the province..
Mr. Ngo Doan Chinh, General Director of the Green House Culture Joint Stock Company, said that in Ho Chi Minh City, the company has supported more than 800 schools at all levels to deploy a cashless tuition payment model
Changing the habit of paying school fees not only helps parents save time and effort, but also manages the use of their children's money, parents who have any bank account and live anywhere can pay tuition fees. At the same time, it helps the school reduce the pressure on personnel and time after each tuition collection period, take the initiative in money sources, and enhance the efficiency of financial management of tuition revenues and expenses. Not only that, it also helps schools save money on paper receipts, avoid unnecessary disagreements between school staff and students' parents in the process of collecting and paying tuition fees in cash.
Not only that, the cashless payment of tuition fees also brings many benefits to industry management, students, and many other related issues.
Deputy Director of the Department of Health Nguyen Van Binh said that in the medical field, there are a number of hospitals in the province such as Dong Nai General Hospital that have implemented non-cash payment of hospital fees. In the coming time, the health sector will continue to promote this issue in order to create convenience for patients, reduce administrative procedures and wait time. Besides, helping patients better manage money, not having to worry about losing or having cash stolen when carrying people to crowded places.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Van Van, Director of Long Thanh district Medical Center, said recent visit to the cashless payment model in Ho Chi Minh City has revealed a number of problems for the unit. It is expected that in March, the center will implement a cashless payment method for patients being treated for opiate addiction with Methadone, HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and those who come to receive vaccinations to prevent disease in the center. These are the subjects who regularly use the service and pay hospital fees at the Center.