Payment for dental tourism in Vietnam is more straightforward than most patients expect going in. The main friction points are bank transfer anxiety — sending several thousand dollars to an unfamiliar overseas account — and uncertainty about when and how the deposit is collected. This guide covers the full payment structure: what methods work, what SmileJet handles versus what you pay directly to the clinic, and how to get the best exchange rate on amounts that are sometimes A$10,000 or more.
Bank transfer — the most common method for deposits
The majority of SmileJet partner clinics accept international bank transfer (SWIFT wire) for the booking deposit, which is typically 20–30% of the total quoted treatment cost. The process is:
- Written quote is issued by the clinic through the SmileJet platform.
- You accept the quote in writing.
- The clinic issues bank transfer details (typically a USD-denominated account at Vietcombank, VPBank, or similar Vietnamese commercial bank).
- You initiate the transfer from your home bank or via Wise.
- The clinic confirms receipt (typically 1–3 business days for SWIFT) and issues a booking confirmation.
Currency: Clinics typically quote in USD and accept deposits in AUD, USD, or GBP — confirm at quote stage which currencies the clinic account accepts. Some HCMC clinics also accept AUD direct; Da Nang clinics most commonly prefer USD transfer for the deposit.
Wise (formerly TransferWise): Wise is the preferred option for most patients sending large deposits. Wise transfers at the mid-market exchange rate (the rate you see on Google) with a transparent low-percentage fee — typically 0.35–0.65% on AUD-to-USD transfers, compared to the 2–4% margin built into bank international transfer rates. On a A$3,000 deposit, Wise saves A$50–100 in exchange costs compared to a standard bank wire. Wise also arrives faster — often same or next business day. The transfer can be initiated via the Wise app or website with the clinic\'s bank details. SmileJet recommends Wise for all international deposit transfers.
Credit card at the clinic
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at all SmileJet-verified partner clinics for balance payments on arrival. American Express acceptance is limited — available at some flagship HCMC clinics but not universally; confirm at quote stage if Amex is your preferred card.
Surcharge: Vietnamese dental clinics typically apply a 2–3% credit card surcharge, disclosed at check-in. This is standard and consistent across the market — it reflects the merchant processing fees charged by Vietnamese card networks. For a A$5,000 balance, the surcharge adds A$100–150.
On consumer protection: Some patients prefer to pay by card specifically for the theoretical chargeback protection. This protection exists — Visa and Mastercard dispute processes are available — but the practical reality for international dental tourism chargebacks is that they are rarely successful. Chargebacks require the merchant (the clinic) to fail to deliver the service as described, and the dispute timeline (often 60–120 days) means the patient is frequently home and has received the treatment before the process can be engaged. Card payment provides a thin layer of procedural recourse rather than a reliable remediation mechanism. The more reliable recourse structure is the SmileJet treatment coordination support, which operates at the network level.
Cash — AUD and USD
Cash is accepted at most SmileJet-verified partner clinics in HCMC, Da Nang, and Hanoi for the balance due on arrival. AUD cash is accepted at the majority of partner clinics; USD cash is universally accepted. For the balance payment at the clinic, Vietnamese dong (VND) is also accepted and is preferable if you have exchanged currency at a favourable rate locally — you pay at the bank rate rather than the clinic\'s internal exchange rate.
Large balance cash payments: For All-on-4 and full-mouth reconstruction cases where the balance is A$8,000–25,000 (in VND equivalent), cash payment requires advance coordination. Most clinics want notification that the patient intends to pay in cash so they can prepare the VND equivalent for receipt preparation and clinic reconciliation. Notify the clinic at the quote stage if you plan to pay the balance in cash.
Carrying large amounts: Australian law requires declaration of amounts above A$10,000 AUD equivalent when departing Australia. Vietnamese customs require declaration of cash or bank drafts over USD 5,000 (approximately A$7,700) on arrival. These are declaration requirements, not prohibitions — but the paperwork must be completed correctly. For very large cash amounts, Wise transfer of the balance to the clinic\'s account before departure is simpler and avoids both the declaration requirement and the security concerns of travelling with significant cash.
What SmileJet handles vs what you pay at the clinic
Understanding the payment structure is important because SmileJet and the clinic are separate entities:
SmileJet platform fee (if applicable): paid to SmileJet for access to the matched clinic quote, coordination service, and treatment guarantee. This is separate from the clinical treatment cost.
Deposit: Paid directly to the partner clinic via wire transfer or Wise, after quote acceptance. SmileJet does not hold or process the deposit — it goes direct to the treating clinic\'s bank account.
Treatment balance: Paid directly to the partner clinic on arrival or at the agreed stage during treatment. SmileJet is not a party to the clinical payment transaction.
This structure means you are in a direct contractual relationship with the clinic for the clinical treatment itself. SmileJet\'s role is curation, coordination, and guarantee administration — not financial intermediary. This is standard for dental tourism marketplaces and means the clinic receives the full treatment payment, not a net amount after marketplace fee deduction.
Deposit structure at partner clinics
The deposit structure is relatively consistent across SmileJet partner clinics:
- Deposit to hold appointment: 20–30% of the total treatment cost, paid on quote acceptance (typically 2–4 weeks before arrival).
- Balance on arrival: Remaining treatment cost paid at the clinic on Day 1 of treatment, before or at the first appointment. Some clinics accept the balance split across two appointments for very large cases.
- Multi-phase cases (All-on-4, All-on-6): The deposit holds the Trip 1 surgical appointment. The prosthetic phase (Trip 2 final arch) may require a second payment instalment at the start of Trip 2. This is confirmed in the written treatment plan at the quote stage.
Refund on cancellation: Typically, full refund of the deposit is available if the appointment is cancelled more than 7 days before the treatment start date. Cancellations within 7 days are typically subject to a partial refund (covering lab preparation and scheduling costs that the clinic cannot recover). The exact cancellation and refund terms vary by clinic and by treatment type — confirm these in writing at the quote acceptance stage before transferring the deposit. Do not assume standard terms apply.
Currency exchange tips
For patients managing the exchange from AUD, NZD, or GBP:
Before departure: Convert AUD to USD via Wise for the deposit transfer — you get the mid-market rate and avoid the bank\'s margin. If paying the balance on arrival in VND, consider sending a portion via Wise direct to a Wise multi-currency account you can spend from in Vietnam (Wise debit card), giving you the mid-market rate on VND spending too.
On the ground in Vietnam: Avoid currency exchange at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC — airport exchange rates are typically 3–5% below the bank rate. In HCMC city centre, Vietcombank and Techcombank branches offer competitive rates for AUD and USD cash exchange. ATM withdrawal of VND is also competitive for smaller amounts (check your home bank\'s international withdrawal fee — typically A$5 per transaction).
Before any exchange: Google the current VND/AUD or VND/USD rate (Google shows the mid-market rate). Calculate the VND amount you should receive for your AUD or USD. A rate more than 2–3% below this benchmark warrants moving to a different exchange provider. For amounts above A$5,000 equivalent, calling a Vietcombank branch directly to arrange the exchange (rather than queuing at the counter) often yields a slightly better rate and saves time.
For Da Nang patients: Exchange facilities in Da Nang city centre are less numerous than HCMC but still functional. BIDV and Vietcombank branches in Hai Chau district are reliable. Most partner clinics in Da Nang accept USD cash directly for the balance at a transparent daily exchange rate — ask the clinic what rate they are applying before agreeing to pay in USD cash rather than VND.
How to protect yourself when paying
Paying for dental treatment abroad involves a level of financial exposure that domestic dental care does not. The following practices apply regardless of which payment method you choose, and are worth treating as a pre-departure checklist:
- Never pay the full treatment amount before any work begins. The standard deposit-and-balance structure exists specifically to protect the patient. A clinic requesting full payment upfront before the consultation has completed is a red flag. If a clinic cites "scheduling security" or "material procurement" as the reason for full upfront payment on an unconfirmed case, walk away or escalate through SmileJet.
- Always get the deposit acknowledgment in writing. Before you transfer any funds, confirm the clinic's bank details via the SmileJet platform (not via a number you found independently), transfer the deposit, and request email confirmation of receipt and the booking confirmation. If your deposit transfer is confirmed by the clinic, that confirmation is your evidence if any dispute arises later.
- Check the quoted price matches the final invoice. At the final appointment, your invoice should match the quoted treatment scope and the quoted price. If additional work was performed at the consultation — different bone grafting scenario, different implant brand, additional teeth extracted — a revised quote should have been presented and agreed in writing before that additional work commenced. If the invoice shows items you did not agree to, query before paying.
- Keep all payment receipts. Vietnamese partner clinics issue receipts for all payments. Keep these until at least the end of the treatment coordination support window (12 months from your final restoration date). They are the financial record if a guarantee claim ever arises.
Payment timing for multi-trip implant cases
Two-trip implant cases have a payment structure that spans months. Understanding how it works across both trips reduces the uncertainty of the second trip's financial obligations.
Trip 1 (implant placement): The deposit covers the placement surgery and any related CBCT imaging and bone grafting if included. The balance is paid on the final day of the placement trip, after the post-surgical check confirms the site is healing normally. The crown component — the final restoration that goes on the implant — is not fabricated until Trip 2, so there is no crown cost on Trip 1's invoice. Check your written treatment plan to confirm what is included in each trip's payment.
Between trips: No payment is required during the osseointegration period (typically 3-6 months at home). SmileJet's 3-month check-in prompt is operational and administrative, not financial. Some clinics require a small scheduling deposit (US$100-200) when confirming the Trip 2 appointment date; this is applied against the Trip 2 balance on arrival. Confirm the Trip 2 deposit requirement when booking the second appointment.
Trip 2 (crown fitting): The crown payment covers the zirconia crown fabrication, the abutment placement, and the fitting appointment. For standard single Osstem implants, expect US$400-600 for the crown component at partner clinics in HCMC and Da Nang. Straumann or Nobel crowns typically run US$500-700. The Trip 2 payment is smaller than Trip 1 but is a separate payment transaction to the same clinic or to a different SmileJet partner clinic if you are using the network transferability to change cities for the crown appointment.
What to do if there is a payment dispute
Payment disputes between patients and dental clinics are uncommon in the SmileJet partner network, but they do occur. The most frequent scenarios are: a price discrepancy between the written quote and the final invoice, a scope change that was not formally re-quoted, or a clinic requesting payment for items not in the original treatment plan. The resolution process:
First, raise the discrepancy with the clinic coordinator before making any payment. Most discrepancies are administrative errors and resolve within minutes of being raised. If the clinic insists on a price that differs from your written quote with no documented scope change justification, do not pay the disputed amount — contact your SmileJet coordinator immediately. SmileJet has contractual authority with partner clinics to resolve quote-vs-invoice discrepancies under the network agreement; in most cases the clinic will honour the written quote once SmileJet is involved.
If you have already paid and believe you were overcharged for undocumented scope changes, document the discrepancy in writing (email or WhatsApp) to the clinic before leaving Vietnam, copy your SmileJet coordinator, and submit a formal SmileJet complaint within 7 days of departure. SmileJet's operational review process addresses financial disputes in the same framework as clinical disputes. For very large amounts (over A$5,000 disputed), your credit card's chargeback process can be initiated in parallel, though as noted earlier, dental tourism chargebacks have a lower success rate than standard retail chargebacks.
