As a leading commercial bank committed to agriculture and rural development, Agribank continues to fulfill its mission of serving the community by bringing digital identification technology to remote and disadvantaged regions—ensuring that social welfare policies reach the right people, at the right time.

Founded in 1988 during Vietnam’s Doi Moi reform era, Agribank was established to support farmers, rural communities, and the agricultural sector—areas that represent nearly 60% of the country’s population but often face barriers in accessing capital and essential financial services. Over the past 37 years, Agribank has grown into a key driver of policy credit and financial inclusion, extending its services to remote, border, and island areas to support economic and social development.

In alignment with the national digital transformation agenda, Agribank is leveraging modern technology to improve access to financial services—particularly for vulnerable groups. To date, Agribank has installed more than 3,500 ATM/CDM machines, including nearly 2,000 in rural areas, around 25,000 POS terminals, and 68 mobile banking vehicles that serve remote communities directly.

As part of its rural digitization strategy, Agribank has integrated advanced digital identification features—such as facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC)—into its smart ATM/CDM terminals. These innovations allow customers to open accounts, register biometric data, apply for loans, issue cards, and access digital banking services without needing to visit a branch.

The results are substantial. Agribank has issued over 9 million rural accounts and more than 12 million cards. More than 500,000 disadvantaged individuals now receive their social welfare benefits directly through their Agribank accounts. To date, over VND 210 trillion has been disbursed via the bank’s social insurance platforms.

Agribank is also enhancing its integration with the national digital ID platform, VNeID, which has around 63 million users. Through VNeID, citizens can open bank accounts entirely online—no physical documents or in-person visits required. The system can automatically identify individuals eligible for social support, recommend free banking services, and facilitate access to preferential loans. This enables a fully digital, paperless model for social welfare delivery—secure, efficient, and transparent.

By embracing innovation and staying people-centered, Agribank continues to pioneer digital transformation in banking and plays an active role in building an inclusive, digitally empowered economy for Vietnam’s future.

Kylie Nguyen