On March 16, 2026, the Center for E-commerce and Digital Technology Development (eComDX), under the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, Ministry of Industry and Trade, in collaboration with the Vietnam Investment and Development Bank (BIDV), organized a thematic workshop titled "Secrets to Closing Deals Quickly - Boosting CASA for Retail Businesses on E-commerce Platforms".
The workshop was held in both an in-person format in Hanoi (with the participation of BIDV's Corporate Customer Relations officers) and an online format (with the participation of representatives from BIDV branches nationwide).
At the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan - Director of the eComDX Center - attended and shared several topics, including: an overview of e-commerce and its development trends in Vietnam; popular e-commerce business models and how businesses operate on e-commerce platforms; cash flow, financial bottlenecks, and the profitability of businesses; and recommendations for optimal financial solutions for e-commerce businesses. These topics helped BIDV's Corporate Relationship Managers understand: the potential of the e-commerce market for corporate clients; the characteristics of businesses when listing on e-commerce platforms, providing them with the knowledge to advise and discuss e-commerce with businesses; and the ability to differentiate between nominal and actual revenue for e-commerce businesses. They also identified "hidden" costs that lead to high revenue but low profits. Furthermore, the workshop equipped them with the ability to understand cash flow from e-commerce, effectively assess the "health" of e-commerce businesses, and discuss financial solutions to support businesses on BIDV's e-commerce platforms.
In addition, Mr. Tuan also proposed several specific solutions for BIDV and outlined ways to address the difficulties that businesses are facing. Specifically:
Helping businesses solve operational and financial management problems.
Discussing the key highlights of the E-commerce Law, which will take effect on July 1, 2026, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan summarized: (i) Enhancing the responsibility of platform owners, sellers, and protecting consumers; (ii) Managing taxes and electronic invoices; (iii) Promoting the development of cross-border e-commerce . Mr. Tuan believes that this will contribute positively to the market, helping to filter out low-quality sellers, encouraging businesses to professionalize their operational processes and customer service; increasing transparency of cash flow, minimizing the risk of commercial fraud, and creating a foundation for building a clean credit profile for e-commerce businesses.
As e-commerce in Vietnam enters a period of strong growth, businesses operating on digital platforms not only face opportunities to expand their markets but also have to solve increasingly complex operational and financial management challenges.
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan, many e-commerce businesses currently face risks such as thin profit margins due to high platform fees (take-rates), competitive price pressure, and the high cost of participating in numerous promotional programs that erode profits. In addition, revenue decreases when platforms change their display algorithms; advertising costs are unpredictable and increasingly expensive. Risks include customers canceling orders, damaged goods during return shipping, resulting in losses from shipping and packaging costs, and lost sales opportunities. Therefore, Corporate Relationship Officers need to pay attention to the actual return rate and hidden penalties/costs of the platform when evaluating cash flow, avoiding focusing solely on nominal GMV (General Merchandise Value) revenue.
In light of these risks, the Director of eComDX suggested several solutions to mitigate them, such as optimizing product portfolios and cost of goods sold by selecting products with sufficiently high profit margins (>30%); and creating combos to increase order value. In addition, it is necessary to optimize marketing and operations; cut losses on ineffective product lines/campaigns; and tightly control the packaging process to reduce return rates.
eComDX Director Nguyen Huu Tuan poses for a commemorative photo with BIDV Corporate Banking officials attending the in-person seminar in Hanoi.
Besides mitigation solutions, Mr. Tuan also introduced several popular business models currently in use, such as multi-channel sales, livestream commerce, affiliate marketing, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales. These are considered important trends that help businesses expand their customer base and accelerate revenue in the digital business environment. In particular, corporate finance officials need to assess risks based on the "E-commerce Business Capability" assessment form to provide safe financial lending solutions. The assessment form is based on criteria such as: Technical infrastructure; Operational processes & logistics; Advertising & Brand effectiveness; Cash flow & Profitability; Digital and customer service personnel and capabilities.
Effective cash flow management helps optimize business operations.
The director of eComDX stated that one of the biggest problems e-commerce businesses are facing is cash flow and financial management, including the issue of cash flow delays. Due to the payment and reconciliation mechanisms of e-commerce platforms, sales revenue is often held for a period of time before being transferred to the business's account.
Meanwhile, businesses still have to constantly spend money on inventory, advertising, operations, and logistics. This makes the need for working capital urgent, especially during major promotional seasons like Mega Sale or large-scale online sales campaigns.
At the seminar "Secrets to Closing Deals Quickly - Significantly Increasing CASA for Retail and E-commerce Businesses," addressing financial challenges faced by businesses, Mr. Tuan explained that CASA stands for Current Account Savings Account, which can be understood as the money in a payment account used for daily transactions such as transfers, receiving money, paying bills, and covering expenses. This is a very important indicator in banking operations and cash flow management for businesses.
Accordingly, for sellers, CASA is not just a number in a bank account, but the lifeblood of their business. It is where sales revenue is received and is the immediate source of capital for reinvestment, maintaining cash flow, and developing their online store. Meanwhile, for buyers, e-commerce is the "output" (where money is spent), while CASA is the "input" (available funds).
Mr. Tuan believes that managing cash flow and operations through CASA accounts and reconciliation will help optimize cash flow management from multiple platforms into one; support tools for separating revenue and expenses for easier accounting; Virtual Accounts provide unique identifiers for each refund/exchange transaction, automating the debt reconciliation process 100%; and API (Open Banking) allows direct integration of banking services into the company's ERP/Accounting software, enabling money transfers and balance checks directly within the internal software.
" Effective cash flow management and the establishment of a transparent financial system will help businesses optimize their operations and facilitate access to bank financing ," Mr. Tuan affirmed.
Experts from eComDX believe that e-commerce provides data on consumer behavior, while CASA (Current Account Savings Account) provides data on financial capacity. Connecting data between e-commerce platforms and banking systems will help build data-driven finance models. This will enable businesses to access capital faster and manage finances more effectively in the digital business environment.
At the seminar, representatives from BIDV's Corporate Banking Management Department presented several topics, including: the development orientation for retail and e-commerce businesses; promotional programs for customers; and BIDV's incentive policies.
BIDV has introduced many promotional programs and incentives for e-commerce customers, such as: the SME Fast Track 2026 program, which provides a "Startup KIT" for new sellers, free account management, and support for specialized Visa Debit SuperAds cards to optimize online advertising costs; Open API: E-commerce businesses can directly integrate BIDV's services (QR payment, identified collection, automatic reconciliation) into their management systems, helping to process transactions and refunds in real time; Supply Chain Financing (SCF): Businesses can borrow capital based on invoices/orders with high financing rates, flexible collateral (inventory accepted), and receive 12 months of free digital signature usage…
As a national e-commerce development promoter, eComDX is actively implementing numerous training programs, networking initiatives, and support services to help businesses apply digital technology in their operations. Through collaborations with businesses, banks, and technology platforms, eComDX aims to build a sustainable e-commerce ecosystem, contributing to the digital transformation of businesses and the development of Vietnam's digital economy. |
