Alternative currency alert: In Vietnam, candy can be used as money!

With the advancement of technology, people no longer need physical cash or coins to make purchases—whether using credit cards or mobile payments, transactions have become much simpler. But in Vietnam on the Indochina Peninsula, besides banknotes and coins, you can actually use “candy” as a form of trade. Why is that?

The reason candy has become a form of money is actually tied to the value of Vietnamese currency. The official currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese đồng. Those who have been to Vietnam know that the đồng has a very low value—one Taiwanese dollar can be exchanged for 777 đồng, which means everyone in Vietnam is a millionaire. The largest currently circulating Vietnamese đồng banknote is 500,000 đồng, while the smallest is 100 đồng. However, banknotes of 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 đồng are no longer being printed, though they can still be found in circulation.

For example, 100 đồng is worth just over one Taiwanese cent—so small it’s almost negligible. As a result, when shops don’t have small-denomination bills or coins (usually under 500 đồng), they often use candy as change. That’s why local businesses usually keep some candy at the register for making up the difference. Even more interestingly, candy isn’t just used for giving change—some shops or street vendors actually accept “candy” as payment. So if you’re traveling in Vietnam and find yourself short on small change, it might be a good idea to carry some candy with you—it could come in handy in a pinch.