BIDV successfully completes migration to modern Way4 card core system
In November, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), together with the FPT–OpenWay joint venture, successfully completed the migration of its card payment core system to the Way4 platform—one of the world’s leading payment solutions—after 18 months of implementation. Regarded as one of the most complex and comprehensive technology upgrade projects in the banking sector, the project enables BIDV to enhance transaction processing capacity, shorten time to market for card products and services, and strengthen its leading position in modern payments.
BIDV completes migration to the modern Way4 card core system.
With the goal of becoming a technology-driven retail bank and a pioneer in innovation, BIDV has identified the card core system migration as a key initiative under its Retail Banking Development Strategy 2021–2025 and Digital Transformation Strategy 2021–2025, with a vision to 2030. The project is considered a foundational step, ushering in a new era of card operations for the bank.
Prior to the project, BIDV’s card core system had operated stably on the Cadencie platform for many years, ensuring accurate and efficient transaction processing. However, amid rapid technological advancements and rising customer expectations, the legacy system was no longer sufficient to support the bank’s next phase of growth. Migrating to a new platform became an inevitable choice to maintain competitiveness and deliver a superior transaction experience.
The new Way4 card core system is deployed under a centralized management model, leveraging open architecture and flexible configuration. This approach facilitates functional expansion and the development of new services. Beyond its technological significance, the successful migration provides a solid foundation for BIDV to accelerate the rollout of modern payment products and services while enhancing customer service quality. With Way4’s high flexibility and deep integration with the digital ecosystem, BIDV can proactively design, test, and launch new products efficiently, securely, and in line with market demand.
For customers, the transition to the Way4 card core system delivers a comprehensive improvement in the card service experience at BIDV. Customers can now issue cards online, add cards to Apple Pay and Google Pay, and begin spending immediately without waiting. In addition, user experience across digital channels such as SmartBanking and BIDV Direct has been significantly enhanced, enabling customers to manage cards and transactions in a more intuitive, fast, and consistent manner across BIDV’s entire digital ecosystem.
The BIDV card core project marks a major milestone in the bank’s digital transformation journey.
The project was officially launched on May 10, 2024 and implemented over 18 months—a record timeline for a project of similar scale—across three phases. Phase one involved migrating the switching system and integrating with four international and domestic card schemes within five months. Phase two focused on migrating the card management system and integrating the new card core system with the bank’s legacy applications. Phase three covered the migration of more than 2,000 ATM/CRM machines to the new card core system within 3.5 months, followed by the completion of the prepaid card system in 1.5 months.
The BIDV card payment system migration is widely regarded as one of the largest and most complex technology transformation programs in the banking industry. The project directly impacts millions of customers and involves integration with numerous legacy applications, as well as an extensive partner network including Napas, international card organizations, e-wallets, and partner banks. The project team successfully migrated 27 million records with 12,000 data fields, ensuring accuracy, security, and uninterrupted service continuity.
Since going live, the new card core system has demonstrated outstanding transaction processing speed, highly streamlined processes, and enhanced card security. BIDV has also achieved impressive results by launching multiple new card products tailored to both traditional customers and digital channels.
The project was delivered through close collaboration between FPT, the implementation partner, and OpenWay, the provider of the Way4 platform—one of the world’s leading card payment systems, known for its performance, stability, and scalability. Way4 enables BIDV to manage the entire card lifecycle, switching, and payment acceptance, while supporting e-wallets, digital banking, and omnichannel payment services, laying a strong foundation for a wide range of advanced digital payment products.
Speaking at the project wrap-up ceremony, Le Ngoc Lam, CEO of BIDV and head of the project steering committee, said: “The card core project represents a strategic milestone in BIDV’s digital transformation roadmap. We highly value the implementation capabilities of the FPT–OpenWay joint team, which combines strong technological expertise, deep understanding of Vietnam’s banking operations, and extensive experience in deploying leading global payment platforms.”
From FPT’s side, Tran Dang Hoa, Chairman of FPT IS, FPT Corporation, stated: “With more than 30 years of partnership with BIDV and extensive experience in large-scale banking and finance projects, FPT is committed to building robust and optimized technology platforms for banks. In the card core project, we not only ensured system accuracy, security, and continuity, but also provided consultancy, process standardization, and innovative solutions tailored to the specific characteristics of Vietnam’s banking operations. The project’s success demonstrates the strength of strategic collaboration among FPT, OpenWay, and BIDV. Alongside initiatives in green transformation, core banking, the BIDV Tradeflat platform, and other mission-critical systems, FPT looks forward to continuing its partnership to deliver sustainable value for BIDV and its customers.”
At the event, Rudy Gunawan, member of the board of directors of OpenWay Group and CEO of OpenWay Asia, commented: “This is one of the largest and most complex yet best-managed projects OpenWay has delivered in Vietnam and the region. BIDV demonstrated strong governance capabilities, while FPT’s effective execution enabled the project to be completed in just 18 months instead of the typical 30 months. With the modern, flexible, and scalable Way4 card core platform, we believe BIDV now has an advanced card ecosystem to continue leading in payment products, enhancing customer experience, and driving its digital transformation strategy.”
The BIDV card core project represents not only a technical success but also a significant milestone in the bank’s digital transformation journey, establishing a modern and flexible foundation ready to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of customers.
About BIDV
Founded in 1957, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) is one of the country’s largest banks. With an extensive nationwide network and an increasingly digitalized operating model, BIDV is accelerating internal digital transformation to improve efficiency, optimize costs, and deliver better customer experiences. Under its 2025–2030 strategic vision, BIDV aims to become “Large – Strong – Green,” leading in technology, sustainability, and green development.
About OpenWay
OpenWay Group is a global provider of digital payment platforms, developing and maintaining the Way4 solution, which is used by more than 500 financial institutions and fintech companies in over 100 countries. Way4 features open architecture and high flexibility, enabling large-scale expansion and product innovation—supporting thousands of transactions per second—with integrated all-in-one modules for card issuing, payment acceptance, switching, e-wallets, and omnichannel payments within a single system.
