1. Booking Confirmation & Payment Terms

1.1. Booking Confirmation – The “Service Ticket”

All reservations are processed on a request basis.

A binding booking contract is established once Smile Travel receives the required deposit or payment and issues an official Service Ticket / Confirmation Voucher.

The Service Ticket specifies the agreed services, inclusions, exclusions, routing, pricing and payment schedule.

Clients are responsible for carefully checking all information in the Service Ticket and notifying Smile Travel of any discrepancy within 48 hours of receipt.

1.2. Deposit Requirements

Standard Deposit

A minimum non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total invoice value is required upon booking confirmation, unless otherwise specified in the Service Ticket.

Bookings Under US$1,000

Full payment of 100% is required upon confirmation for bookings with a total value under US$1,000.

Instant-Issue Services

Full upfront payment may be required for services that must be issued or prepaid in advance, including:

  • Domestic and regional flight tickets
  • Train tickets
  • Visa processing and authorization services
  • Luxury day and overnight cruises
  • Peak-season hotel allocations
  • Other services subject to immediate supplier payment

High-demand services, including luxury 5-star or 6-star cruises in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, may require higher deposits or full payment according to supplier conditions.

1.3. Balance & Final Payment

Standard Timeline

Unless otherwise stated in the Service Ticket, the outstanding balance must be settled at least 30 days prior to departure.

Last-Minute Bookings

Reservations made within 30 days of departure require 100% payment upon confirmation, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Failure to Settle Payment

If the required balance is not received by the applicable deadline, Smile Travel reserves the right to cancel the booking and apply the applicable cancellation and deposit forfeiture conditions.

Currency & Price Stability

Prices may be quoted in USD or converted into Vietnamese Dong (VND) using Smile Travel’s applicable operational exchange rate on the date of transaction.

After confirmation and final payment, Smile Travel may absorb supplier-related price adjustments up to 25% of the total tour price.

Exceptional additional costs exceeding this threshold may be passed on to the client, with written notice where reasonably possible.

1.4. Accepted Payment Methods

Clients may make payments using the following methods:

1. International Wire Transfer

Bank details will be provided on the relevant invoice or payment instruction.

The client is responsible for ensuring that Smile Travel receives the full net invoice amount.

All sender, intermediary-bank and receiving-bank charges shall be borne by the client where applicable.

A standard administrative processing fee of US$35 per wire transfer may apply.

2. Credit Card – Online Payment Link / POS

Visa, MasterCard, JCB and American Express may be accepted through our secure payment gateway or office POS terminal.

A standard 3.5% merchant/payment processing surcharge applies unless otherwise stated.

3. Cash / Local Currency

Cash payment may be accepted at our Hanoi office in Vietnamese Dong (VND), subject to applicable Vietnamese laws and regulations.