Zalo
Platform · this deep dive is built from the official pages of the platform itself and of the tools that support it.
Overview
Zalo is a Vietnamese messenger around which a full-scale business ecosystem has been built: an official company account, template broadcasts by phone number, an ad dashboard, mini apps and an open API. For a social media specialist this is a rare case where a national messenger has published its rules, its rates and its limits alike.
The platform calls itself the "No. 1 communication app in Vietnam" — that is its own wording. The messenger is part of an ecosystem that also includes the music service Zing MP3, the news aggregator Báo Mới, the voice assistant Kiki Auto and the short video service Zalo Video.
The main difference from Telegram or WhatsApp is that public work here is neither free nor anonymous. A business account (Zalo Official Account, OA) requires Vietnamese business registration, is charged by subscription, and broadcasts are paid for per message. In exchange come predictable rules: how many messages a day are allowed, what you will be charged for, and at what hours a broadcast will arrive.
Who's here
The platform reports on its site more than 79 million users, more than 2 billion messages a day and more than 40 million users of the short video service Zalo Video.
The ad dashboard gives its own, slightly different estimate: "more than 79.6 million monthly active users and 2.1 billion messages a day". The discrepancy is a difference between two pages of the platform itself, not between the platform and an outside measurement. The business solutions division reports that its solutions are used by more than 68,000 enterprises.
The geography is Vietnam, and this is confirmed by more than marketing. Only the holder of a Vietnamese number can create and run a business account: only +84 numbers that have successfully passed verification in a personal Zalo are supported. The site interface language is Vietnamese, there is an English version at zalo.me/en; the business documentation is in Vietnamese only.
Getting started
A personal account
Registration is by phone number with a confirmation code. There is a desktop version for Windows, macOS and the web; the download page states that through it files, photos and videos of up to 1 GB are transferred.
A business account: two kinds
An advertising profile (hồ sơ quảng cáo) is for those without a business registration certificate; it works only for running advertising and lacks messaging, Broadcast mailouts, publications, a chatbot and voice calls. A verified OA (OA xác thực) is for licensed companies and entrepreneurs; after verification the account gets a mark and can be managed by several administrators.
The verification procedure
The account is created at oa.zalo.me by logging in through a personal Zalo with a QR code, then filling in the business category, name, description, avatar and cover. After that the clock starts: documents must be submitted for verification within 14 days, a reply comes in 2–3 working days, and if the account does not resubmit documents within 14 days after a refusal, it is blocked permanently. Verification is possible in three ways: by company or retail outlet name, by a registered trademark, or by another name for licensed types of activity. The image requirements are spelled out literally: an avatar of at least 240×240, a cover of at least 320×180, both in png or jpg and no heavier than 15 MB.
Business account rates
The OA subscription is paid and the prices are published: "Standard" — 1,000,000 ₫ a year, "Growth" — 2,500,000 ₫ a year or 1,400,000 ₫ for six months, "Full" — 6,000,000 ₫ a year or 3,400,000 ₫ for six months; the number of staff with access is 3, 5, 15 and 100 as the plans go up. A chatbot and API integration are available only from the "Growth" plan.
What you can publish
A business account has a publication feed — articles and video on the OA page. The limits are set out in the guide: a title of up to 150 characters, a short description of up to 300 characters, an uploaded video of up to 50 MB, a cover in png or jpg of up to 15 MB, and an image inside the material at 500×320 pixels and up to 1 MB. Hyperlinks inside the text are allowed and not limited in number; a deleted publication is not restored and still counts towards the monthly quota. The quota itself depends on the plan: 15 publications a month on "Standard" and unlimited on "Growth" and "Full".
What is prohibited is listed with a national specificity: a map of Vietnam must show state borders correctly; prohibited are superstition, depictions of smoking and drugs, false and defamatory information, material infringing copyright, propaganda against the state and incitement of hatred.
How to grow
Message types and the 48-hour window
Growth mechanics in Zalo are first of all message mechanics. The platform divides messages into "core" ones and ZBS templates. There are three core types:
- A consultation message (tin Tư vấn) — a reply to a user who interacted with the account themselves; through the OA Manager web panel, within 365 days of the last interaction; through OpenAPI, within 7 days. An interaction counts as a message, a call, a comment, a tap on a menu or widget, and following the account.
- A message to a GMF group chat — free, around the clock.
- Broadcast — a mass mailout to followers; sending and notifications go out only from 6:00 to 19:59.
The key economics: a consultation message within 48 hours of the last interaction is free, and outside that window it is charged — 55 ₫ per message, with a free monthly allowance of 500 on the "Growth" plan and 2,000 on "Full"; free Broadcast mailouts to a follower come to 4 a month.
Advertising
The ad dashboard lists the formats: Commerce advertising for retail, form advertising for collecting leads, in-message advertising, website advertising, Zalo Official Account advertising, video advertising and advertising of OA publications. Impressions run in Zalo itself and also in Báo Mới and Zing MP3. A publication from the OA feed can be promoted with the "Promote publication" button.
Analytics
Reporting depends on the plan: basic reports — an overview, page and follower statistics; extended ones, including chat and call statistics, a log of staff actions and a customer card in the CRM, only on the higher plans.
Path to monetization
Zalo does not pay authors for content — there is no share of advertising revenue here, no creator fund and no paid channel subscriptions. Money moves the other way — a business pays the platform for access to the audience, and earning is possible only indirectly, through sales from your own OA or mini app. The platform describes its own role in exactly those terms: solutions for communicating with, serving and selling to an enterprise's customers.
Tools and automation
ZBS Template Message: mailouts with a published rate card
A separate template message service (formerly known as ZNS) lets you write to a user by phone number or by internal UID. The platform describes it as a service for sending customer care messages that works through server-to-server API calls; a template is created in the dashboard and passes review in 2–3 working days.
The most important limitation is not technical but substantive: the service supports sending only to end users who have already had a transaction with the company; the sole exception is a confirmation code when a new account is created. Templates are split into the labels "Transaction", "Customer care" and "After-sales", and the requirements for the text are strict: Vietnamese with diacritics, one language without mixing, no links or phone numbers in the body of the message, no emoji or special characters, no abbreviations and no "sacralisation" of the product.
API
Zalo OpenAPI is connected from the "Growth" plan. The rate limit is named in the pricing table: 100 requests a minute on "Growth" and 2,000 requests a minute on "Full", not counting the sending of template messages; the number of apps an OA can grant access to is 1, 1, 3 and unlimited by plan. The technical documentation itself lives at developers.zalo.me.
Third-party services and extensions
The platform allows third-party extensions for managing an account and devotes three separate policies to them. Mailouts can also be run through Zalo Business Solutions partner agencies.
Limits and rules
- The nationality of the number. Only Vietnamese +84 numbers can create and run an OA.
- Mailout frequency. The platform's main limit: messages of a communication purpose to a single follower — no more than 1 a day and 30 a month.
- A ban on being intrusive. The policy prohibits sending messages manually or automatically with unsuitable content, frequency or context; the system detects and blocks such flows itself, measures are applied according to the number of breaches over the last 12 weeks, and a user has the right to switch off receiving messages from an OA at any moment.
- Law. Content must comply with Vietnamese legislation; a separate point is the correct display of state borders on maps.
- Support. The hotline is paid: 1900 633 155, 2,000 ₫ a minute, weekdays 9:00–21:00, weekends 9:00–18:00.
Who it's for
It suits companies with a Vietnamese legal entity and Vietnamese customers. Zalo is a channel for service and repeat sales: order confirmations, delivery statuses, reminders, login codes. The plans and the price per message are published and the limits are named as numbers — budgeting here is easier than on most platforms in this guide. It suits developers and integrators, and retail.
It does not suit foreign brands without a presence in Vietnam: without a +84 number and a business registration certificate you cannot create a full account. It does not suit bloggers and authors: the platform does not pay for content and gives no channel subscription tools. And it does not suit cold mailouts — template messages are allowed only to people who have already had a transaction with you.
Verified data
The checked data this deep dive rests on.
About the platform
the platform describes itself as follows: «Tìm hiểu cách Zalo xây dựng, phát triển và đóng góp thông qua Zalo, Zing, Zalo Video; Trí tuệ nhân tạo (AI) Kiki Auto, mô hình ngôn ngữ lớn; Chuyển đổi số …»
Self-description: this is the platform's claim about itself, not an independent assessment
source, checked 2026-07-28
the messenger is part of an ecosystem that also includes the music service Zing MP3, the news aggregator Báo Mới, the voice assistant Kiki Auto and the short video service Zalo Video
The platform calls itself the "No. 1 communication app in Vietnam" — its own wording
source, checked 2026-07-28
Who's here
Sources diverge: the platform reports more than 79 million users, more than 2 billion messages a day and more than 40 million users of the Zalo Video service
A DISCREPANCY within the site: the ad dashboard names more than 79.6 million monthly active users and 2.1 billion messages a day. Neither page carries a date
source, checked 2026-07-28
Sources diverge: the ad dashboard reports more than 79.6 million monthly active users and 2.1 billion messages a day
See the paired record zalo/audience/users_claimed: the site's home page names different figures
source, checked 2026-07-28
Getting started
only holders of Vietnamese +84 numbers that have successfully passed verification in a personal Zalo can create and run a business account (OA)
A key restriction for foreign brands
source, checked 2026-07-28
Account and access
documents are submitted for verification within 14 days of creating the OA, and a reply comes in 2–3 working days; if documents are not resubmitted within 14 days after a refusal, the account is blocked permanently
The OA account registration and use policy
source, checked 2026-07-28
three ways of verification: by company or retail outlet name, by a trademark registered with the patent office, or by another name for licensed types of activity
Review takes 2–3 working days, and longer in individual cases
source, checked 2026-07-28
Business terms
the business solutions division reports that its solutions are used by more than 68,000 enterprises
The service's statement about itself, not an independent measurement
source, checked 2026-07-28
two types of business profile: an advertising profile (hồ sơ quảng cáo) without a business registration certificate — only for running advertising, without messaging, Broadcast, publications, a chatbot or calls; and a verified OA (OA xác thực) for licensed companies and entrepreneurs
A verified OA is managed by several administrators from different devices
source, checked 2026-07-28
What you can publish
an OA publication: a title of up to 150 characters, a short description of up to 300 characters, an uploaded video of up to 50 MB, a cover in png or jpg of up to 15 MB, an image inside the material at 500×320 pixels and up to 1 MB; hyperlinks in the text are not limited in number
A deleted publication is not restored and counts towards the monthly quota
source, checked 2026-07-28
Content
the main message types: a consultation message (through OA Manager, within 365 days of the user's last interaction; through OpenAPI, 7 days), a message to a GMF group chat (free, around the clock) and Broadcast to followers
The information is declared to apply from 01.01.2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
templates are split into the labels "Transaction", "Customer care" and "After-sales"; the text must be in Vietnamese with diacritics, in one language without mixing, without links or phone numbers in the body, without emoji or special characters, without abbreviations and without "sacralisation" of the product
The requirements for the logo and the template parameters are described separately
source, checked 2026-07-28
Advertising
the ad dashboard formats: Commerce advertising for retail, form advertising for collecting leads, in-message advertising, website advertising, Zalo Official Account advertising, video advertising and advertising of OA publications; impressions run in Zalo, Báo Mới and Zing MP3
At the time of the check the dashboard site was carrying a maintenance notice
source, checked 2026-07-28
How the money works here
There is no separate rule about affiliate links. Section 4 of the terms "Hành Vi Vi Phạm" lists the forbidden actions, and among them the ban on using the service to place and transmit content infringing the rights of third parties or the law, and also "quấy rối, tác động tiêu cực tới trải nghiệm của Người dùng khác" — to disturb other users and to spoil their experience of the service. Separately it is forbidden to breach the Chính sách cộng đồng (the community guidelines)
Our translation; the original is in Vietnamese. The words "liên kết tiếp thị" or "affiliate" are not in the terms; the general prohibitions closest in meaning have been recorded
source, checked 2026-08-04
Pricing
the business account plans: "Standard" — 1,000,000 ₫ a year, "Growth" — 2,500,000 ₫ a year or 1,400,000 ₫ for six months, "Full" — 6,000,000 ₫ a year or 3,400,000 ₫ for six months
The "Basic" (Cơ bản) column has no price stated — whether the plan is free does not follow from the page. There is no date on which the prices take effect
source, checked 2026-07-28
by plan: staff with access 3, 5, 15 and 100; publications a month — 15 on "Standard" and unlimited on the higher plans; chatbot scenarios 10 and 50; apps with access 1, 1, 3 and unlimited
A chatbot and API integration are available from the "Growth" plan
source, checked 2026-07-28
a consultation message within 48 hours of the last interaction is free; outside the window it is 55 ₫ per message, with a free monthly allowance of 500 on the "Growth" plan and 2,000 on "Full"; free Broadcast mailouts to a follower come to 4 a month
Being free within the 48-hour window is also confirmed in the overview of message types
source, checked 2026-07-28
ZBS template messages (formerly ZNS): a confirmation template, a funds transfer request template, a voucher template and a beta bus ticket template cost 300 ₫ per message; an itinerary template for particular industries, from 200 ₫; other types, 200 ₫. The first button of each category is free, from the second 100 ₫ per button; a feedback button (beta), 100 ₫; a command to grant call permission, 400 ₫. Prices exclude VAT
Sending by internal UID is cheaper than sending by phone number; there is no date on which the rate card takes effect
source, checked 2026-07-28
the support hotline is paid: 1900 633 155, 2,000 ₫ a minute, weekdays 9:00–21:00, weekends and holidays 9:00–18:00
In the same place the platform warns that the only web chat is chat.zalo.me
source, checked 2026-07-28
Limits and restrictions
the OA avatar must be at least 240×240 and the cover at least 320×180, both in png or jpg and no heavier than 15 MB
The name is built on the formula "prefix + main name + suffix"
source, checked 2026-07-28
no more than 1 message of a communication purpose a day and 30 a month are allowed to one follower
The platform's main numerical mailout limit
source, checked 2026-07-28
a Broadcast mailout is sent and notifies only from 6:00 to 19:59
Consultation messages and GMF messages go around the clock
source, checked 2026-07-28
the desktop version for Windows, macOS and the web transfers files, photos and videos of up to 1 GB
The desktop client download page
source, checked 2026-07-28
Restrictions
sending messages manually or automatically with unsuitable content, frequency or context is prohibited; the system detects and blocks such flows itself, measures are applied according to the number of breaches over the last 12 weeks, and a user has the right to switch off receiving messages from an OA at any moment
In case of sharp complaints an account may be blocked temporarily or permanently
source, checked 2026-07-28
ZBS template messages may be sent only to end users who have already had a transaction with the company; the sole exception is a confirmation code when a new account is created · the source is dated 2026-07-15
Cold mailouts are excluded by the rules, not by the technology. The publication is dated 15 July 2026
source, checked 2026-07-28
OA content must comply with Vietnamese legislation: a map of Vietnam must show state borders correctly; prohibited are superstition, depictions of smoking and drugs, false and defamatory information, material infringing copyright, propaganda against the state and incitement of hatred; links to apps are allowed only within the Zalo ecosystem
The OA account registration and use policy
source, checked 2026-07-28
API access
the Zalo OpenAPI rate limit: 100 requests a minute on the "Growth" plan and 2,000 requests a minute on "Full", not counting the sending of template messages
The values are taken from the pricing table, not from the technical documentation
source, checked 2026-07-28
a template is created in the ZBS dashboard and passes review in 2–3 working days; the service works through server-to-server API calls and is part of the set of solutions for OA accounts
Sending is possible both as a campaign from the interface and through the API
source, checked 2026-07-28
the address https://developers.zalo.me/ was found on the home page by the "api/dev" marker in the address; the page is served by script and is empty without a browser, so whether it is documentation has not been verified
CORRECTED the previous version declared any address containing the word api or dev found on the home page to be a developer section. All 57 such records were checked by opening the address: 24 turned out to be documentation. See data/technical/dev-links-verified.tsv and docs/research/S195-догадка-по-адресу.md
source, checked 2026-07-28
the technical documentation page developers.zalo.me/docs answers with code 200 but is served by script: without a browser it returns an empty document
source, checked 2026-07-28
Languages
the interface language of the home page: vi
The language is taken from the markup attribute, the versions from hreflang
source, checked 2026-07-28
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