Emirates, Crypto.com give customers new way to pay for flights

Emirates has officially launched Crypto.com Pay, allowing its customers to use the digital payment solution on the airline’s website and app platforms.

Customers with a Crypto.com account booking on emirates.com and the Emirates App can now select Crypto.com Pay at checkout, with transactions processed securely and in compliance with UAE regulatory standards. Crypto.com Pay is available to eligible UAE residents for bookings priced and settled in Emirati Dirham (AED).

The launch marks the implementation of a partnership between Crypto.com and Emirates announced in July 2025, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to explore the integration of Crypto.com Pay into the airline’s digital payment systems.

“Bringing this initiative to life delivers on our commitment to expanding customer choice in how they pay for travel. It also reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation who manage their money and plan their journeys primarily from their phones, and they expect the airlines they fly with to keep pace,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Moving from signature to launch with Crypto.com in a year is a credit to both teams, and to a regulatory environment that makes this kind of innovation possible, reflecting the UAE’s and Dubai's ambition to lead in fintech and the digital economy.”

“Partnering with Emirates is a milestone for Crypto.com and our Pay feature, which is renowned for its ease of use and seamless integration,” said Eric Anziani, President and Chief Operating Officer, Crypto.com. “This collaboration is a testament to the UAE’s forward-thinking approach to innovation, and we’re proud to support Emirates as it embraces the digital payments space.”

The integration is powered by Crypto.com's Dubai entity, the first Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) to be granted a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence by the Central Bank of the UAE and operates within the scope of the SVF framework.

When customers reach the payment step of their booking, Crypto.com Pay appears as a payment option at checkout on emirates.com and the Emirates App:

On mobile: Customers booking through the Emirates App are directed to the Crypto.com app to complete the payment from their wallet, before being redirected back to the Emirates App to receive their booking confirmation and e-ticket.

On desktop: Customers booking on emirates.com should select Crypto.com Pay at the payment step, then scan the QR code displayed on the booking page and approve the payment in their Crypto.com app. Once the payment is approved, the booking confirmation and e-ticket are issued on their screen.

This launch supports the Dubai Cashless Strategy under the D33 Economic Agenda, which aims to make 90% of all financial transactions across government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026. It also builds on Emirates' partnership signed with Dubai Finance last year to advance digital payments and follows Crypto.com's partnership with Dubai Finance to accept digital payments for government services.

WAM