TLDR
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Emirates adds Crypto.com Pay for eligible UAE residents booking flights online.
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Crypto.com converts digital asset payments and settles Emirates bookings in AED.
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Mobile customers approve payments through the Crypto.com app before confirmation.
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Desktop users scan a QR code to complete payments and receive digital e-tickets.
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The launch supports Dubai’s goal to make 90% of transactions digital by 2026.
Emirates has launched Crypto.com Pay for eligible UAE residents booking flights through its website and mobile application. The service lets customers fund purchases using supported digital assets while the airline receives payment in UAE dirhams. The rollout expands Emirates’ digital checkout options and advances Dubai’s wider shift toward cashless payments.
Emirates Adds Crypto.com Pay at Checkout
Customers can now choose Crypto.com Pay when booking flights that use Emirati dirhams. The option only serves eligible UAE residents with an active Crypto.com account. Crypto.com processes each transaction and converts the payment before settling the booking in local currency.
Mobile customers complete the payment through the Crypto.com application after selecting the option during checkout. The system then returns them to the Emirates App for confirmation and electronic ticket issuance. This process keeps payment approval within the customer’s digital wallet while maintaining the airline’s usual booking flow.
Desktop customers select Crypto.com Pay and scan a displayed QR code using the Crypto.com application. They then approve the transaction from their wallet before returning to the booking page. Emirates issues the confirmation and electronic ticket after Crypto.com approves the payment.
Crypto.com Supports Regulated UAE Payments
Crypto.com powers the integration through its licensed Dubai entity under the UAE central bank’s Stored Value Facilities framework. The licence allows the company to hold customer value and process digital payments under regulatory oversight. It also supports crypto-funded purchases while merchants receive dirhams or approved dirham-backed payment instruments.
The payment structure means Emirates does not need to hold cryptocurrencies on its balance sheet. Instead, Crypto.com manages the asset conversion and delivers the final payment in AED. This arrangement reduces direct exposure to digital asset price movements during flight purchases.
The launch follows the two companies’ July 2025 agreement to explore a payment integration. Both teams completed the rollout within one year of signing the initial memorandum. The service now gives Emirates a regulated digital asset payment route within the UAE market.
Launch Supports Dubai Cashless Strategy
The integration supports Dubai’s Cashless Strategy under the broader D33 Economic Agenda. Dubai aims to make 90% of government and private-sector financial transactions digital by the end of 2026. Emirates has also worked with Dubai Finance to support wider adoption of digital payment systems.
Crypto.com separately partnered with Dubai Finance to enable digital payments for selected government services. The airline launch extends the company’s payment infrastructure into a major travel platform. The rollout also links regulated crypto payments with Dubai’s tourism and aviation sectors.
Regional airlines have already tested similar payment models as digital finance adoption expands. Air Arabia began accepting the dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for bookings in May 2025. Emirates has not announced plans to extend Crypto.com Pay beyond eligible UAE residents.
