Emirates now accepts Crypto.com Pay for bookings made on its website and app.

The payment option is available only to eligible UAE residents and only for bookings priced and settled in UAE dirham (AED). The rollout follows a partnership memorandum of understanding signed with Crypto.com in July 2025.

Emirates, one of the largest airlines in the Gulf, has begun accepting payments through Crypto.com Pay for flight bookings in the UAE, marking a notable step in the use of cryptocurrency-linked payments by a major global carrier.

How Crypto.com Pay works for Emirates bookings

Under the new system, customers with a Crypto.com account can choose Crypto.com Pay at checkout on emirates.com and in the Emirates App, with transactions processed in compliance with UAE regulatory standards.

On mobile, users booking through the Emirates App are redirected to the Crypto.com app to complete payment from their wallet, then returned to Emirates to receive their booking confirmation and e-ticket.

Desktop users can complete transactions by scanning a QR code displayed during checkout and approving the payment within the Crypto.com app.

Emirates said the launch is part of a broader effort to expand payment flexibility and serve digitally native customers.

“Bringing this initiative to life delivers on our commitment to expanding customer choice in how they pay for travel,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer. He added that the partnership reflects changing customer expectations and Dubai’s ambition to lead in financial technology and digital innovation.

Crypto.com also described the launch as important for mainstream crypto adoption. Eric Anziani, President and Chief Operating Officer of Crypto.com, called the partnership a milestone for the company’s payment infrastructure and pointed to the ease of integration and user experience offered by Crypto.com Pay.

The integration runs through Crypto.com’s Dubai entity, which holds a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence from the Central Bank of the UAE — the first Virtual Asset Service Provider to receive one — and operates within that SVF framework.

UAE’s growing crypto payment infrastructure

The launch also aligns with Dubai’s broader push toward digital payments under the Dubai Cashless Strategy, a key part of the emirate’s D33 Economic Agenda.

The strategy aims to make 90% of financial transactions across government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026.

A growing experiment among airlines

Emirates is not the first UAE airline to test crypto-related payments. Air Arabia introduced AE Coin payments for bookings in 2025, while other regional carriers have explored digital asset initiatives.

The Emirates rollout stands out because the payment option is built directly into the airline’s own booking channels rather than offered through a third-party travel platform.

Limits and availability

The crypto payment option is currently available only to eligible UAE residents, and bookings must be priced and settled in AED. Emirates has not announced plans to expand the feature to customers in other jurisdictions.

The specific cryptocurrencies supported by the feature have not been disclosed.

Why this matters

Emirates has become the first major Gulf airline to accept cryptocurrency payments for flight bookings through Crypto.com Pay. The launch comes as the UAE continues to expand regulated digital payment infrastructure, with Dubai positioning itself as a regional hub for fintech and virtual asset innovation. For travelers, the practical significance is less about a new fare product than about another checkout option inside an established airline’s own booking channels, which can help normalize regulated crypto-linked payments in everyday consumer use.