Overview
- Emirates launched Crypto.com Pay on its website and app on Tuesday, July 28, making crypto checkout available for eligible UAE-resident bookings priced and settled in AED.
- Customers must have a verified Crypto.com account and will complete payments by approving a transaction in the Crypto.com app either via app redirect or a QR code on desktop.
- Crypto.com’s Dubai entity, which holds a Central Bank of the UAE Stored Value Facilities licence, processes the transactions and converts the crypto to AED so Emirates receives dirhams rather than tokens.
- The airline has not published a list of accepted tokens and has given only limited detail on refunds; reporting says cancellations are typically returned as fiat-equivalent values rather than original coins.
- The launch supports Dubai’s cashless push and could broaden digital-payments use by travellers, but wider rollout beyond UAE residents depends on Crypto.com gaining equivalent licences in other markets and on carrier adoption.