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Now, buy Emirates ticket online without a credit card

Dubai - Emirates is the first to launch new industry payment solution in partnership with Deutsche Bank.

Emirates airline on Monday launched a new account-based payment method called Emirates Pay for purchasing online tickets.

The new solution offers account-to-account payments for air tickets without the need for a card, as the amount is directly debited from a passenger’s bank account.

Emirates said this new method is now available only in Germany and the UK for customers who are purchasing tickets through the airline’s website.

“We intend to introduce this solution to customers in as many markets as practicable, including the UAE, and we are in dialogue with various partners, but have no further updates at this time” the Emirates spokesperson told Khaleej Times.

For airlines, it offers a cost-competitive payment alternative, with faster settlement times, supporting enhanced airline liquidity as well as reduced payment fraud.

This new payment solution will also save airlines hefty payment processing fees that are levied by the credit card industry. It is estimated that up to 70 per cent of all tickets sold by the Middle East airlines are paid with credit cards. Airlines pay between one to three per cent to credit card companies for the ticket price. Iata estimated that around $8 billion were paid by airlines worldwide to credit card companies and others in processing fees before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Dubai-based carrier is the world’s first airline to launch this payment solution jointly developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in partnership with Deutsche Bank.

“Our aim is to provide our customers with choice, convenience, and the best possible experiences at every touchpoint. Customers who don’t have a credit card, and those already using direct payments for other purchases, will welcome the simplicity and security of this method when making travel purchases. When it comes to payments solutions, we’ve always kept close to the latest innovations so that we can offer our customers in different markets the most secure and convenient options,” said Michael Doersam, CFO at Emirates.

“The launch of Emirates Pay not only sends a very positive message to all of us that the airline industry is putting Covid-19 behind, but more importantly that Emirates is focused on improving client experience at the transactional level when moving into a brighter, post Covid world,” said Ole Matthiessen, global head of cash management at Deutsche Bank.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com