Vueling Teams Up with BitPay to Let Fliers Pay with Crypto

Vueling, an airline part of International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), is collaborating with cryptocurrency payment service provider BitPay to enable crypto payments for airline tickets.

The service will use technology from the Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP), the global payment network for the airline industry, according to a Thursday (June 16) press release.

The new endeavor makes Vueling the first low-cost airline in Europe to accept cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Crypto payments will be available at the start of next year and will be for individuals only.

See also: Collapse May Slow Crypto’s Payments Mainstreaming — But Won’t End it

“With this agreement, Vueling once again reaffirms its position as a digital airline,” Vueling Manager of Distribution Strategy and Alliances Jesús Monzó said in the release.

He said BitPay will bring Vueling’s customers the “possibility of making transactions with cryptocurrencies with the greatest security and reliability.”

Ticket prices will be displayed in euros and customers can make payments from over 100 wallets and 13 cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, dogecoin, ethereum, litecoin, shiba inu and others.

Read more: The Digital Merchant 2022: Crypto Payments Take Travel in New Directions

Crypto payments are push transactions, meaning the user sends the exact amount, as opposed to withdrawing funds from a debit or credit card. The payment type lowers the chance of transaction fraud and phishing, according to the release.

“Vueling recognizes the potential of cryptocurrencies to transform the airline industry, making payments faster, more secure and less expensive on a global scale,” BitPay Vice President of Marketing Merrick Theobald said.

“Our goal at BitPay is to make the acceptance of cryptocurrencies a seamless process and increase its adoption, as we believe that cryptocurrencies are the future of payments.”

Sign up here for daily updates on all of PYMNTS’ Crypto coverage.