Key Takeaways
- Dubai Duty Free adds Crypto.com Pay across airports and online.
- Customers can authorize payments through the Crypto.com App.
- UAE regulation supports digital payment expansion.
Dubai Duty Free Adds Crypto Payments to Airport Retail
The airport retailer unveiled Crypto.com Pay on Aug. 5, 2026, introducing the payment option across Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, and its online store for eligible UAE residents. The rollout allows customers to pay through their Crypto.com accounts while Dubai Duty Free receives settlement in UAE dirhams through regulated payment infrastructure.
Serving millions of international travelers through Dubai’s airports, the retailer offers products including luxury goods, electronics, cosmetics, and other consumer categories. The addition of Crypto.com Pay broadens its digital payment ecosystem alongside existing options such as Apple Pay, Alipay, and Terrapay.
Dubai Duty Free stated:
“Dubai Duty Free has officially launched Crypto.com Pay, becoming the first airport retailer in the Middle East to introduce a regulated digital payment solution.”
How Crypto.com Pay Works for Customers
The payment option has been integrated into Dubai Duty Free’s existing checkout process, allowing customers to use the service without a separate retail payment system. In-store shoppers selecting Crypto.com Pay receive a QR code showing the purchase amount in UAE dirhams, which they scan through the Crypto.com App before approving the transaction.
Online customers can select Crypto.com Pay during checkout, where a secure QR code is generated for payment confirmation. Mobile users are directed to the Crypto.com App to review and approve the transaction before returning to complete their orders.
The merchant settlement process keeps Dubai Duty Free’s financial operations in UAE dirhams while customers complete payments through Crypto.com Pay. Dubai Duty Free noted:
“Transactions are processed securely through Crypto.com’s regulated payment infrastructure, with settlement in UAE Dirhams (AED) to Dubai Duty Free.”
UAE Regulation Supports Crypto Payment Services
The payment service operates within the Central Bank of the UAE’s regulatory framework for stored value facilities, which sets requirements for providers that manage electronic monetary balances. The framework covers areas including customer protection, system security, operational controls, and compliance standards.
The rollout comes after Crypto.com received a Stored Value Facilities license from the central bank. The license enables the company to provide regulated payment services in the UAE and places its operations within a supervised financial framework.
Stored value facilities allow users to hold and use electronic monetary balances through approved providers for payment transactions. The Central Bank oversees these services to ensure companies operating digital payment infrastructure meet regulatory requirements and maintain appropriate safeguards for users.
Dubai Expands Digital Payments Across Travel and Commerce
The airport retail rollout follows Emirates adding Crypto.com Pay for flight bookings, expanding crypto payment use cases across Dubai’s travel sector. The development creates another consumer-facing application for regulated digital payment technology.
The expansion of digital payment options across Dubai’s travel and retail sectors aligns with the emirate’s broader push toward cashless transactions. Under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), the Dubai Cashless Strategy aims for cashless transactions to account for 90% of all transactions across government and private sectors by 2026.
Financial institutions across the UAE have also developed blockchain-based payment initiatives as banks and payment providers explore faster digital settlement systems. Emirates NBD introduced real-time USD blockchain payments, using blockchain technology to improve cross-border payment processing and reduce delays associated with traditional international transfers.
The rollout highlights the UAE’s ongoing development of digital financial infrastructure, as banks, retailers, and payment providers adopt blockchain-based solutions alongside traditional services to improve efficiency. Crypto.com’s UAE license for regulated crypto payments established the regulatory foundation for services that process settlements in UAE dirhams through approved payment infrastructure.
Crypto.com President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Anziani said:
“Dubai Duty Free is one of the world’s most recognised travel retail brands and one of the largest single airport duty free operators globally. The launch of Crypto.com Pay marks another important milestone in expanding regulated digital payment solutions for everyday commerce.”
