Travellers to complete airport transactions via mobile money

Business
By Ronald Kipruto | Feb 25, 2026
Emirates. [courtesy]

Travellers can now be able to complete costly transactions at the airport.

This is through Cellulant’s payment platform, Tingg, a partnership between Emirates and Cellulant.

The move will allow travellers to combine multiple payment methods across mobile money, mobile banking, local credit and debit cards to make large transactions.

It will also enable travellers to make an initial payments online, followed by up to four additional instalments across 24 hours, making airfares more accessible to mobile-first customers.

Speaking during the partnership agreement that aims to unlock daily transaction limits through combining multiple payment methods, Michael Muriuki, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cellulant, said the move will allow Kenyans complete high-value transactions seamlessly.

“With hundreds of millions of Africans relying on mobile money as their preferred way to pay, extending this convenience to global travel payments is essential,” he said.

Emirates Country Manager for Kenya, Christophe Leloup, while commenting on the partnership, lauded Kenya, terming it as the most dynamic markets on global network.

‘’Through Tingg by Cellulant, we unlock greater flexibility and convenience, while enabling more customers to access our world-class product and services.”

According to the airline, despite its dominance of over   1 billion registered mobile money wallets and more than 80 billion transactions totalling over US$1 trillion, daily limits on mobile wallets often prevent customers from completing high-value purchases, such as international airline tickets, forcing customers to abandon bookings.

Now, customers will be able to complete ticket bookings while remaining within provider-imposed limits.

In Kenya, Emirates enables payments through mobile apps such as M-Pesa via Safaricom or via mobile banking transfer, through partner banks, via Cellulant.

The Cellulant’s payment debuted in Kenya and is expected to roll out to other African markets in the coming months.

Share this story
Why tougher capital rules are reshaping Kenya's insurance industry
Insurance sector is entering a stricter regulatory phase as the Insurance Regulatory Authority tightens risk-based capital requirements, forcing insurers to prove they can withstand financial shocks.
AI platform to fast-track women, youth into Kenya's green jobs
A new AI-powered platform is set to connect women and young Kenyans to jobs in the country's fast-growing green economy.
New Sh400 million mall targets Nairobi's Eastlands retail boom
The three-storey building that will be located along Manyanja Road will sit on about half an acre next to Berean Fellowship Church. It is aimed at transforming the retail landscape.
Travellers to complete airport transactions via mobile money
Travellers can now be able to complete costly transactions at the airport.
How UAE's Sh130 billion AI initiative could transform African economies
Last November, the UAE announced a Sh130 billion ($1 billion) investment initiative to expand artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and applications across Africa.
.
RECOMMENDED NEWS