Dubai Duty Free now accepts Crypto.com Pay for airport purchases

Crypto.com Pay is the checkout tool built into the Crypto.com app. Many residents already use that app to buy and hold digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ether. The new option lets them spend those holdings directly in-store. No exchange, no converting to cash first.

The launch follows a partnership deal Dubai Duty Free and Crypto.com signed in July 2025. Crypto.com Pay now joins Apple Pay, Alipay, and TerraPay on Dubai Duty Free's list of accepted digital payments.

How it works

Paying in-store is simple. Shoppers with a Crypto.com Pay account scan a QR code at the till. Paying online works differently: the checkout redirects shoppers to the Crypto.com app to review and approve the transaction. Either way, Dubai Duty Free gets paid in UAE dirhams (Dh), not crypto. Crypto.com handles the conversion on its own regulated systems. The retailer never touches volatile crypto balances directly.

Ramesh Cidambi, Dubai Duty Free's managing director, said the move gives customers more choice at checkout. Eric Anziani, Crypto.com's president and chief operating officer, called Dubai Duty Free "one of the world's most recognised travel retail brands."

Part of a bigger cashless push

The rollout fits Dubai's wider Cashless Strategy. That plan targets 90% of transactions in the emirate going cashless by the end of 2026. Airports make a good testing ground. Purchases tend to be high-value, travellers are tech-comfortable, and most people already pay by phone or watch instead of cash.

The UAE has built real rules around crypto payments rather than leaving the space open. Crypto.com holds a Stored Value Facilities license from the UAE Central Bank. That license lets it process regulated digital asset payments. It also holds a virtual asset license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). That regulatory backing is a big reason a mainstream retailer like Dubai Duty Free is willing to plug in.

What this means for residents

Residents who already spend through Crypto.com's app gain one more place to use it in Dubai. No cash conversion needed. The option only covers Dubai Duty Free's own stores and site for now. Other airport shops are not included, and neither company has said if that will change.

For everyone else, nothing changes at the till. Cards, cash, Apple Pay, and Alipay all still work exactly as before. This is an added option, not a replacement for existing payment methods. For now, it is a convenience feature for a specific group of shoppers, not a citywide shift in how Dubai pays for things.

The move also lines up with Dubai's broader push to attract crypto-friendly travellers and businesses. The emirate has spent the past few years courting digital-asset firms, and a mainstream retail brand accepting crypto payments is a visible, everyday sign of that strategy working, rather than just a licensing headline.