Emirates has launched a split-payment feature for travelers booking flights in Kenya. This option allows customers to spread a single ticket purchase across multiple payment methods within a 24-hour window.
The feature, built on Cellulant’s Tingg payment gateway, lets customers make an initial payment online followed by up to four additional installments, combining mobile money, mobile banking, and local credit or debit cards in a single transaction.
The mechanic is designed to work within the daily transaction limits that mobile money providers impose. These limits have long stopped customers from completing high-value purchases like international airfares in a single go.
Mobile money dominates everyday payments across Africa. The continent has over a billion registered mobile wallets processing more than $1 trillion in transactions annually.
However, per-transaction and daily caps mean a single international airfare can easily exceed what a customer can send at once, often forcing them to abandon bookings altogether.
“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,” said Michael Muriuki, Cellulant’s Chief Product and Technology Officer.
“Through Tingg, we are enabling Emirates customers to complete high-value transactions seamlessly, without transaction limits becoming a barrier to access.”
Emirates Country Manager for Kenya, Christophe Leloup, said the airline is always looking to improve the booking experience. “By introducing split payments through Tingg by Cellulant, we unlock greater flexibility and convenience, while enabling more customers to access our world-class product and services.”
The launch comes as Emirates prepares to add a third daily flight on its Dubai–Nairobi route from March 1, expanding capacity on a route the airline says has seen consistently strong demand.
Kenya is part of a broader footprint the two companies share across Africa. Cellulant and Emirates currently facilitate payment options together in over 14 markets on the continent, including South Africa, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.
The split-payment feature is live now in Kenya on the Emirates website, with a rollout to other African markets expected in the coming months.
