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Airline Payment Processing Solutions

Airline payment processing solutions need to accommodate high volume, cross-border sales, and complicated refunds without hindering bookings. Payment Nerds airline payment solutions facilitate ticketing, ancillary purchases, and in-flight transactions with layered security, multi-currency support, and integrations for your technology stack.
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  • Streamline approvals for faster ticket processing
  • Manage and mitigate fraud risks throughout payments
  • Expand reach to sell tickets and services globally

Simplify Your Airline Payment Processing

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Challenges with Airline Payment Processing Solutions.

Airlines operate across multiple currencies and channels, raising vulnerabilities to fraud during checkout and refunds. Disputes pressure margins, while compliance requirements span the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), card networks, and International Air Transport Association (IATA). Airline payment processing solutions lead to higher approvals, fewer chargebacks, and faster access to cash.
High-Risk Classification
Airline transactions are assessed as high risk due to ticket resale and chargeback fraud. Acquirers pay closer attention to this Merchant Category Code (MCC) with stricter evidence rules, so underwriting and routing must conform to your risk profile.
Selling in various markets requires multi-currency pricing, cross-border routing, and integration with Global Distribution Systems and agency flows. Consistent tokens and receipts are required across direct, indirect, and in-flight payments.
Bookings must be quick and familiar across card types, digital wallets, and local bank options. Ancillary sales should be seamless, with clearly delineated receipts and easy refunds.
Card-not-present fraud remains an omnipresent threat in travel. The last thing you’d want to do is create chargebacks while also causing cart abandonment, so layered controls and modern authentication can safeguard against fraud without harming conversion.
Both airlines and agents must comply with PCI standards, card brand programs, and the EU’s Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). Getting the right flags and exemptions helps maintain a quick and compliant checkout experience.
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More About Our Payment Solutions

Why Choose a Specialized Airline Payment Processor?

We calibrate underwriting signals by issuer, Bank Identification Number (BIN), and geography to increase acceptance rates for tickets and ancillary purchases. Network tokens and account lifecycle management ensure stored cards remain useful after reissue. In areas where fraud occurs without velocity or conversion concerns, targeted 3-D Secure is added. You benefit from transparent pricing, expedited funding, and reports that your finance team can trust.

Airline Industries We Serve

We service commercial and regional airlines, private charter and jet operators, Online Travel Agencies (OTA) and booking software platforms, in-flight service providers, and air cargo. We comply with the airline MCC for clean reporting and eligibility, then match risk and routing to your direct and indirect sales mix.

How You Will Thrive with Payment Nerds

Sell on a global scale through multi-currency checkout and cross-border routing, where applicable. Keep chargebacks below your brand threshold with automated, compelling evidence compiled from better reporting. Automated exchanges, partials, and compensation simplify the operation while dashboards alert operational staff to take action when approval dips.

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Key Features for Airline Payment Processing

Corporate and Agency Payment Accounts

Accept multiple corporate payment methods, including physical, virtual, and lodge corporate cards, with detailed data. We also support travel systems, such as Universal Air Travel Plans (UATP), and agency payments via global bookings, ensuring quick and accurate reconciliations.

Targeted Strong Customer Authentication

Leverage Address Verification Service (AVS), Card Verification Value (CVV), and device/velocity rules first, then utilize 3-D Secure for high-risk purchases. This keeps checkouts quick without increasing your exposure to fraud.

Tokenized Card on File for Ancillaries

Store credentials as tokens that survive card reissues to allow one-click upsell for bags, seats, meals, and more while keeping consistent receipts across channels.

Automated Passenger Compensation Via Digital Wallets

Instantly compensate for delays or cancellations using Apple Pay or Google Pay disbursements. Funds are quickly transferred to a passenger’s device, satisfaction increases, and finance has clean entries mapped to Passenger Name Record or ticket numbers.

Refunds, Partial Refunds, & Exchanges

Initiate these transactions from your servicing tools linked to the original authorization for automatic reconciliation. Exchanges maintain audit trails linking prior tickets.

In-Flight & Airport Point of Sale

Connected or store-and-forward modes support Multi Currency & Cross Border for your cabins and lounges. Tokens remain consistent across channels, ensuring that settlement and reports stay aligned.

What Type of Merchant Account do Airlines Need?

High-Risk Merchant Accounts

Underwriting and limits that accommodate your ticket volumes, with chargeback controls and clear descriptors to avoid disputes and customer confusion.

Recurring Billing Accounts

Present line items in the local currency, settle in the currency you’d prefer, and let cross-border regional routing increase your approvals and manage exchange costs.

Recurring Billing Accounts

Support membership, seat-as-a-service, lounge passes, and subscription ancillaries with stored credentials and smart retries.
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Software Integrations for Airline Payment Processing

Integrate payments as part of your airline ecosystem without retraining staff. Align your booking flows, servicing tools, and finance applications with orders, refunds, fees, compensations, and deposits so everything lines up the first time.

Integrate with third-party tools for:

  • Distribution & Booking: Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport, and NDC-compatible APIs and agency flows via IATA Billing Settlement Plan. Maintain payment data sync through ticketing, exchanges, and Electronic Miscellaneous Documents.
  • E-commerce/Web or App: Headless or traditional stacks through cards, wallets, and regional methods that support quick checkout at lower costs.
  • Fraud & Authentication: AVS, CVV, risk scoring, targeted 3-D Secure, and EU flags, as needed, to balance security with conversion.
  • Enterprise Resource Planning & Accounting: Reconciliation feeds for tickets, taxes, fees, and compensation, with mapping, so finance can close on time.
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Seamless Integrations

See All Our Integrations
Don’t see yours? We likely support it — ask us.

Hear From Our Clients

Discover how our seamless solutions have transformed businesses just like yours.

“Steven was great! He allowed me to share some of my prior website integration problems and had a solution that allowed me to accept payments the way my company wanted them to.”

Steven D.
Position, Company Name

“John was helpful. John Westbrook answered all my questions professionally and provided correct and acute feedback, which allowed me to obtain a merchant account. I started processing payments the day I applied!”

Carl H.
Position, Company Name

“Lisa H, was the most helpful employee. I have talked so far in the department. She got me all the necessary answers and said she would check up with me at the end of this week to ensure everything went through correctly. Lisa H did so, and I started processing today. Thank You! ”

Tim V.
Position, Company Name

“Austin did a great job and knew how to handle all their clients perfectly, making being a merchant one of the best experiences with a service provider.”

Lee P.
Position, Company Name
“Kira G, was beneficial and resolved my situation with no problem!”
Roxanne
Position, Company Name

“Arvid was friendly and patient and took the time to look into my problem, which was solved. Two thumbs up!”

EAF
Position, Company Name

Upgrade Your Airline’s Payment Processing Today

Scale bookings, reduce fraud, and support global payments with a stack built for airlines. Accept more orders without risk, keep fees predictable, and fund faster.

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Airline Payment Processing FAQs

What is airline payment processing? How is it different from e-commerce?
Airline payment processing must handle ticketing, ancillary purchases, exchanges, and refunds across many regions and currencies. It also appeals to IATA programs, Global Distribution Systems, and agencies, which increases data, risk, and reporting complexity.

Yes! We integrate with Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport, and New Distribution Capability-compatible interfaces so payments stay synchronized through ticketing, exchanges, and Electronic Miscellaneous Documents.

PCI compliant tools, real-time fraud monitoring, and encryption.
We use AVS, CVV, device, velocity checks, risk scoring, and targeted 3-D Secure when applicable, following rules tailored by route, issuer, or ticket value to ensure good tickets are approved.
We use AVS, CVV, device, velocity checks, risk scoring, and targeted 3-D Secure when applicable, following rules tailored by route, issuer, or ticket value to ensure good tickets are approved.
Yes! Keep account number data out of your systems by using hosted fields, tokenization, or encrypted channels. We provide the logs and controls your assessors need.
Yes! Automated wallet payouts through Apple Pay or Google Pay deliver instant passenger compensation with entries mapped to Passenger Name Record/ticket numbers for transparency.
Yes! Automated wallet payouts through Apple Pay or Google Pay deliver instant passenger compensation with entries mapped to Passenger Name Record/ticket numbers for transparency.
Airline transactions usually use Merchant Category Code 4511. Accurate classification helps with clearer reporting, risk management, and program eligibility.

Absolutely! In-flight and lounge point of sale systems can operate using connected or store-forward modes. The token stays consistent with other direct channels, so receipts and reconciliation stay clear.

Improve issuer signals, enable network tokens, and route by Bank Identification Number, geography, or ticket size. Real-time dashboards highlight dips so rules can be adjusted the same day.
It depends on volume and risk profile for underwriting timeframes. Once approved, we configure gateways, risk settings, and test settlement on a small live flow before scaling up.

Ready for Modern Airline Payment Solutions?

Accept cards, wallets, and bank options in multiple currencies, fight fraud with targeted controls, and settle on time. More approved sales, fewer disputes.
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