How FlySafair and Stitch are elevating the booking experience with Apple Pay + Google Pay

For FlySafair, South Africa's leading low-cost carrier, ensuring customers can move quickly from flight selection to confirmed booking on the FlySafair app is key. By integrating with Stitch, the airline has added Apple Pay and Google Pay as payment options, allowing travellers to check out faster using the payment methods already stored on their devices.

About FlySafair

Since launching in 2014, FlySafair has built a reputation as South Africa's most on-time airline, consistently setting the benchmark for reliability, innovation and operational efficiency in the local aviation market. Their app is a core customer touchpoint, used by travellers to search, book and manage flights on the go. As mobile usage continues to grow, the payments experience within the app has become increasingly critical to conversion and customer satisfaction, and FlySafair is innovating accordingly.

Why Apple Pay and Google Pay make sense for travel booking

Travel bookings are high-intent, high-value transactions. Customers that visit booking sites and apps are usually ready to commit, but the higher costs of flights compared to other online transactions can make them hesitate when it comes to payment. Given the number of details they need to supply in order to book their flights (ID number, phone number, dietary requirements), any friction at the point of payment risks abandonment. This is precisely where digital wallets deliver measurable impact.

Our 2025 Consumer Payments Report shows that more than 70% of consumers have used digital wallets like Apple and Google Pay for daily payments, which is a significant jump from previous years. According to our report, Apple Pay conversion rates are, on average, 42% higher than those of standard card payments. 

Speed is a major factor. 50% of Apple Pay transactions are completed in under three seconds from initiation, and 95% under 5.2 seconds. For a customer booking a last-minute flight, that speed can be the difference between a completed booking and an abandoned cart.

Beyond speed, Apple Pay and Google Pay remove the need for customers to manually enter card details or complete additional authentication steps. They can also enable quicker input of personal details like billing or delivery address, making checkout even faster. Tokenisation and device-based authentication deliver strong security while giving customers the flexibility to authenticate with biometrics or device PINs. Merchants benefit too: authenticated wallet transactions result in lower interchange fees, reduced chargebacks and fewer disputes.

Stitch x FlySafair

With Apple Pay and Google Pay, FlySafair customers can now complete bookings in a few taps without needing to enter card credentials or navigate additional verification flows. The checkout experience is consistent, secure and optimised for the mobile-first behaviour of today's traveller.

For FlySafair, this means a payment flow that matches the speed, forward-thinking and reliability their brand is known for. For their customers, it means less friction between intent and takeoff.

We’re looking forward to continued partnership with FlySafair to bring their customers a seamless travel experience, which starts with smooth and intuitive payment solutions.

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FAQs

Can I use Apple Pay or Google Pay to book FlySafair flights? Yes. FlySafair now supports Apple Pay and Google Pay as payment methods on their app, powered by Stitch. Customers can complete bookings securely in a few taps using their preferred digital wallet.

How do digital wallets work for in-app flight bookings? Digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay use tokenised card credentials and device-based biometric authentication to complete payments without requiring customers to enter card details manually or complete additional verification steps.

Are Apple Pay and Google Pay secure for travel bookings? Yes. Both methods use tokenisation and device-level authentication to protect payment data. Customers receive the same security benefits as traditional card authentication, with less friction at checkout.

Why are digital wallets better for high-value transactions like flight bookings? Digital wallets streamline the checkout process at the exact moment customers are ready to commit. With Apple Pay conversion rates 42% higher than standard card payments and most transactions completing in under three seconds, they're engineered to minimise drop-off on high-intent purchases.

Which Stitch payment methods does FlySafair support? FlySafair currently supports Apple Pay and Google Pay through Stitch on their mobile app.

How does Stitch support digital wallet payments? Stitch integrates directly with card networks and payment infrastructure to enable Apple Pay and Google Pay as payment methods for enterprise clients. This allows businesses to offer authenticated, tokenised digital wallet payments without relying on intermediaries.