Dubai Duty Free (DDF), the world's largest single airport retailer, has signed a partnership with TerraPay, a global money movement company, to enable instant digital wallet payments at its stores. The deal gives DDF access to TerraPay's network of over 3.7 billion mobile wallets globally, letting millions of international travelers pay using their home-country digital wallets without converting to local banking systems.
The partnership covers DDF locations at both Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, and is designed to bring more flexible, cross-border payment options to a retailer that serves travelers from every corner of the world.
How Digital Wallet Payments Work at Dubai Duty Free
Under the partnership, travelers can complete purchases directly using mobile money services linked to their home countries. Mobile money operators already integrated with Dubai Duty Free include Airtel Money, M-PESA, and MTN MoMo — some of Africa and Asia's most widely used digital payment platforms.
This means a traveler from Kenya can pay with M-PESA, a customer from Nigeria with Airtel Money, or a shopper from Ghana with MTN MoMo — all without needing a UAE bank account or local currency card. TerraPay's infrastructure handles the cross-border conversion and settlement in the background.
The Rise of Digital Wallet Payments in Global Retail
The timing reflects a clear market shift. In 2025, digital wallets are expected to account for 52% of global e-commerce transaction volume and 30% of point-of-sale transactions. Cross-border payments made via digital wallets now represent approximately 35% of all cross-border transactions, as consumers increasingly expect speed and convenience when paying abroad.
For an airport retailer that processes millions of transactions annually, connecting to a network that covers 3.7 billion mobile wallet accounts is a significant expansion of payment reach.
Leaders on the Partnership
Ambar Sur, Founder and CEO of TerraPay, said the collaboration reflects a shared vision between the two companies:
"This collaboration highlights the shared vision of TerraPay and Dubai Duty Free to redefine convenience and accessibility in payments."
Sur also noted that TerraPay recently launched its Wallet Interoperability Council — an initiative aimed at advancing the future of cross-border wallet payments and empowering consumers and businesses to transact effortlessly across borders.
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, welcomed the integration:
"We are reinforcing our commitment to empower our customers to make purchases using payment methods of their choice."
Cidambi emphasized that integrating TerraPay's broad network gives travelers the freedom to pay in the way they prefer, without friction or extra steps at the register.
What This Means for Dubai's Retail and Payments Landscape
For Dubai, which positions itself as a global hub for tourism, trade, and financial innovation, partnerships like this reinforce the UAE's reputation for cutting-edge payment infrastructure. Dubai Duty Free already handles transactions from travelers representing hundreds of nationalities; enabling home-country digital wallets removes a long-standing friction point for travelers from mobile-first markets in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
TerraPay's focus on underbanked and mobile-first populations also aligns with Dubai Duty Free's global traveler base, where a significant share of shoppers may not carry international credit cards but do carry active mobile wallets with meaningful spending capacity.
The partnership was announced on 5 February 2025.
