Under the partnership, Sabre is integrating Adyen’s Terminal API into its airport application. Airlines that use Sabre’s airport front-end can now accept Adyen payments at check-in desks, service counters, and boarding gates. The integration runs through the Sabre Electronic Payment Gateway (SEPG) into Sabre Mosaic Digital Workspace Air, the environment airline staff use at the point of departure.
According to the original announcement, the aim is to let airlines accept payments at the airport through the same platform they already use for their digital channels. This links in-person and online transactions rather than handling them as separate streams.
Payments for extra baggage, seat upgrades, priority boarding, and other purchases made at the airport are processed within the Sabre workflow. Each transaction is automatically linked to the passenger record. As a result, payment data follows the traveller from the initial online booking through to boarding, and airport purchases are not recorded in a separate system.
For passengers, the setup relies on cloud-connected terminals that replace slower payment systems at the counter. In addition, travellers can pay using their preferred local payment methods, including contactless cards and digital wallets. The companies expect faster transactions to shorten airport queues.
Addressing fragmented airport payment set-ups
The partnership targets a common operational issue in aviation: airport payment infrastructure is often disconnected from the systems airlines use for online sales. According to the companies, this fragmentation can make ancillary purchases at check-in or the gate slow for both staff and passengers.
Running card-present and digital transactions on a single platform is intended to change several back-office processes for airlines. Finance teams gain a consolidated, real-time view of transaction data across physical airport counters and digital touchpoints. Connecting all channels through one payments partner removes the need for separate billing systems and manual reporting during reconciliation. Furthermore, airlines can also reduce the hardware complexity and maintenance costs associated with payment equipment at check-in desks, service counters, and gates.
Patricio Boccardo, Managing Director at Sabre Payments, described the integration as a response to a practical operational challenge faced by the company’s airline partners. The official added that the joint offering is designed to help airlines protect revenue, enforce real-time authorisation, and support passengers at every airport touchpoint.
Implications for airlines and the travel ecosystem
The partnership extends the unified payments approach, in which online and in-person transactions run on one platform, into the airport environment. For airlines, it connects revenue collected at the airport with the booking data generated through digital channels.
Victor Gaarenstroom, Head of Travel and Mobility at Adyen, said that linking payment channels supports the travel industry’s progress. Through the process of bridging online booking engines and physical airport counters, the official noted, the integration gives airlines the transaction insights and operational reliability needed to meet their objectives.
