savvy travelers booking flights or hotels on the Amosafer app can now pay with Apple Pay, an easy, secure and private way to pay using your iPhone. Almosafer, Saudi Arabia's leading online travel platform, which offers a seamless booking experience for over one million hotels and flights on over 450 airlines, is one of the first online companies in the Kingdom to accept Apple Pay. Travelers can use their iPhone to complete payments on Almosafer's app with just a glance or a touch and spend less time on checkout. It's a quicker, effortless and more secure option for those wanting to plan their next travel experience. The process of using Apple Pay on the app involves three speedy steps: choose a hotel and/or flight on the Almosafer app, select Apple Pay on the payment page and then authenticate the payment with Face ID or Touch ID. Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When you use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on your device. Each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code. Muzzammil Ahussain, EVP of Almosafer, said, "We are constantly looking for ways to enhance our customers' experiences and by offering travelers the option to pay with Apple Pay, we know we are evolving to meet the needs of today's connected society. In line with Saudi Vision 2030 and its goal to create a more vibrant society and environment, as well as to improve the contemporary services provided to the community, Almosafer is continuously reinventing its product offering to provide our KSA customers with the latest in travel tech. By accepting Apple Pay as the latest state-of-the-art payment method, we are yet again working towards delivering on that promise. We are pleased to be one of only a few companies in Saudi Arabia to offer Apple Pay as it launches in the KSA market and we hope that more companies will follow suit." Almosafer has analyzed customer needs and booking trends and has made the innovative move in response to an increase in booking conversions through its app. Ahussain adds: "Our booking data shows that Almosafer travelers are mobile customers, with around 65% of our overall conversions taking place on the app. Taking this device preference into account, we have also seen a year-on-year growth in revenue from the Almosafer app. From 2017 to 2018, we saw a 41% increase in app sales, which served as a key driver behind the introduction of a payment method dedicated to mobile apps. For us, this indicates that our current traveler is becoming more connected and has an increasing desire to book travel plans on the go, so accepting Apple Pay is another way to meet the needs of travelers from and within the Kingdom." — SG
