Lufthansa Airlines has introduced direct payment option at check-in counters and gates in Nigeria with card terminals effective from June.

A statement by Lufthansa’s spokesperson, Hakeem Jimo, on Sunday, said that customers would be able to pay with Amadeus Airport Pay for ancillary services while checking in Lufthansa.

Jimo said the new service, developed by Amadeus and Ingenico, would enable and secure simple payments at the check-in counter in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

According to him, the new service will subsequently be available at more than 170 airports around the world.

“The customers will be able to pay for ancillary services, such as excess baggage, with chip-cards (credit/debit cards), girocard payments and compatible digital wallets.”

The statement quoted Lufthansa General Manager in Nigeria, Robin Sohdi as saying, “this direct-payment option will further improve the customer experience for our passengers in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.”

“Additionally, airline staff are able to initiate compensation payments with these terminals, for instance in case a passenger voluntary steps back from an overbooked flight.

“To bring secure and seamless payment options to our passengers to ease their individual and seamless travel experience is a core objective for the Lufthansa Group.”

According to the statement, Kai Schilb, Head of Payment, said the service will enable travellers to choose customised ancillary services for their flight securely, with a variety of payment options and without the need for detours.

It said the new service would give the airline full control over its payment infrastructure by enabling bilateral connections with a wide range of payment providers.

The airline said the standard used by the Amadeus solution was also fully compatible with PCI-DSS, a series of security standards defined by the payment card industry.

It added that by using a PIN method for the cards, fraud would be prevented during the payment process itself.

“The Lufthansa Group strives to provide its customers with a range of choices in products and services fitted to their needs.

“In today’s digital world, customers demand simplicity and convenience throughout their purchasing experience, no matter what channel they use while shopping, whether it is web, mobile, or physical stores.” (NAN)

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