Virgin America Adapts Visa Checkout for Speedier Online Purchases

Virgin America has made another tech-forward leap by being the first to adapt Visa Checkout, a simpler and faster way to purchase a flight online without having to enter a 16-digit card number or fill in field after field of personal information.

This move coincides with the launch of its new website in 2014, the first US airline to provide a fully responsive website, creating a more efficient online experience.

“We are excited to elevate our guests’ web experience even further with the launch of Visa Checkout, bringing the simplicity and speed of the ‘swipe’ into the online world so our guests can breeze through checkout in just a few clicks, from any device,” says Virgin America chief marketing officer Luanne Calvert in a press release.

How it Works

Users register with Visa Checkout once, providing payment details and shipping information. Multiple credit and debit cards can be added including non-Visa payment options. From then on, users simply click on the Visa Checkout button where it’s available and pay by entering their username and password.

Visa Checkout replaces V.me, Visa’s first venture into “digital wallets,” which launched in 2012. “People aren’t looking for another wallet – they just want a simpler way to pay online, particularly on mobile devices, and that’s exactly what we designed Visa Checkout to do,” Sam Shrauger, senior vice president, digital solutions, Visa Inc. explains.

Early adapters included Ticketmaster, Pizza Hut, Staples and Neiman Marcus. More than 4 million retailers in the US, Canada and Australia were included in the initial launch. The service has since expanded to Argentina, Chile, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and South Africa with hopes to be in Brazil, Columbia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates by the end of the year.

Visa Checkout has been sited as a competitor to PayPal, which has been operating since 1999 and is available in 203 markets.

Learn more about Visa Checkout: