TORONTO — Air Canada and Visa have teamed up to introduce Visa Installment Solution to eligible credit cardholders, a move the companies say will give Canadian travellers more choice and flexibility over how they pay for their airfare purchases.

Air Canada will be among the first airlines globally to participate in Visa Installments Solution. Consumer interest in ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) payment strategies continues to grow, says Brian Weiner, VP and head of product and digital, Visa Canada.

“We’re excited that an iconic brand like Air Canada has an interest in the Visa Installments Solution,” said Weiner. “This speaks to the power of having a flexible, ubiquitous product offering that can integrate directly into the cardholder’s checkout experience.”

The popularity and momentum of BNPL services is expanding, he added, especially for large ticket purchases like travel,  Visa’s latest consumer survey indicates that one-third of Canadians interested in using installment plans would do so for travel and entertainment.

Visa Installments Solution is offered by participating financial institutions to eligible cardholders to convert qualifying purchases at participating merchants into smaller, equal payments made over a defined period of time. Visa Installments Solution would provide eligible Air Canada customers making a qualifying purchase the flexibility to pay in installments during the checkout process.

“At Air Canada we are focused on elevating the customer experience, and this includes providing our customers with a variety of seamless payment options when shopping with us”, says Keith Wallis, senior director Distribution and Payments, Air Canada. “Visa is one of the most trusted brands in Canada and their close collaboration with major Canadian financial institutions provides a unique opportunity to deliver an exceptional shopping experience to our mutual customers.”