Key Takeaways:
• June 5 launch adds a co-branded Visa prepaid card for Ethiopian Airlines customers.
• Ethiopian Airlines Group and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia launched the card with Visa.
• The card targets secure global transactions across Ethiopian Airlines’ international destinations.
• ShebaMiles members are expected to benefit from fast and simplified worldwide payment services.
• The prepaid card links everyday spending with travel-related rewards and customer benefits.
• Users can accumulate rewards through point-of-sale transactions and online e-commerce purchases.
• Ethiopian Airlines is expanding its digital service ecosystem beyond air transport services.
Market Impact:
The card deepens the link between Ethiopia’s largest airline, its largest commercial bank and a global payments network. For Ethiopian Airlines, the product extends customer engagement beyond ticketing and travel into payments, rewards and digital service integration.
For CBE and Visa, the launch strengthens the formal payment channel available to international travellers and airline customers. The product also signals a move toward more integrated travel-linked financial services, combining loyalty, payments and e-commerce functionality.
Key Numbers:
June 5, 2026 — launch date — marks formal product rollout
3 institutions — Ethiopian Airlines, CBE and Visa — joint payment collaboration
1 card — co-branded Visa prepaid product — links airline services with payments
Business Signal:
Ethiopian Airlines and CBE are moving travel services closer to digital payments, loyalty rewards and cross-border customer finance.