# How to book a flight with crypto: held, not charged until the e-ticket

> How to book a flight with crypto on SatFares: top up from $25 and our team books your ticket on request. You are charged only at e-ticket.

- URL: https://satfares.com/how-it-works/
- Last updated: 2026-10-12
- Publisher: SatFares (https://satfares.com)

**Quick answer — What does "held, not charged" mean on SatFares?**

**SatFares** is a flight booking site paid only in crypto. At checkout, the total of your flight is **held, not charged**, on your balance. Bookings are made on request: our team books the ticket with the airline and confirms the final total. Your balance is charged only when the airline issues the e-ticket number. If the ticket can't be issued in time, the full amount is released. You top up from $25.

## How a booking works

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| At checkout | The exact total is held on your balance; nothing is charged yet |
| Booking | On request: our team books the ticket with the airline and confirms the final total |
| Issuing time | Not promised; your account shows the status of each booking at every step |
| Charged | Only when the airline issues the e-ticket number |
| Released | The full amount, if the ticket can't be issued in time or you decline a higher total |
| Higher final total | You see the new total and choose: accept it, or have the amount released |
| Statuses in My trips | Price checked, Awaiting ticket, then Ticketed or Released; New price: your answer if the total is higher |
| Your e-ticket | In My trips: the airline booking code, plus one e-ticket number per passenger |
| Baggage and fare rules | Confirmed with your booking and shown on your e-ticket |
| Traveller names | Exactly as in the passport, checked by you before payment |

## Held, not charged

1. **Your balance is held at checkout** — The exact total shown is held on your balance. Nothing is charged yet.
2. **We book the ticket for you** — Bookings are made on request: our team books the ticket with the airline and confirms the final total. If it is higher than the amount held, you accept the new total or the amount is released.
3. **Charged only when the e-ticket number is issued** — Your balance is charged when the airline issues the e-ticket number. If we can't get the ticket issued in time, the full amount is released to your balance.

If the total changes before the ticket is issued, you see the new total and choose: accept it, or have the amount released. Nothing extra is ever taken without your agreement.

## How do I book a flight with crypto on SatFares?

Seven steps, from the search to the e-ticket. Your balance is charged only at the last step.

1. **Search your flight** — Enter the airports, dates and number of passengers in the flight search. Our live search shows the fare found for all passengers, taxes included.
2. **Top up your balance** — Send at least $25 in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, on the exact network shown. The top-up is credited in USD after the network confirmations.
3. **Enter the travellers** — Type each traveller's first and last names exactly as in the passport, with date of birth and gender. Add passport details for international trips, and an email address for the booking.
4. **Check the names** — Read every name again before you pay. Airlines rarely allow name changes, and a wrong name can cost an airline fee or the ticket.
5. **Your balance is held** — Our live search checks the fare again. Then the exact total is held on your balance. Nothing is charged yet.
6. **Our team books the ticket** — Our team books the ticket with the airline and confirms the final total. If it is higher than the amount held, you accept it or the amount is released.
7. **Your e-ticket in My trips** — When the airline issues the e-ticket number, your balance is charged and the e-ticket appears in My trips. If the ticket can't be issued in time, the full amount is released.

## What does each booking status mean?

My trips, in your account, shows the status of each booking. The status tells you what happened to your money.

| Status | What it means | Your balance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price checked | Our live search checked the fare again, just before the hold. | Not held yet |
| Awaiting ticket | Your booking is on request. Our team is booking the ticket with the airline and confirming the final total. | Held, not charged |
| New price: your answer | The final total is higher than the amount held. You accept the new total, or the amount is released. | Nothing extra is taken without your agreement |
| Ticketed | The airline issued the e-ticket number. Your e-ticket is in My trips, with the airline booking code. | Charged |
| Released | The ticket could not be issued in time, or you declined a higher total. The reason and the amount are shown. | The full amount is released to your balance |

## Who books my ticket, and what does "on request" mean?

Our team books your ticket with the airline, after checkout. "On request" means that the ticket is not issued automatically at checkout. Your amount is held while our team books it.

- **Final total:** our team confirms it before you are charged.
- **Higher total:** you accept it, or the amount is released. Nothing extra is taken without your agreement.
- **Not issued in time:** the full amount is released to your balance.
- **Baggage and fare rules:** they are confirmed with your booking and shown on your e-ticket. They cover changes and refunds.

The price in the search is the fare found live for your dates. Our [pricing page](https://satfares.com/pricing/) explains how the total is built.

## What is in my e-ticket?

Your e-ticket is issued by the airline, in each traveller's name, and you find it in My trips. It contains:

- the **airline booking code**, also called the record locator;
- **one e-ticket number per passenger**;
- the flights, dates and times, the fare and the baggage included.

Your booking is then managed with the airline. With the airline booking code and your last name, you can usually find it on the airline's website or app. There you can check in and, where the airline allows it, choose seats.

Your flight booking will be bound by the fare rules and Conditions of Carriage of the airline(s).

## Why must names match the passport exactly?

Airlines and border authorities compare the name on the ticket with the traveller's ID. In the United States, the Secure Flight rule ([49 CFR 1560.101](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/1560.101)) requires the full name, date of birth and gender. Airlines collect them at booking, or at the latest 72 hours before departure.

Tickets are not transferable, and airlines often accept only small name corrections, if any. Type first names, middle names and last names as printed in the passport. Then read them again on the review screen before you pay.

We never ask for a passport scan or a selfie. Our team passes traveller data to the airline only, to issue the ticket. The full list is on [what data airlines require](https://satfares.com/what-data-airlines-require/).

## What happens if no ticket can be issued?

The full amount is released to your balance, and the booking shows the status Released with its reason. This happens when the ticket can't be issued in time, when the fare is no longer available, or when you decline a higher total.

You were never charged, because your balance is charged only when the e-ticket number is issued. A released amount can be withdrawn in USDT or USDC. Unused balance stays on your account and never expires. Amounts released when a booking can't be confirmed, or refunded after a cancellation you did not request, can be withdrawn in USDT or USDC; the rest of the balance is not refundable.

## How long does it take to get the e-ticket?

We don't promise an issuing time. Bookings are made on request: our team books each ticket with the airline after checkout. We publish no typical time until one has been measured on real bookings.

While you wait, your balance is held, not charged. My trips shows the status at every step: Awaiting ticket, then Ticketed or Released. If the ticket can't be issued in time, the full amount is released to your balance.

## What happens if the airline changes the schedule?

Airlines sometimes change flight times or cancel flights after the ticket is issued. We use the contact you gave at booking to send you the ticket and to tell you about such changes.

The airline may cancel or heavily change your flight. If you don't accept another flight, you get a refund in USDT or USDC within 7 days, or a balance credit, as you choose. Your legal rights are kept: [14 CFR 260.10](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/260.10) in the United States and [Regulation (EC) No 261/2004](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/article/7) in the EU. Read [refunds when the airline cancels](https://satfares.com/refunds-when-the-airline-cancels/).

## What if I want to cancel or change my flight?

Your own changes and cancellations follow the fare rules of your ticket. These rules are confirmed with your booking and shown on your e-ticket. Some fares can be changed or refunded for a fee; many economy fares can't be refunded. Any amount refunded by the airline is credited to your balance, under the [refund policy](https://satfares.com/refunds/).

If you need flexibility, choose a fare whose rules allow changes. See [flexible tickets](https://satfares.com/flexible-tickets/).

## How it works: questions

### Is my balance charged when I click to book?

No. At checkout, the exact total is only held on your balance. Our team then books the ticket with the airline and confirms the final total. Your balance is charged when the airline issues the e-ticket number. If the ticket can't be issued in time, the full amount is released.

### Who books my ticket?

Our team does, on request. After checkout, our team books the ticket with the airline and confirms the final total. The airline then issues the e-ticket in each traveller's name. If the total is higher than the amount held, you accept it or the amount is released. No issuing time is promised.

### Can I book for someone else?

Yes. Enter each traveller's own names exactly as in their passport, with their date of birth and gender, and passport details for international trips. The ticket is issued in the traveller's name, not in the name of the person who pays. Only book for people who agree to travel.

### Do I need an account to book?

Yes, you book from a prepaid balance in your account. An email address is not required to sign up. For each flight booking we need an email address. We use it to send the e-ticket, schedule changes and cancellation messages, and we never publish or sell it.

### What if I make a mistake in a name?

A correction after booking is possible only if the airline accepts it, and its fee is charged at cost. Otherwise the change is treated as a cancellation by you, under the fare rules. Always check names on the review screen.

### Can I withdraw a released amount?

Yes. An amount released because a booking could not be confirmed can be withdrawn in USDT or USDC. The same applies to a refund after a cancellation by the airline. Other balance stays on your account for later bookings and never expires.

### Where do I find my e-ticket?

In My trips, in your account, with the airline booking code and the e-ticket number of each passenger. With the booking code and your last name, you can usually also find it on the airline's website or app. There you can check in and choose seats where allowed.

### Do you guarantee a confirmed booking?

No. A booking is confirmed only when the airline issues the e-ticket number. That is why we hold your balance instead of charging it. If the ticket can't be issued in time, you lose nothing: the full amount is released to your balance.

## Cancellations and refunds

| Situation | What you get | How | When |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Booking not confirmed (fare gone, time limit passed, our error) | 100% | Released to your balance; withdrawable in USDT or USDC on request | Immediately |
| Price increase declined | 100% | Released to your balance; withdrawable in USDT or USDC on request | Immediately |
| Flight cancelled or heavily changed by the airline (no rebooking accepted) | 100% of the ticket, taxes and options, plus any fee of ours | Your choice: USDT or USDC, or balance credit | Within 7 days of your request |
| You cancel a refundable fare | The amount refunded by the airline, minus its penalty | Balance credit | As soon as the funds come back |
| You cancel a non-refundable fare | Taxes refunded by the airline, if any | Balance credit | As soon as the funds come back |
| No-show | According to the fare rules (often nothing) | Balance credit | — |
| Name error | Corrected if the airline accepts it (its fee at cost); otherwise treated as a cancellation by you | Balance credit | — |

Your legal rights are kept (14 CFR 260.10 in the US, Regulation 261/2004 in the EU): when the airline cancels, a refund as balance credit is only ever your express choice.

## Sources

1. [49 CFR 1560.101 — Request for and transmission of information to TSA (Secure Flight)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/1560.101) — Legal Information Institute (Cornell)
2. [14 CFR 260.10 — Refunds](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/260.10) — Legal Information Institute (Cornell)
3. [Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/article/7) — legislation.gov.uk
4. [14 CFR 399.88 — Prohibition on post-purchase price increase](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/399.88) — Legal Information Institute (Cornell) (checked 2026-10-12)

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SatFares: SatFares is a flight booking site paid only in crypto (USDT on TRC-20 or ERC-20, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL, LTC). The airline issues the ticket in the traveller's name, and your balance is charged only when the e-ticket number is issued.