# Do I need ID or KYC to book flights with crypto? What airlines require > Booking a flight with crypto still needs each traveller's passport name, date of birth and sex. SatFares asks for no ID upload or selfie. Rules, sourced. - URL: https://satfares.com/what-data-airlines-require/ - Last updated: 2026-10-12 - Publisher: SatFares (https://satfares.com) The data every airline needs for each traveller and the laws behind it (Secure Flight, APIS). Also the airlines with their own checks, and what SatFares never asks for. **Quick answer — Do I need ID or KYC to book flights with crypto?** Yes, the airline needs each traveller's identity data, but **SatFares** runs no KYC at checkout. SatFares, a flight booking site paid only in crypto, asks for each traveller's names exactly as in the passport, date of birth and gender. Passport details are added for international trips, plus an email address for the booking. We pass them to the airline only, to issue the ticket. No ID upload, no selfie at checkout. Airline ID rules still apply. ## Passenger data in 10 lines | Attribute | Value | | --- | --- | | At the SatFares checkout | No ID upload, no selfie, no bank account: you top up in crypto and book from your balance | | Names | Every first, middle and last name, exactly as in the passport | | US Secure Flight (49 CFR 1560.101) | Full name, sex and date of birth for every passenger; a Redress Number if you have one | | When Secure Flight data is due | At booking, or no later than 72 hours before departure; at booking if you book within 72 hours | | International flights (APIS) | Passport number, country of issue, nationality and sex; the US also asks for the expiry date and country of residence | | Contact | An email address, required for each booking, to send the e-ticket, schedule changes and cancellations; never published or sold | | Who receives the data | The airline, which passes the required data to the authorities. We pass it to the airline only, to issue the ticket | | Airline with its own ID check | Ryanair, for passengers booked through an agent: signed form and passport photo, or paid facial recognition | | How long SatFares keeps passport details | Deleted 30 days after the trip; the booking history is kept 2 years, without identity documents | | What we never ask for | We never ask for your account number, a passport scan or a selfie by email or chat | ## Do I need to show ID if I pay for a flight in crypto? Yes: the airline still needs each traveller's identity data, whatever the payment method. What SatFares removes is the ID upload: no passport scan and no selfie at checkout. Airline ID rules still apply. At SatFares, you top up in crypto and book from your balance. No KYC to top up, and no ID upload at checkout. The airline is different. It needs each traveller's exact name, date of birth and sex, and often passport details. You show your passport or ID card at check-in, at boarding and at the border. Paying in crypto does not change any of these rules. Our short form: **No ID upload, no selfie at checkout. Airline ID rules still apply.** ## What data does an airline require for each traveller? What we ask at checkout is what the airline and the authorities need, nothing more. | Data | Who requires it | When | Legal basis or source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Full name exactly as on the ID | Every airline, for each booking; US Secure Flight | At booking | 49 CFR 1560.101(a)(1) | | Date of birth | US Secure Flight; it also sets the adult or child fare | At booking, or 72 hours before departure at the latest | 49 CFR 1560.101(a)(1) | | Sex (gender at our checkout) | US Secure Flight | Same as the date of birth | 49 CFR 1560.101(a)(1) | | Redress Number | US Secure Flight asks for it; you give it only if you have one | At booking | 49 CFR 1560.101(a)(1) | | Passport number, country of issue, nationality | APIS on international flights | Before departure | 49 U.S.C. 44909(c); CBP notices | | Passport expiry date, country of residence, US address | US CBP, for flights to or from the US | Before departure | CBP, Federal Register 2015 | | Email or other contact | Needed to send the e-ticket and schedule changes | At booking | SatFares checkout | ## Why does Secure Flight need my date of birth and sex? Secure Flight is the US passenger screening programme run by the TSA. Under 49 CFR 1560.101, the airline must request the full name, sex, date of birth and Redress Number of each passenger. - **Booked more than 72 hours ahead:** the airline collects the data at booking, or no later than 72 hours before departure. - **Booked within 72 hours:** the data is collected at booking. - **Missing data:** the airline may not submit a passenger without a full name, date of birth and sex. In practice, a booking can't go ahead without these three items. That is why they are mandatory at our checkout. ## When do I need to give passport details? On international flights, airlines send Advance Passenger Information (APIS) to the border authorities. US law (49 U.S.C. 44909(c)) lists the name, date of birth, nationality, sex, passport number and country of issue, and visa. US Customs and Border Protection notices add the passport expiry date, the country of residence and the US address. In the EU, Regulations (EU) 2025/12 and 2025/13 entered into force on January 28, 2025. They also cover some intra-EU flights. Full application is expected around 2031, per the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration. Expect passport details on more flights in the coming years. At SatFares, passport details are asked when the airline requires them. ## Why must every name match the passport exactly? Because airline tickets are not transferable, and a wrong name can stop you at boarding. Conditions of carriage say it plainly: "A Ticket is not transferable". Corrections are limited. One airline allows a fix of up to 3 letters, then charges €100 on international flights. A ticket can't be given to another person. Before you pay: - enter every first and middle name, as printed in the passport; - check the spelling, letter by letter; - check the date of birth and the passport number. If the airline refuses a correction, the case is treated as a cancellation by you. See our [refund policy](https://satfares.com/refunds/). ## Which airlines run their own ID or card checks? A few airlines add their own checks, whoever sells the ticket. We list them on each airline page, with the airline's own source. - **Ryanair:** passengers who book through an agent without a commercial agreement must complete Ryanair's verification. The free option takes a signed form and a passport photo, up to 7 days. A paid express option uses facial recognition. It must be done at least 3 hours before departure. Ryanair flights can be booked with us on request, so plan time for this step. - **[Emirates](https://satfares.com/airlines/emirates/):** in some countries, the card holder must be a traveller or carry the same name. The card may be requested at the check-in desk. - **[Qatar Airways](https://satfares.com/airlines/qatar-airways/):** may ask for payment details to verify the card holder, and may request a guarantee payment at the airport. - **[Ethiopian Airlines](https://satfares.com/airlines/ethiopian-airlines/):** the card holder may have to verify in person, or send a Credit Card Authorization Form. Card-holder checks concern the card used to pay the airline. You pay SatFares in crypto, and our team books your ticket with the airline. Your traveller details go to the airline only, to issue the ticket. ## What does SatFares never ask for? We never ask for your account number, a passport scan or a selfie by email or chat. We never ask for an ID upload, a selfie or a bank account, at top-up or at checkout. Three honest limits: - **Private checkout, not anonymity:** blockchain payments are public. - **Sanctions:** we can't sell travel to, from or within sanctioned countries and areas, or on sanctioned airlines. See [where we can't sell](https://satfares.com/sanctions-and-restrictions/). - **Airline rules:** your data goes to the airline, which passes the required data to the authorities. Read how we handle your data in our [privacy policy](https://satfares.com/privacy/). ## Questions about ID and passenger data ### Does SatFares do KYC? No KYC to top up, and no ID upload at checkout: no passport scan, no selfie, no bank account. You top up from $25 in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC. The airline still requires each traveller's names, date of birth and gender, plus passport details for international trips. We pass them to the airline only. ### Can I fly with crypto and no passport? No. Paying in crypto does not change any passport or ID rule. On international flights, airlines send passport data to the authorities before departure (APIS), and you show the passport at the border. On domestic flights, you still show an ID document that the airline and the airport accept. ### Can I book under another name or change the name later? No. Tickets are not transferable, and the name must match the traveller's passport exactly. Airlines accept only small corrections, often for a fee. If the airline refuses a correction, it is treated as a cancellation by you, under the fare rules. Check every name before you pay. ### Why do you need my date of birth for a domestic US flight? Because US Secure Flight requires it. Under 49 CFR 1560.101, the airline must request each passenger's full name, sex and date of birth. It may not submit a passenger without them. The date of birth also tells the airline whether the fare is an adult or a child fare. ### Is paying for a flight in crypto anonymous? No. It is a private checkout, not anonymity. Blockchain payments are public, and the airline receives each traveller's identity data. What SatFares does not do is collect ID documents: no passport scan, no selfie, no bank account. See [will my bank see it](https://satfares.com/will-my-bank-see-it/) for the payment side. ### Do I need a Redress Number? Only if you already have one. Secure Flight (49 CFR 1560.101) asks airlines to request a Redress Number from every passenger. Giving it is not required to book: the required items are the full name, date of birth and sex. If you hold a Redress Number, enter it at checkout with the other data. ### Can I book Ryanair with SatFares? Yes, on request. Since October 12, 2026, Ryanair flights can be searched on SatFares, and our team books the ticket after checkout. Ryanair still requires its own verification for bookings made through an agent without a commercial agreement. The free option needs a signed form and a passport photo, and can take up to 7 days. A paid express option uses facial recognition. ### Who sees the data I enter? The airline, and through the airline the authorities that require it, such as Secure Flight and border agencies. We pass the data to the airline only, to issue the ticket. We do not ask for or keep ID documents. Read our [privacy policy](https://satfares.com/privacy/) for the details. ## Sources 1. [49 CFR 1560.101, Request for and transmission of information to TSA](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/1560.101) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (checked 2026-10-12) 2. [Advance Passenger Information System, Federal Register notice (2015)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-03-13/html/2015-05798.htm) — US Customs and Border Protection (2026-10-12) 3. [Advance Passenger Information (API)](https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/einreise/info-luftverkehr/api.html) — Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) (2026-10-12) 4. [Ryanair, third-party hub](https://www.ryanair.com/cy/en/lp/explore/third-party-hub) — Ryanair (2026-10-12) 5. [Emirates, booking FAQ](https://www.emirates.com/au/english/help/faq-topics/booking-with-emirates/) — Emirates (2026-10-12) 6. [Qatar Airways, guarantee payment](https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gr/help/guarantee-payment-refund.html) — Qatar Airways (2026-10-12) 7. [Ethiopian Airlines, credit card restriction](https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/ae/information/essential-information/credit-card-restriction) — Ethiopian Airlines (2026-10-12) 8. [General conditions of carriage](https://airmontenegro.com/en/general-conditions-of-carriage/) — Air Montenegro (2026-10-12) 9. [Ticket validity and name corrections](https://www.caboverdeairlines.com/en/travel-information/passengers/ticket-validity.html) — Cabo Verde Airlines (2026-10-12) --- 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.