JetBlue has become the first airline to accept Venmo as a payment option when booking flights directly on the JetBlue website.
The airline's partnership with the popular mobile payment service is billed in a JetBlue press release as part of the carrier's efforts to simplify travel using digital technology.
Currently only available at JetBlue.com, Venmo payments for the carrier's flights are expected to roll out to the JetBlue mobile app in the coming months, according to the announcement.
The new feature is indeed convenient. When it's time to pay for a flight, a JetBlue passenger only has to click on the Venmo icon in the payment options section and then use a smartphone's camera to scan the QR code that pops up.
That will open the Venmo app on the phone and the JetBlue airfare will appear. You can then complete the purchase of the flight using your Venmo balance or any bank accounts, debit cards, or credit cards you have linked to your Venmo account.
Are there drawbacks to buying JetBlue tickets with Venmo?
As easy as the new Venmo option is—especially if you're accustomed to relying on the app for paying friends back for group dinners, splitting Uber rides, and making other kinds of payments—you'll want to consider a couple factors before taking up JetBlue on the company's offer to "Just Venmo us!" (as the press release cheerfully puts it).
For starters, you may not get all the travel points that customarily go along with using your credit card the usual way.
The Washington Post reports that customers who use a credit card linked to their Venmo accounts may earn points affiliated with that card, but possibly not all the bonus points and perks those buyers would get from entering their credit card information at JetBlue's website the old-fashioned way.
So if you're the type of customer who aims to maximize points fully, you might want to reconsider going the Venmo route, at least for now.
Another reason to be wary: scams.
The same week the new feature debuted, JetBlue passengers had begun sending money to a Venmo account that users thought was selling in-flight snacks.
But those flyers would never nosh upon the Popchips they ordered because, as JetBlue reps were obliged to confirm to reporters, "JetBlue does not accept Venmo payment for inflight purchases such as food and beverages. Unfortunately, we have seen accounts falsely representing themselves as JetBlue to deceive and defraud customers.”
Remember: The new Venmo option is only available for booking flights, and is currently only a legit option via the JetBlue website, not the app.
Though the airline does what it can to identify and prevent fraudulent impersonators, it's important to make sure you're not sharing your financial info with scammers. If throwing Venmo into the mix raises your chances of falling prey to a fraudulent account, you might want to stick with more traditional payment options.
