March edition 2025

Travel Fintech Trends

What are the latest buzz words and who are leading the travel fintech space at the moment?

Hopper Technology Solutions Industry Insights: Demand for Payment Optionality

“As young travelers build wealth and invest in travel and experiences more than their older counterparts, alternative and custom payments optionality are set to become table stakes for travel providers. Led by GenZ and Millennials, travelers are increasingly using alternative payment methods and demanding payment customization in lieu of traditional methods.”

Vendor News

Payrails Supports Flix with Scalable Payment Solutions to Fuel Global Growth

“Flix is a global travel-tech company transforming long-distance travel with its extensive network of affordable, sustainable, and tech-driven transportation services. With a vast network of 5,600 destinations and 81 million passengers in 2023 it requires a robust, adaptable payment solution to support its expansion and ensure localized payment experiences”

Revolut Announces Partnership With Wizz Air, Offering One-Click Payments and Ten-Fold Rewards

Following the launch with Aer Lingus last year, another perfect match between an innovative, large customer facing payment product owned by a new-bank and customer demographics.

Universal Air Chooses most for Onboard Retail Launch

“Universal Air, a Maltese airline based in Valletta, has selected MOST, makers of innovative technology for a world on the move, to supply an inflight retail and onboard payments solution as part of their service. As part of the agreement, MOST provides payment hardware and Apple iPads running the MOST sales application and payment gateway software.”

Airline & Travel Payments 101

Navigate your learning: Travel Payments Tube Map.

Still one of my favorites!

Click to download image

Financial Flows in the Travel Industry

A custom made infographic for the recent ECTAA Travel Protection Summit, visualizing the financial flow in the indirect channel and the factors that play a role in consumer protection and vendor credit risk.

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Blogs, white papers and other content

How do airlines get paid for tickets?

Discover the hidden process behind flight payments! Q&A by AltexSoft on how industry systems IATA BSP and ARC work to transfer billions of dollars securely and efficiently from travel agencies to airlines.

Click on the image to watch the video

How Cards-as-a-Service Works, by Paymentology, Mastercard and Audax

“Cards-as-a-Service (CaaS) is a cloud-based, API-driven solution, it removes barriers, allowing businesses to issue and manage cards quickly and efficiently. Whether it’s card issuance, transaction processing or compliance, CaaS takes care of the heavy lifting, so businesses can focus on delivering great financial products.”

Click on image to read article and download report

Retailing ready: towards traveler-centric airport payments, by Outpayce and Worldline

“As airlines progress with plans to become modern retailers, the importance of a smooth payments experience grows in importance. Yet outdated airline payments risk undermining efforts to turn airports into retailing hotspots and are the root-cause of traveler frustration, according to a newly published report.”