Travel companies deal with constant pressure: rising costs, complex supplier payments, and growing fraud risks. Traditional payment tools often fall short, especially when working across currencies and systems. Virtual cards offer a better way – giving agencies tighter control, real-time tracking, and safer transactions. This guide explores how they work, where they help most, and why they’re becoming essential for managing travel payments efficiently.
Travel payments: five common challenges
Travel companies face a range of payment issues that slow down operations and affect margins. These are some of the most common:
- Card rejections and international limits
Standard cards often fail when used across borders due to issuer blocks or unsupported currencies. This disrupts bookings and creates additional work for the team. - Limited visibility over spending
When a trip involves several suppliers, tracking who was paid, when, and for what becomes difficult. Missing details make it harder to manage costs. - Payment reconciliation gaps
Linking transactions to bookings or PNRs is rarely smooth. Manual matching slows down accounting and increases the risk of mistakes. - Exposure to fraud and chargebacks
High-value transactions and long booking windows make fraud harder to detect. Chargebacks are common and often difficult to dispute successfully. - Manual processing and delays
Chasing down cardholder information or issuing one-off invoices takes time. Without automation, small tasks pile up and slow everything down.
Travel payment solutions to consider
Most travel companies rely on a mix of traditional and newer payment tools. But not all of them are built for the complexity of international bookings, time-sensitive settlements, or multi-party transactions. Here’s a closer look at the main options in the industry – and what you need to watch out for.
For a complete look at how virtual cards are used across different business functions, see The Complete Guide to Virtual Cards for Business.
SEPA transfers
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) transfers offer a standard way to move euro-denominated funds between participating European countries. For travel businesses operating across Europe, this system has become an essential part of day-to-day financial operations.
Upsides
- Common and low-cost across the EU, making them a go-to choice for eurozone transactions.
- Well-known by finance teams, so onboarding is usually quick.
Downsides
- Funds don’t move instantly – SEPA can take one or two business days.
- Every transaction depends on accurate bank details; small errors cause delays.
- They don’t integrate well with booking systems, so manual matching is often needed.
- Linking SEPA payments to specific bookings or PNRs adds extra admin.
Billback
Billback is a setup that lets travel companies confirm bookings right away but delay payment to suppliers. It works like a short-term credit line between the agency and the supplier, which can be a big help when managing cash flow.
Upsides
- Centralises payments, so suppliers are billed through a single account.
- Can simplify the process of working with multiple vendors.
- Because card details aren’t passed on, the risk of fraud is reduced.
Downsides
- Many systems are legacy-based and aren’t fast.
- Often involves manual reconciliation and high admin overhead.
- Real-time visibility is poor, which makes tracking spend harder.
- Not all suppliers accept billback, especially smaller or international ones.
Central travel accounts
A central travel account gives companies one place to manage all their travel-related payments. Instead of handling each booking separately, everything flows through a single account. This makes it easier to keep track of spending, stay organised, and maintain control without getting buried in paperwork.
Upsides
- Useful for grouping payments to frequent suppliers on a single statement.
- Reduces the number of corporate cards issued, simplifying management.
- Often used for high-volume bookings across corporate travel departments.
Downsides
- Difficult to track and reconcile individual bookings.
- You lose visibility over specific transactions, which complicates reporting.
- Without strict controls, fraud risk increases due to consolidated access.
Business credit cards
Business credit cards are a common choice for handling travel expenses. They’re accepted almost everywhere, simple to use, and offer the kind of flexibility that suits the fast pace of travel bookings. Many also include useful extras, like rewards or travel-related benefits, that can add value for companies managing regular trips.
Upsides
- Universally accepted and easy to use in most booking flows.
- Helpful for one-off expenses or emergencies.
- Can help build credit history with consistent use.
Downsides
- Limited oversight – it’s easy for employees to overspend.
- Fraud risk is high, especially with shared or reused cards.
- Transactions are harder to match to specific bookings, especially across teams.
Virtual credit cards
Virtual credit cards offer a more modern way to manage business payments, especially for travel-related expenses. These digital cards come with built-in security features and flexible controls that make them a strong option for companies looking to avoid common payment issues. They’re particularly useful when dealing with multiple bookings, suppliers, or time-sensitive purchases.
Upsides
- One-time use per transaction makes them far safer than physical cards.
- Can be issued per supplier, booking, or cost centre for clean reconciliation.
- Real-time generation means cards are ready when needed, without delays.
- Accepted by most major airlines and hotels, especially when booked online.
Downsides
- Not every supplier is onboard; some still insist on physical cards.
- May require onboarding and explanation for first-time partners.
- Without proper system integration, the full benefits – like automated reconciliation – are harder to realise.
Benefits of virtual card solution for travel payments
Virtual cards give travel companies a more reliable way to handle payments across different markets and partners. They help fix long-standing issues like fraud, poor visibility, and reconciliation delays – all while supporting faster, more controlled operations.
One of the key benefits is the ability to issue individual cards for each booking or supplier. This means companies no longer rely on one shared card with vague limits or unclear tracking. Each virtual card can come with custom rules, such as merchant restrictions, expiry dates, or exact transaction limits. This setup lowers the risk of unauthorised use and helps teams stay on top of spending.
Funding also becomes easier to manage. Companies can issue and load cards on demand, rather than tying up working capital in fixed accounts or preloaded amounts. This is especially helpful during off-peak periods, when tighter control over liquidity matters most.
Tracking and reporting improve as well. Every virtual card can be linked to a booking reference, customer, or internal department. That means finance teams no longer need to chase down receipts or match payments to reservations manually. Many platforms also connect to existing accounting tools, so the data flows directly into regular reporting systems.
Suppliers benefit from quicker and more consistent payments. This builds trust and often leads to better terms, such as extended cancellation windows or early access to inventory during high season.
In practical terms, virtual card programmes support:
- Real-time control over transaction amounts and timing
- Custom spend rules per supplier, project, or client
- Reduced exposure to fraud and chargebacks
- Smoother reconciliation through auto-tagged transactions
- Scalable use for agencies handling multiple clients or regions
- Elimination of physical card logistics and shared data risks
- Stronger supplier relationships built on predictable payments
- Fewer bank fees compared to traditional card or transfer methods
For OTAs and travel companies handling a high volume of payments, these features offer both immediate relief and long-term efficiency gains.
For a broader look at how other industries are using this technology, see Top Use Cases for Virtual Cards in Business. It outlines how virtual cards are being applied across marketing, procurement, travel, and more.
How to use virtual cards in travel payments
Implementing virtual cards in a travel company’s payment system takes more than just choosing a provider. To get real value, the system has to work with your everyday processes, align with how your teams operate, and be supported with clear rules and oversight.
Start by selecting a platform that fits your business model. Some providers offer better coverage for cross-border payments, while others focus on stronger API capabilities or integration with your existing finance tools. If your agency works across several currencies or handles hundreds of bookings a day, choose a partner that can handle that complexity – not only in features, but in their understanding of how travel payments work on the ground.
Once the provider is selected, the next step is designing the internal structure. Decide who is responsible for issuing cards, who sets transaction limits, and how approvals are handled. For example, it’s often useful to assign one virtual card per booking, so each transaction is easy to trace. In some cases, you might prefer to issue cards per traveller – especially for group or business travel, where individual expenses need to be tracked.
You can also assign supplier-specific cards, such as one for each airline, hotel chain, or GDS provider. This makes reconciliation easier and gives you more visibility into where your money is going. To take it a step further, many platforms offer API-driven issuance, letting you automate card creation directly from your booking engine or mid-office system. This helps remove delays and manual work from high-volume processes.
For in-destination spending, such as meals, transport, or emergency purchases, virtual cards can be issued to mobile wallets. This gives employees or travellers access to funds without needing a physical card, and keeps all expenses connected to the original booking.
But the work doesn’t stop at setup. Ongoing monitoring is important. Review usage patterns regularly. Watch for duplicated or inactive cards, suppliers that still don’t accept virtual payments, or approval processes that are slowing things down. The more attention you give to refining how cards are used, the more value they’ll deliver.
With a thoughtful rollout and regular follow-up, virtual cards can simplify supplier payments, reduce manual effort, and bring better structure to the way your business handles transactions, whether it’s for a single booking or thousands.
If you’re interested in how these systems operate behind the scenes, take a look at The Technology Behind Virtual Cards Explained. It breaks down the mechanics in clear terms, without getting too technical.
Why Wallester is a strong choice for travel payments
Wallester provides a virtual card platform that matches the pace and complexity of the travel sector. Rather than stitching together multiple systems or bending general-purpose tools to fit, travel companies can rely on a unified platform built to manage international payments, variable booking volumes, and diverse supplier arrangements without adding friction to the workflow.
Part of the broader Wallester Business ecosystem, the platform lets companies issue and manage both virtual and physical Visa cards in real time. Cards are available in multiple currencies and can be customised with individual spending limits, merchant category controls, and expiry settings. For businesses operating across borders, this removes common obstacles related to timing, currency, and trust.
What makes Wallester stand out is how smoothly it fits into real operations. Cards can be issued per booking or traveller, tied to a supplier, or generated automatically through API integration. The system works with mobile wallets, and all data flows directly into accounting, booking, or ERP tools, reducing manual work and making reconciliation faster.
The infrastructure works well for growth, whether you’re handling a few dozen transactions a week or managing bookings across several markets and client accounts. Setup is fast, the cost structure is transparent, and support is handled by a team familiar with the pressures of the travel industry, including last-minute approvals, booking errors, and supplier disputes.
Key features include:
- Unlimited virtual card issuance with real-time controls
- European BIN and Visa-backed coverage for global acceptance
- Built-in merchant restrictions and category limits
- Support for mobile wallets and automatic expense categorisation
- Whitelisting, API automation, and booking system integration
- Scalable design for high-volume OTAs and multi-client setups
- Responsive customer support that understands travel workflows
Wallester helps travel businesses simplify payment execution, improve oversight, and manage cash flow across international operations.If you’re ready to explore a virtual card platform built for real-world travel operations, take a look at Wallester Business. It’s created to support companies managing multi-currency payments, high booking volumes, and supplier relationships – all in one place.
