Virtual cards in tourism: simpler payments for agencies and hotels
They can help agencies pay suppliers and business travellers settle their hotel bills. Two new solutions demonstrate what this looks like in practice and what needs to be checked before use.
When the agency books a hotel for a guest, it is necessary to clearly agree on the arrangements. Who pays for the accommodation?, what is included in the price and how are additional costs settled. Virtual cards can make this easier because they link the payment to a specific booking.
The solutions described involve digital cards intended for specific payments or stays. The agency uses them to pay suppliers, and in some cases a business traveller can add the card to their mobile wallet and use it at the hotel.
Two new features unveiled on 2 November 2026 demonstrate both modes of use. Trust Payments and Weavr have developed a solution for paying tourism suppliers. S4BT, Trevium and Pliant have introduced the option to use a hotel virtual card on the traveller's phone.
How does the virtual card help the agency?
Trust Payments offers single-use Visa virtual cards in euros and pounds. Each is linked to an individual reservation. The company first deposits the funds by bank transfer and then uses them to pay eligible suppliers that accept Visa.
According to the supplier, such integration makes it easier to track payments and reconcile them with reservations. The offer is available to eligible travel companies in the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area, following the necessary business checks.
For the agency, the practical question is simple: can the finance department more quickly determine which reservation a particular payment belongs to? If it requires less manual labour, the system can be valuable even without additional commercial benefits.
However, it needs to be checked whether such a payment method is compatible with existing contracts. An agency that pays for each stay individually has different needs from a tour operator who pays the hotel a lump sum for the entire group.
The discount should be compared with the total cost.
Trust Payments states that individual payments I can bring a discount, i.e. the refund of part of the amount spent. Its amount depends on the type of card and the supplier. A single public rate has not been published.
Therefore, before signing up, you should compare the fees, any possible currency conversion costs and the terms of use. A discount alone does not indicate whether the service is more favourable.
Cash flow should also be considered. In the solution described, the agency first deposits the funds into the account. It is important to align this timing with the collection from the passenger and the hotel's payment deadlines.
What changes for the guest at the reception?
The solution from S4BT, Trevium and Pliant is aimed at business travel. The day before arrival, the traveller receives a secure link via which they add the virtual card to a compatible mobile wallet. They can then use it for contactless payments at the hotel.
It is possible to separate the payment for the room and breakfast from additional services. For example, one card covers accommodation, while the other is intended for additional expenses approved by the company. The solution is available to S4BT clients using Pliant's virtual cards, subject to the necessary technical integration.
For the traveller, this can mean fewer charges on a personal card and fewer subsequent requests to the employer for reimbursement. For the hotel, it is crucial that reception knows in advance which services the card covers.
The card does not replace the agreement. If the company has not approved parking, dinner or wellness, the mere ability to pay by mobile does not mean those expenses are authorised.
What should the agency and the hotel check?
Before commencing cooperation, they should agree on the permitted amounts, the timing of payment and the procedure for changing or cancelling a reservation. The hotel should also verify its card acceptance fees and its invoicing method.
In the case of a non-executed service, there may be an option to dispute the card transaction, known as chargeback. Trust Payments states that the relevant booking information may assist in this process, but a refund is not guaranteed.
For regional companies, availability is also important. Croatia, Slovenia and Austria are part of the EEA, which Trust Payments covers with its offering, subject to individual company verification. The announcement does not confirm the same availability for companies registered in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro.
The most useful first step would be to trial it on a smaller number of bookings with established hotel partners. Alongside regular billing, any changes to stays, refunds and additional charges should be checked. That way, both parties can determine whether the new payment method makes their day-to-day work easier.
