Amadeus has boosted virtual payment capabilities for agents with the launch of a pre-paid card service.
The system, Amadeus B2BWallet Prepaid, aims to help the agency community reduce fraud and make reconciliation easier.
The virtual payment system provides agents with two cards with one earning them cash back on transactions and the other enabling them to make payments and avoid supplier surcharges such as credit card fees.
A study from the GBTA Foundation six months ago showed virtual single use cards gaining in popularity with 20% of agents using the cards versus 13% the year before. The same study showed 53% of suppliers accepting the cards.
This is not Amadeus' first foray into virtual payments having partnered with AirPlus just over two years ago enabling agents to make virtual payments to suppliers via a virtual credit card. The service also made payment to non-BSP suppliers easier.
Back in the middle of 2011 Amadeus closed MoneyDirect, a joint venture with Sabre which handled multi-channel payments for the hospitality industry.
At launch MoneyDirect was touted as "the industry standard for payments" but despite initial success it failed to reach its ambition.
According to Amadeus head of travel payments Celia Pereiro the B2B Wallet Prepaid service now offers agents a more complete solution building on its deal with AirPlus at a time when virtual cards are growing in popularity.
"This is a cash management solution for travel agents that combines all kinds of options."
Some industry experts expect virtual payments to become mainstream this year perhaps partly driven by growth in mobile payments.
The technology is also integrated into the selling system so agents can pay suppliers by generating an immediate virtual card.
Rival distribution company Travelport has been gaining ground with its own payment service eNett.
The company increased its stake in the joint venture company to 73% about 18 months ago saying it could be bigger than Travelport in the future. At the time eNett was valued at $430 million.
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NB: Virtual payment image via Shutterstock.