Travel has become one of the more demanding environments for payment innovation because the transaction is rarely simple. A single journey can involve airlines, hotels, car rental, taxis, travel management companies, online travel agencies and local market requirements, all with different needs around cost, data, reconciliation, fraud protection and customer choice. That complexity is making payments a more visible part of how travel companies manage both growth and operational efficiency.
One area gaining momentum is the use of virtual cards, particularly in intermediary relationships where online travel agenices, travel management companies and airlines need more efficient ways to manage payouts, reduce friction and improve access to transaction data.
In a conversation in the PhocusWire studio at Phocuswright Europe 2026, Wendy Ward, chief marketing officer at UATP, spoke to Phocuswright senior vice president of content Mitra Sorrells about why travel is becoming a proving ground for payment innovation, how virtual cards are evolving and where digital wallets, embedded finance and other tools may create business impact.
Watch the full discussion below.
From our partners at Phocuswright Europe 2026: UATP