UATP is expanding the payment network to hotel and car rental, and announced La Quinta Inns & Suites as its first hotel merchant.

Client demand to expand centrally billed payments beyond air, travel agencies and Amtrak prompted UATP to talk to hotel chains and car rental firms, according to Universal Air Travel Plan president and CEO Ralph Kaiser. UATP founder American Airlines is the first issuer to expand to hotel payment acceptance, in service of client Walmart. The retailer has been using its AA UATP account to centrally bill hotel charges at La Quinta since last year.