Travel technology firm Sabre has partnered with payments
provider eNett International to provide Sabre clients that don't have credit
lines with a virtual card solution, Sabre Travel Network director of product
marketing Michael Pape told BTN. ENett,
whose majority owner is global distribution system Travelport, will act as a
central bank with which Sabre clients can establish prefunded accounts, he explained.
The existing Sabre Virtual Payment uses a corporation or
travel agency's credit and banking relationships to issue a one-time-use,
16-digit, virtual card number, Pape said. “The difference is in the funding
mechanism. Through prefund, it’s done through one banking channel and through
credit, we connect to any bank our customers need us to connect to,” Pape said,
adding that the prefunded solution will appeal to small or midsize businesses
and agencies that have limited access to credit.
“In prefund, we’re opening up a whole new set of potential
customers: those who choose not to use credit or can’t,” Pape explained. “In
the prefunding scenario, they simply put funds via bank transfer in this
account, and off they go.”
Conferma will remain Sabre’s technology partner for Sabre Virtual Payment's credit-based transactions and will take on prefunded transactions, as well. The prefunded solution also will work for trips arranged through corporate travel booking tool GetThere, with which Sabre integrated its virtual card program in March.