As hotels continue to seek ways to improve the process for accepting virtual payments, agreements platform Sertifi is reporting progress via a platform it developed for card authorization.
Sertifi first launched its authorization solution for delivery and approval of credit card and virtual card information in 2018 and reports that it has since received more than 12 million authorizations and built a base of more than 15,000 customers. More recently, it has introduced a solution allowing travel companies to send payment information directly to hotels, automating a process that still can involve fax machines and other less secure methods, Sertifi product marketing manager Amy Inouye said.
"They don't have to go through the process of sending a form and filling it out; they just have the payment information sent directly to a portal," Inouye said. "This payment shows up in their portal, and they don't have to do anything extra."
Authorizations can go directly into hotel property management systems.
Sertifi also has introduced a free version of its portal for hotels, where they can receive credit and virtual card information from travel and payment companies even if they are not a paying Sertifi customer, she said. The full-service feature adds such capabilities as being able to complete and sign forms from any device and AI-powered fraud detection tools, according to Sertifi.
AmTrav is among the travel management companies using Sertifi for card delivery information.
"We're always looking for options for customers to make secure, reliable hotel payments," according to AmTrav product marketing director Elliott McNamee. "Sertifi is hugely valuable in that card numbers are securely delivered to hotels and only viewable by the necessary staff."
Easing the acceptance process of virtual card acceptance in particular at hotels has been an industry focus in recent years, as there are frequent stories of guests arriving and finding themselves unable to check in or forced to turn over a personal card because the front desk does not know how to process the virtual card. Grasp Technologies, for example, last year announced it had developed a new workflow with Marriott in which payment details are sent directly to the property management system.
Inouye said Sertifi's development roadmap "will definitely be putting a focus on the travel industry," including what it can offer specifically to help with group travel.