The eMoney license application, and the creation of Amadeus-owned company Outpayce, alongside investment in a technology platform, underline the vision to deliver a smooth and connected travel payment experience across the traveller’s journey.

Payments are present at every stage of the travel experience, from booking online, or with a travel agent, to paying for extra luggage at the airport or checking out at the hotel. The growth plans include several key elements: Open payments platform: The travel industry is seeing an explosion of innovation as new services like Multi-Currency Pricing, Buy Now Pay Later, and Embedded Finance help travel companies deliver the payment experience travellers have grown to expect.

As an Amadeus wholly owned company, Outpayce will continue supporting the payments needs of airlines, travel sellers and corporations to improve the end-to-end payment experience for travellers and customers in B2B payment transactions.

The current payment solutions will incorporate open API-based development environments that will facilitate innovation in travel by making it easier for third-party payments and fintech companies to provide services to the industry.

eMoney license and creation of Outpayce: The first regulated service Outpayce intends to offer if the license is granted pre-paid virtual card issuing within its B2B Wallet solution, which travel agencies use to pay travel providers such as airlines and hotels.

The focus for Outpayce will be to strengthen its current end-to-end payment offering and develop an integrated payment ecosystem to which travel companies can connect to access the latest fintech innovations. We aim to ensure a smooth, integrated, connected payments experience in travel, whether paying with virtual cards in the B2B space or a traveller choosing to pay in the currency of their choice with foreign exchange services.

In collaboration with third parties, Amadeus currently provides services to merchants like airlines and travel sellers so they can accept the most comprehensive range of card and local payment methods through websites, mobile, call centres and physical touchpoints, such as check-in desks.

This marks the next step in the evolution of Amadeus’ travel payments business line, supporting its goal of delivering frictionless travel payments. Its second line of business, payer services, helps travel sellers make B2B payments to airlines and hotels using modern methods like virtual cards with its B2B Wallet solution.

David Doctor, Executive Vice President of Payments, Amadeus, said: “Payments are an integral part of the end-to-end travel experience.

Decius Valmorbida, President of Travel, Amadeus, added: “Travel is undergoing a once-in-a-generation digital transformation which means we can better connect the different stages of the traveller journey”. Companies with an eMoney license can provide payment services such as accepting customer funds, issuing pre-paid debit cards, or offering funds transfers on a payment account.

Airlines, hotels, and travel sellers using the platform can access a wide choice of payment services from Amadeus and third parties through a single connection. Including Outpayce issued cards alongside a wide range of options from partner issuers will provide travel agencies with more excellent choices and an improved payment experience.

When providing services directly to travellers, travel companies strive to deliver simple, flexible, and secure payments across all journey touchpoints. In B2B payments between travel merchants, integration in the travel ecosystem is a key differentiator.

To support customers and the wider industry, as the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, Amadeus has applied to the Bank of Spain for an eMoney license to provide regulated services in Spain and, subsequently, the more comprehensive European Economic Area.

New hires: Over the next few years, Outpayce plans to invest in its growth by hiring additional payment experts and technology engineers globally to support its product development and business expansion plans. Through our application for an eMoney license combined with our investment in talent and technology, we’re well placed to improve our current service to customers as well as expand the range of services, geographies, and customers we serve.

Ensuring smooth, integrated and invisible payments is becoming increasingly important in the travel experience. With this investment, Outpayce is ready to simplify travel payments across the entire trip.” As part of this strategy, Amadeus’ existing payments business will become Outpayce, a wholly owned Amadeus company, with assets and employees transferring to the new entity on 1st January 2023.

Outpayce will continue to provide all current services as well as building a range of new products through in-house development and partnership. The current platform provides services from trusted partners such as Citi, Mastercard, and Paypal, and we will work to expand this partner network. David Doctor will transition from his role as Executive Vice President, Payments at Amadeus to lead Outpayce as its CEO from 1st January 2023. Simplifying how people pay at booking, the airport and the hotel are fundamental if the industry is to maximize this opportunity.

Written by: Jill Walsh

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