Booking.com Integrates Payments For Corporate Travelers With AirPlus

Online travel booking platform Booking.com is enhancing the payments experience for its corporate customers through a partnership with business travel payments and billing company AirPlus.

In a press release issued Wednesday (Nov. 28), AirPlus announced it is working with Booking.com to integrate seamless booking-to-payment capabilities for business travelers on the Booking.com for Business platform. Businesses can generate single-use Mastercard AirPlus A.I.D.A. Virtual Cards for their purchases on Booking.com.

Transactions made using the virtual cards are aggregated into a single invoice for seamless reconciliation by businesses. Existing AirPlus business travel customers can set up their Booking.com business accounts to use the feature.

“This collaboration between AirPlus and Booking.com is promising news for travel managers that are [becoming] aware more and more of the potential that slumbers within [the] corporate hotel booking and payment process,” said AirPlus Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Board Member Michiel Verhaagen in a statement. “It also brings relief for the traveler, who benefits from having less trouble with doing [their] expenses. We enable [them] to reclaim [their] time.”

Ripsy Bandourian, senior director of product at Booking.com, added, “We are very excited about this partnership and integration with AirPlus and what it means for our corporate customers. Now even more business travelers can seamlessly find the stay that’s just right for their individual needs, while using their company’s preferred payment method. With more choice and flexibility for travelers, and an easier, more transparent reporting and reconciliation process for corporates, it’s a win-win for everyone.”

Earlier this year, Booking.com announced that it hit 5 million listings in its category of homes, apartments and unique places to stay, making it a larger home-sharing provider than even Airbnb.

As Booking.com enhances its services for business travelers, home-sharing offerings are gaining traction with corporates. Last year, Airbnb introduced a business travel search function, as it has been enhancing its B2B services for corporate travelers as well.