As technology evolves and the hospitality industry becomes more competitive, it’s important to understand future trends in hotel payment processing technology. Staying on top of the trends helps your hotel to live up to guest expectations. It also drives convenience through a smooth payment journey.
Part of delivering top-notch experiences is about anticipating guest needs, so why not use technology to enhance the overall guest experience? Let’s explore the future of payment processing, along with the latest trends in payment processing technology.
Where is the future of hotel payment technology going?
We have all become more reliant on technology and expect our mobile devices to accompany us in our everyday lives. And now we’re looking for the same from hotel experience. Guests want everyday technology in their hotel stay, especially when it comes to payments.
Hotel payment processing is an important part of the hotel stay. Be prepared to offer seamless transactions and a variety of payment methods. The entire process should be integrated with your hotel’s PMS – aim for a seamless guest journey with paperless transactions.
7 trends in hotel payment processing technology
Now that you’ve got a sense of where hotel payment technology is going, let’s look at some of these top trends in more detail. You can also read why your hotel should offer different payment options.
Digital wallets and virtual credit cards
Digital wallets and virtual credit cards are on the rise. They provide a safe and hassle-free way for guests to have their payments processed online. Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are convenient for paying for extra services when staying at a hotel.
Instead of carrying a wallet, your guests can simply swipe their phone and purchase add-on services. Using a fingerprint or facial recognition to send a payment is also safer.
Hotels that distribute on Expedia or Booking.com will be seeing more virtual credit cards. These one-time use cards, sent to you by OTAs, reduce the chance of security threats to hotel payments.
Payments that integrate with the PMS
Processing payments directly from your PMS is becoming increasingly popular. A smooth payment journey lets you eliminate extra steps to make processing transactions much easier. This unlocks ancillary revenue potential too because you can now integrate upselling into the user journey.
Plus, having access to all payments in one place helps you easily keep track of extra services bought during the stay. Guests can simply settle their bill at the end of their stay and enjoy a smoother check-out process.
Variety of payment methods
Offering a variety of payment methods is just one step further in the direction of guest-centric operations. There is nothing more frustrating than a hotel not accepting your preferred payment method.
This is why offering multiple payment methods is becoming more important – think digital wallets, EWallet and mobile payments. Hotels must be prepared to adapt to payment processing technology capable of processing various payment methods.
Hassle-free transactions
The future of payments is all about convenience. After checking in, hotel guests want to forget about their credit cards. The easier it is to buy add-on services, the more likely they are to do it, so it pays (literally) to create a seamless transaction process across the whole payment journey.
Whether through mobile payments, an app, or storing their preferred payment choice in your PMS, make payments as smooth as possible. Your guests should focus on having a great time rather than looking for their credit card.
SCA
With technology making data readily available, it’s easier for data breaches to happen. In Europe, Strong Customer Authentication has been put into action to make online and contactless payments more secure. For hoteliers, this translates into building an extra layer of authentication into their booking flow.
Paperless
Going paperless was a way to stand out from the competition; now it’s a necessity to stay competitive. The whole guest journey, including payments, is becoming digital. Instead of a printed bill, customers expect to get an email or find their transaction in your hotel’s app. Set up your hotel for a paperless guest experience to live up to guest expectations.
Online checkout
With the rise of online bookings, guests expect to have their payment method of choice on file. If they booked directly from your website, guests would expect to pay for their reservation ahead of arrival. Be sure to offer online payments so that they can check in as easily as possible.
Conclusion
To recap, the future trends in hotel payment processing technology are all about being digital-forward, integrated and guest-centric. As a hotel, you should allow your guests to pay in whichever way’s most convenient for them.
To ensure a top-of-the-line hotel experience, put guests at the forefront of every decision and tailor to their specific needs throughout the whole journey.
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