How to Choose Payment Gateways for OTAs?
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) face fierce competition in today’s digital travel landscape. Travelers expect a seamless booking experience, and a clunky checkout process can be a dealbreaker. This is where selecting suitable payment gateways becomes crucial.
In this blog, we’ll explore the most preferred payment gateway options for OTAs and the factors to consider when making your choice. We’ll equip you with the knowledge to ensure a smooth customer checkout journey, boost conversions, and build traveler loyalty.
Payment Gateways Preferred by OTAs
When it comes to payment gateways for OTAs, several options stand out:Â Â
- Stripe: A globally recognized leader, Stripe offers a user-friendly interface, robust security features, and support for a wide range of credit cards, debit cards, and alternative payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Additionally, Stripe caters to the growing trend of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options, integrating with Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna, which can be particularly attractive to budget-conscious travelers. Stripe charges 2% for cards issued in India and 3% for cards issued outside India.
- Authorize.net: A well-established player, authorize.net provides a secure platform for handling various payment types. It offers fraud prevention tools and recurring billing functionalities, making it suitable for subscription-based travel services. However, its customizability options might be less extensive than those of some newer players.
- Nimbbl: This emerging player focuses on the travel industry, offering features tailored to OTA needs. Nimbbl boasts features like real-time currency conversion, support for local payment methods, dynamic pricing capabilities, and catering to a global traveler base.
Beyond these popular options, several other payment gateways cater to specific needs: - PayPal: A widely recognized digital wallet solution, PayPal offers a convenient checkout experience for customers with accounts.
- Regional Payment Gateways: For an international reach, consider integrating regional payment gateways popular in specific markets, like Alipay for China or UnionPay for transactions within mainland China.
Factors to consider While Choosing Payment Partner for OTAs?
Selecting the right payment gateway requires careful consideration of several factors:
- Security: Data breaches are a significant concern. Ensure your chosen gateway prioritizes robust security measures like PCI compliance and fraud prevention tools.
- Payment Methods Supported: Cater to your target audience by offering a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, and local payment options.
- Global Reach: If you cater to international travelers, consider a gateway that supports multiple currencies and facilitates seamless cross-border transactions.
- Transaction Fees: Compare processing fees and additional charges associated with different gateways to optimize your financial bottom line.
- Integration Ease: A smooth integration process is essential. Look for gateways with user-friendly APIs and developer tools to ensure quick and efficient implementation.
- Customer Support: Reliable customer support is crucial for resolving any issues arising during transactions.
Understanding Payment Integration Methods
Now that we’ve explored popular payment gateway options let’s delve into the different integration methods:Â Â
- Hosted Payment Gateways: These are the simplest to set up. Customers are redirected to a secure payment page hosted by the gateway provider to enter their payment information. This ensures a high level of security but offers less customization for the checkout experience.
- Self-Hosted Payment Gateways: With this method, the payment information is collected directly on your website. This offers greater control over the checkout flow but requires significant technical expertise to ensure security and PCI compliance.
- API-Hosted Payment Gateways: This approach provide more flexibility than hosted gateways. You integrate the gateway’s API into your website, allowing for a customized checkout experience while still leveraging the gateway’s security features. However, implementation requires some technical knowledge.
- Local Bank Integration Gateways: This method connects directly to local banks in specific regions, enabling real-time bank transfers or direct debits. This can be beneficial for targeting particular markets but may require additional partnerships and compliance considerations. Â
- Hosted Payment Gateways: These are the simplest to set up. Customers are redirected to a secure payment page hosted by the gateway provider to enter their payment information. This ensures a high level of security but offers less customization for the checkout experience.
Navigating the Legal Landscape: PCI DSS and Merchant of Record
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): This security standard is a global mandate for any organization that stores, transmits, or processes cardholder data. When selecting a payment gateway, ensure they are PCI DSS compliant. This provides peace of mind that your customer’s financial information is protected according to industry best practices. Â
Merchant of Record (MOR): For OTAs that outsource payment processing entirely, partnering with a Merchant of Record can be a strategic decision. A MoR assumes full responsibility for PCI DSS compliance and financial transactions, allowing OTAs to focus on selling travel products and services. However, this also means relinquishing some control over the customer payment experience and potentially incurring additional fees associated with the MOR service. Â
The decision of whether to become your Merchant of Record or outsource to a third-party provider depends on several factors:Â Â
- Technical Expertise: Managing PCI DSS compliance requires ongoing vigilance and technical expertise. If your OTA lacks the in-house resources, partnering with an MOR can be wise.
- Transaction Volume: The cost of PCI DSS compliance can be significant for OTAs with a high volume of transactions. An MOR might offer economies of scale, making it a more cost-effective option.
- Control Preferences: Some OTAs prioritize complete control over the customer journey, including checkout. In this case, becoming your own MOR might be preferable. Â
Concluding Thoughts
In conclusion, selecting the right payment gateway and deciding on the Merchant of Record approach are crucial for OTAs. By carefully considering the above factors, OTAs can ensure a secure and streamlined checkout experience for their customers, fostering trust and driving business growth.Â
FAQ's: How to Choose Payment Gateways for OTAs?
Security supported payment methods, global reach, transaction fees, and ease of integration are all crucial factors. You should also consider customer support options.
There are four main methods: hosted, self-hosted, API-hosted, and local bank integration. Hosted gateways are the easiest to set up but offer less customization. Self-hosted offer more control but require technical expertise. API-hosted provide a balance between flexibility and security. Local bank integration can be beneficial for specific markets but may have additional complexities.
An MOR assumes responsibility for PCI DSS compliance and financial transactions for an OTA. This can be a good option for OTAs that lack the technical expertise or resources to manage PCI compliance themselves. However, it also means giving up some control over the customer payment experience and potentially paying additional fees.
Yes, ZentrumHub offers Stripe and Authorize.net for international customers. For Indian customers, they use Nimbbl, which aggregates multiple payment gateway providers. They are also open to integrating new options based on client needs.
