Corporate travellers can now access Virtual Card Numbers for hotel bookings.
MANCHESTER – Conferma, experts in Virtual Card Number (VCN) technology for the corporate travel sector, announced the launch of TripPay, its second mobile application.
The app, to be rolled out in conjunction with Conferma’s global banking and travel management partners, enables corporate travellers to access the VCN used by their Travel Management Company (TMC) to settle their hotel booking at any stage during their trip, from check-in to check-out.
By making the 16-digit VCN and three-digit security code available at the tap of a screen, TripPay is primarily designed to streamline the payment process for the traveller. The app displays digital images of the front and back of a credit card with the VCN that can be displayed to hotel staff at check-in or check-out to enter into their system. Once the check-out date has elapsed, the VCN for that trip will no longer be visible to the traveller.
Controls applicable to all Conferma VCNs ensure that the card number can only be charged within a designated time period and by a specified merchant category. Furthermore, only making the VCN visible when the traveller may need it represents an added security benefit.
Automatic notifications to their device make the traveller aware once a trip has been reserved in their name using a Conferma VCN. The app also allows travellers to resend booking confirmation faxes to the hotel, get directions to the hotel from their current location and access the details of their booking, irrespective of the booking platform used by their TMC.
Using TripPay, travellers can take photos of their hotel invoices and receipts and submit them via their mobile device to SNAP, Conferma’s reporting and reconciliation tool. The invoice data is then automatically matched to the booking and transaction data to produce a complete overview of hotel expenditure and enhance process efficiencies for TMCs by automating a previously labour-intensive and time-consuming process.
“As a FinTech company, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation in corporate payment technology,” said Simon Barker, CEO of Conferma. “Given the corporate traveller’s growing tendency to use mobile devices to fulfil their travel requirements, developing a mobile application that allows them to access VCNs for their hotel bookings was a natural supplement to WebPay Mobile, our first mobile application.”
Barker also confirmed that Conferma is already planning the next phase of upgrades to the TripPay Android app, which will include Near Field Communication (NFC) capability. “Now that we have the capability to deliver a VCN to mobile devices, the next logical step in our innovation is to enable contactless payments in TripPay via NFC. This would be a major step for Conferma as we look to expand our offering beyond online and Card Not Present payments.”
Six months after releasing WebPay Mobile for iOS and Windows Phone devices, Conferma have made TripPay available to corporate travellers on all iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices. Upgrades to WebPay Mobile to support Android devices are also planned for Q4 2014.
Conferma is currently rolling out TripPay in conjunction with its global TMC and banking partners to their corporate clients. The app is currently available to download from the App Store and Google Play free of charge. Users must complete a registration process before logging in to the application.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
