Everyone is well aware of the dangers of COVID-19. However, the virus’s impact goes beyond how people interact with one another; COVID-19 may have forever changed the way people pay for goods and services. No industry is more reflective of that change than the travel industry.
Contactless payments, online or via mobile devices, make it possible to pay for services, reservations, and hotels without face-to-face interactions.
An example of such a service is ROAVER, which allows people to hire motorhomes and campervans online. Such services are advantageous because travel agencies can provide both search functions and payment processing for their customers.
Contactless Payments Provide Better Health and Security
In the COVID-19 era, health and security are interchangeable terms. Contactless payments make it possible to handle travel-related transactions without face-to-face dealings, therefore decreasing the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Online payment processors allow travellers to pay for their service without having to stand in a hotel lobby, come into a travel agency office, or swipe their credit or debit card at a rental agency.
Of course, travel agencies have always taken credit card payments over the phone. However, services like ROAVER are much more secure. Phone-based reservations require you to provide your card number and personal details to a booking agent, who manually enters them. This requires the traveller to trust the agent with their financial information and trust that the agency’s phone, internet, and computer booking systems are secure.
Contactless payments do not require this level of trust because everything is processed securely, and the transaction details are encrypted. As a result, the traveller gets peace of mind when providing their payment details. In addition, the agency does not have to worry about the liability or security of their network because the processor takes care of everything.
In this way, services like ROAVER provide peace of mind since they limit the chances of contracting COVID-19 and having financial information stolen during the transaction.
Why You Need an Integrated Payment Processing Solution
Travel agencies can benefit from contactless payment processing in terms of security and health. However, payment processing services need to provide certain features if they are to be useful for travel-related transactions.
First of all, travellers will expect the ability to search through available options before purchasing. Because they often compare based on price, the motorhomes or campervans, hotels, airline tickets, or tours need detailed pricing information. Therefore, the best contactless payment services should offer a search function that lets travellers see all available options and pricing before they buy.
Second, agencies do not want to direct customers to a third-party site for payment processing. Instead, they need a payment service that is integrated into their own website or application. This allows them to maintain their brand image and keep the interaction and transactions between themselves and the customers.
In the travel industry, where branding is vital for differentiating yourself from your competitors, you can integrate a payment solution into your site without directing customers elsewhere for payment.
How Do Contactless Online Payments Work?
Contactless online payments involve sending the customers financial information over a secured connection. The process starts after the customer selects their product or service. For example, on ROAVER, they would choose a motorhome or campervan. They would then proceed to the secure checkout page.
1. The customer enters their financial information, such as the credit or debit card number and any associated security codes and billing information.
2. The system collects this data and encrypts it to be secure. It then sends the data to the payment processor.
3. The payment processor gets the information and verifies it with the customer’s bank or card issuer. It then completes the transaction.
4. The bank or credit card company first sends the funds to the processor. The processor collects the funds and then sends them to the merchant’s bank account. Processors collect a fee for their service before they make the deposit.
5. Finally, the processor sends a notification to the merchant telling them that the transaction was processed. If the payment did not go through for some reason, the merchant would be notified too.
Automation Saves Time for Both Customers and Agencies
The time-saving benefits of contactless payment systems are evident on the surface. You will save time since you do not have to enter reservation or payment information manually (as you would for over the phone or in-person transactions).
Also, if you have a fully-integrated white label system like ROAVER, customers can take care of the busywork of finding their chosen motorhome or campervan on their own. While agents may still have to answer questions and solve issues, the entire search and booking process will happen automatically for most customers.
Also, a fully-integrated payment system can help you store customer information and preferences and use this data to provide personalised offers and services to each customer. With this type of customer relationship management (CRM) system at your fingertips, you can easily engage customers and build relationships without having to manually record data for each customer who uses your site.
Meanwhile, customers can save payment details for future use, as well. If agents can provide an automated and streamlined process, customers will be more likely to return for future bookings.
Don’t Wait to Adopt Contactless Payments
The travel industry has had to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, the increased number of contactless payment processing options has helped with this transition. In addition to providing more safety for health-conscious travellers, these remote transaction processors have also helped agencies and booking sites streamline their processes and integrate functions like searching, reservations, and payments into their website and brand.
The best contactless payment processing services for travel also offer robust search and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. These integrated solutions, like ROAVER for motorhome and campervan hire, help you manage customers, streamline transactions, and cut your workload by automating tasks that you used to have to perform manually. Visit us online to find out more today.
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