Amadeus, Uplift launch BNPL travel payments for US and Canada

BNPL provider Uplift has announced a partnership with e-payments processor for the travel industry Amadeus to boost in-travel UX for US and Canadian customers.

Amadeus is partnering with travel specialist Uplift to bring BNPL services to its popular Amadeus Xchange Payment Platform (XPP), as part of a multi-provider BNPL ecosystem dedicated to travel.

XPP is used by hundreds of airlines and travel companies to power every aspect of their payments, from fraud prevention to payment acceptance. Through the partnership, airlines, travel agencies, and hotels can easily add BNPL options to their sales channels via a single connection to Amadeus – making ‘Uplift’ BNPL options more easily available to travelers across the US and Canada. Travelers can choose to pay for travel in a series of instalments over six, nine, or twelve months.

Tom Botts, Chief Commercial Officer, Uplift stated that travelers increasingly prefer the option to pay for a trip in instalments, over two thirds of Uplift users chose BNPL because it reduces financial stress to pay over time versus all at once. BNPL has become a standard payment method across travel. Now, travel providers that rely on the Amadeus Xchange Payment Platform can add Uplift’s flexible payments, immediately benefiting from stronger customer loyalty and increased bookings.

Amadeus officials have stated, in the official company press release, that ‘the growth of BNPL across all sectors has been remarkable and the message from travelers is clear – they want the choice to pay for the trip in instalments. Such payment options will help travel’s recovery by facilitating pent-up demand for higher value holidays as travel restrictions are lifted.’

Amadeus data on BNPL travel payments

Already common to the retail sector, BNPL is particularly well suited to the travel industry due to the common requirement for upfront payments at the time of booking. Amadeus research with more than 5,000 travelers suggests 68% would spend more on travel if BNPL options were available, with 49% confirming they would be more likely to buy airline ancillary services.

Travel remains a big-ticket item for consumers and especially so when planning a family or long-haul trip. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options have emerged over recent years as a way to spread the cost of a purchase across several monthly payments, delivering additional flexibility for travelers.

According to an Amadeus study released in August 2022, 75% of the respondents were more likely to opt for Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) plans to fund travels, compared to only 44% who are more likely to put their expenses on their credit cards, and 26% who consider opting for payday loans.

Apart from BNPL payments, 48% of the survey participants said they are more likely to try pre-paid debit cards with room for various currencies to avoid huge FX trading fees when paying abroad, while 49% of them claimed their interest in co-branded cards that provide loyalty points.