Checkout.com and Mastercard Partner to Bring Virtual Cards to Online Travel Agents

Checkout.com and Mastercard have announced a partnership to deliver virtual card capabilities to online travel agents through the Mastercard Wholesale Program.

The collaboration enables OTAs to issue virtual cards for hotel and airline supplier payments, replacing manual processes that have long created reconciliation headaches and cost inefficiencies in the travel industry. Each virtual card is generated for a specific transaction with defined spending limits and expiration dates, giving OTAs granular control over supplier payments.

Travel payments represent one of the most complex segments of the payments industry. Online travel agents typically act as intermediaries between consumers and multiple suppliers, managing payment flows that span different currencies, settlement timescales, and payment methods. Virtual cards address this complexity by providing a standardised, trackable payment instrument for each booking.

Checkout.com's payment processing infrastructure handles the issuance and management of virtual cards, while Mastercard's Wholesale Program provides the network rails and acceptance framework. The combination gives OTAs access to virtual card capabilities without building the infrastructure themselves.

The partnership addresses a growing market as the global travel industry continues its post-pandemic recovery. OTAs are processing increasing transaction volumes and seeking payment solutions that reduce operational costs while improving supplier relationships. Virtual cards offer lower processing fees compared to traditional corporate cards and eliminate the risk of payment disputes through single-use, purpose-specific card numbers.

Both companies said the programme is available to OTAs globally and supports multiple currencies for cross-border supplier payments.