Automating payments for airlines that only accept cash

Managing payments in cash-only airline markets can often present significant challenges for travel management companies (TMCs). 

Airline payment acceptance rules vary widely depending on the carrier, geography, booking channel, and fare type. In some regions, airlines do not accept credit card payments for air tickets, often due to currency constraints or geographic restrictions. Instead, they only accept cash forms of payment, requiring the agency of record to collect payment from customers. The TMC then acts as the merchant of record, remitting funds to the airline via bank transfer (i.e., cash) at the end of a specified period. 

Cash-only markets add a layer of complexity for TMCs to manage, often leading to offline reconciliation that results in lost time, higher operational costs, delayed ticketing, and poor traveler experiences. 

We are excited to announce powerful new features that automate and simplify the cash payment and settlement process, saving TMCs hours of manual work, reducing errors, and ensuring faster ticketing for travelers.

Our TMC channel partners that have an active integration with Stripe, and their customers, now benefit from following enhancements:

• Cash payment automation (via Stripe) – When cash is the only accepted form of payment, the traveler can now use any credit card to proceed. The credit card payment is processed through Stripe, which then passes a cash payment to the airline, removing the need for manual cash workflows by agents. The TMC acts as the merchant of record for these transactions.
• Exchanges and ancillaries for cash bookings (via Stripe): Spotnana has also automated cash payments for post-booking changes and ancillary purchases. Refunds or charges are processed using the same credit card originally used for the booking.
• Shell PNR cash support (via Stripe): For scenarios where TMC agents need to process a booking through a GDS, we now support  cash payments for bookings created via Shell PNRs when the airline only accepts cash. QC checks alert agents to update the form of payment to cash. Once corrected, Spotnana automatically charges the assigned credit card via Stripe.

Stripe serves as the payment gateway and processor. It acts as the interface between the customer’s payment method (such as a credit card) and the merchant’s bank, handling the authorization process to ensure the transaction is safe and valid.

It’s simple for travelers to select appropriate payment methods for cash-only bookings.

To bring this to life, imagine you have a traveler who needs to go to Singapore on business, but the airline only accepts cash. In this scenario, the traveler uses a personal Visa at checkout. The card is then charged via Stripe, and at the month’s end, the TMC settles with the airline offline via a cash payment facilitated by Stripe. No agent intervention is required.

Want to learn more about how Spotnana can transform your payment processes and increase your TMC’s efficiency? Request a demo today.