Travel payments are becoming an essential part of how we design, book and live our journeys, moving with us across time zones, currencies and platforms.
Travelling is not only a matter of moving through space; it is also moving through time, customs, languages and, more and more, payment systems. If once a trip began with booking a ticket and packing a hand-prepared suitcase, today it often starts with a click, a digital choice, an instalment plan, a wallet that follows you. In this edition of Travel Pulse, we explore how Italian travellers going abroad, outbound, now have at their disposal a new “toolbox” of payment options: from split-payment, to digital wallets, to BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later), all the way to cross-border solutions that are about to transform both the travel experience and the way payments are handled. With a cultural eye on tourism and a strategic one on the future of the sector.
The Shift in How We Pay While Travelling
I remember when a friend of mine left Florence for a tour in South Africa: at the bank ticket office, he collected the exchange-rate trackers, signed a travel insurance policy, paid with a card and felt “secure”. Today, that very same traveller could book in four minutes through an app, choose “pay in 3 instalments”, save the hotel in a wallet, and pay for excursions in local currency with a QR code or a digital card. The world of payments moves at the same pace as the world of travel.
In Italy, the penetration of digital payments is growing strongly: for example, a recent study indicates that about 69% of Italians use digital payments. In e-commerce, which is a good indicator for travel outsourcing as well, digital wallets represent about 35% of online transactions in Italy.
This means that anyone booking a trip or paying for an experience abroad expects payments to be simple, fast, and international. And travel companies are responding: want an excursion in Japan, a safari in Kenya, a cruise in the Pacific? The payment method becomes an integral part of the “feeling of being on a journey”.
Split Payments and Instalments: Flexibility for High-Value Trips
The concept of split payment or instalment payment is simple and powerful: allowing customers to spread the payment over time, sometimes without interest or on favourable terms, easing the financial weight of the booking.
In Italian outbound tourism, this translates into: a holiday package, a tour, a flight + hotel purchased today, paid in several instalments. Imagine Marco and Laura choosing a trip to Australia planned two years ahead. They can pay a deposit, then install the remaining balance, perhaps without interest, thanks to a BNPL offer or a financial partner. This helps conversion (the customer doesn’t give up) and reinforces the operator’s trust (they receive the commitment).
From a regulatory point of view, in Italy, the subject is not yet considered traditional consumer credit, but we are seeing developments: for instance, in the case of BNPL, a recent article from Stripe notes that BNPL online transactions in Italy reached about €4.6 billion in 2023, equal to 6.5% of the online market.
In the travel context, this instalment approach is a strategic lever because travel has higher price points than buying shoes online: offering instalment payments or split payments can make the choice more accessible and attract a broader audience (including young people and families).
That said, split payment is not just “pay later”: it requires infrastructure, integration with financial operators, risk governance, and, for travel, specific considerations regarding cancellations or modifications. A trip can be changed, an excursion can be cancelled: the operator must handle reversals, responsibilities, and terms.
Digital Wallets in Travel: A Weightless Wallet for Italian Outbound
If split-payment concerns you when you pay, the wallet concerns how you pay. A digital wallet (e-wallet) is an app that allows you to store payment methods, cards, tickets, vouchers, and make purchases smoothly. In tourism, the wallet becomes a “travel companion”: booking, check-in, taxis, excursions, dining, all through an app.
In the Italian context, wallets such as PayPal, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay are among the most commonly used. For example, according to one source, “Digital wallets in Italy, including PayPal, PostePay, Amazon Pay and Google Pay, represent about 35% of online payments.”
In an article dedicated to the travel sector, it is highlighted that wallets:
improve the customer experience (fewer data to enter, less friction), reduce conversion costs for operators, and are ideal for mobility and multi-channel contexts (book on desktop, pay at the destination).
For an outbound traveller from Italy, the digital wallet offers an advantage: it overcomes common travel difficulties such as currency exchange, card limits, foreign fees, and even enables payments in local currency with an integrated wallet. Moreover, travel operators can use the wallet to integrate loyalty, discounts, vouchers, and upgrades: the customer card is no longer paper but digital.
An interesting case: in Italy, domestic wallets such as Satispay and Bancomat Pay are gaining ground and aim to become interoperable at the European level. This means that in the future we may see Italian wallets more widely “accepted” abroad, or that the payment experience will be smoother if the traveller uses a wallet already familiar at home.
Travel Payment Platforms Behind the Journey: ConnexPay, Revolut Business, Flywire and More
Before the flight, before the booking, before even choosing the destination, there is a payment that must work, a process that must flow smoothly. In a sector driven by speed, fluctuating currencies, distant suppliers and customers who want everything immediately, some platforms have begun to redesign this “backstage” so that payment becomes part of the experience, not an obstacle.
ConnexPay is perhaps the most radical of these solutions, because it brings together in a single gesture what in tourism has always been split in two: the collection from the traveller and the payment to the supplier. It is an immediate bridge, almost a digital relay, where money passes from one hand to another naturally, without friction. For those working with complex tours, multiple flights or suppliers scattered across three continents, this fluidity changes the rhythm of work.
Revolut Business, instead, speaks the language of simplicity. Multi-currency, digital cards, more transparent rates: everything in an app that gives the sense of carrying the company in your pocket. Many operators prefer it because it allows them to manage refunds, expenses and settlements without ever feeling “foreign” in any currency. It is an agile tool for those who travel, those who sell travel, and those who coordinate internationally moving teams.
Flywire is the answer to the longest trajectories. Those payments that must cross oceans, navigate conversions, intermediaries and diverse regulations. Its strength is making all this simple. More than a platform, it feels like a fast-flowing road between Italy and the world: from a hotel in Japan to an Australian university, from an African operator to a U.S. supplier.
Mize works on yet another dimension: optimisation. It uses intelligent, almost anticipatory logic to generate virtual cards, distribute payments and recover margins that would otherwise be lost. In tourism, where every percentage point matters, this ability to “let the numbers breathe” is invaluable.
Pliant is designed for companies that live on the move: flexible corporate cards, virtual, immediate. Those who must manage expenses for tour leaders, guides, operational staff or teams scattered worldwide find in Pliant a way to give autonomy without losing control. And that balance is rare.
Worldpay, finally, remains one of the global pillars of payment acceptance. It is the invisible network that enables the same traveller to pay with an Italian card at a hotel in Thailand, a restaurant in New York or an excursion in Patagonia. Its solidity is reassuring: in tourism, where the unexpected is always around the corner, this predictability is a value.
These platforms are not mere tools. For many operators, they are a sort of emotional infrastructure of the journey: what allows a payment to work and, therefore, a trip to exist. In the end, the journey begins here too, with an apparently technical gesture that opens the door to everything else.
BNPL in Travel: Buy Now Pay Later as a Lever for Holidays
BNPL is the method that allows you to buy now and pay in instalments, often without interest, over a short-to-medium time frame. In Italian outbound tourism, this method is emerging as an important lever for purchasing holidays, tours and travel experiences.
In the Italian market, the scenario is as follows:
BNPL is growing: in 2023, BNPL generated transactions of about €4.6 billion in Italy, as reported by Stripe.
Although it still represents a modest share (6.5% of the online market), it is characterised by a high growth rate.
According to one analysis, BNPL in Italy is growing at a compound annual rate (CAGR) estimated at around 26.8% by 2028.
In tourism, BNPL takes on a concrete role: a holiday package can cost several thousand euros, and offering the possibility to pay in 3–6 instalments without interest becomes a competitive advantage. Operators such as Klarna and Scalapay are already active in Italy.
For the traveller, this means: I look for a trip, choose “payment in 4 instalments”, confirm, and depart with peace of mind. For the operator, it means: higher conversion, immediate payment (for the BNPL operator), and risk transferred to the provider. For tourism, it means: democratising holiday purchases, attracting new segments (young people, families, aspirational travellers).
But caution is needed: BNPL also has regulatory and risk implications. In Italy, the implementation of the European CCD II directive (Directive 2023/2225) is underway, which will regulate BNPL with obligations on transparency, creditworthiness assessment and debtor assistance. In the travel context, it must be managed well: cancellation of a trip, refunds, or modifications imply that instalments must be handled in accordance with the new rules.
In short, BNPL is an increasingly important lever of flexibility in outbound tourism, with potential and regulatory attention.
Cross-Border Travel Payments: Beyond the Boundary of Currencies
It is not enough for an Italian traveller to pay well in Italy: at the moment of travel, they want payment at the destination or bookings from abroad to function without friction. And this is where the transnational dimension comes into play: international wallets, international BNPL, interoperable digital currencies and cross-border infrastructures.
Central banks, digital currencies and interoperability
On the front of the “currency of the future”, central banks and regulatory authorities are exploring interoperable digital currencies and multi-currency systems. For example, the Digital Euro initiative in the European Union, or the central bank digital currency (CBDC) trials in Asia. In Italy, the transition toward sovereign digital wallets is underway, such as the European wallet Wero (launched in 2024 by the European Payments Initiative—EPI) for instant euro payments.
For the Italian outbound traveller, this evolution could translate into:
• fewer currency exchanges or costly foreign payments,
• Italian wallets or payment methods that work directly abroad,
• “all-inclusive” experiences without worrying about foreign cards or hidden fees.
differences: Europe, USA, APAC
In geographical terms, here are some relevant differences concerning travel:
• Europe: a mature market for digital wallets and BNPL, with strong regulation and a push toward interoperable solutions. For example, Italy with Satispay/Bancomat Pay aims at European networks.
• USA: credit and debit cards prevail, wallets are handled by BigTech or fintechs, but BNPL adoption is slower in travel than in Europe.
• APAC (Asia Pacific): extremely widespread use of prepaid wallets, super-apps, QR codes and mobile payments, even among unbanked users. Local solutions dominate. This creates an interesting contrast: Italians travelling to Asia will find completely different payment ecosystems.
For an Italian travel operator selling packages in Asia, or for a traveller booking from home toward Asia, offering or having compatible methods is a competitive advantage.
Case study: Italy to the world, and the world to Italy
Let’s take a concrete example: an Italian tour operator offering a cruise in the Mediterranean and destinations in the Indian Ocean. To make it appealing to the Italian market, it offers: payment in 4 instalments with Scalapay, checkout with PayPal or Google Pay, and acceptance of Bancomat Pay as an option. In addition, thanks to an agreement with an acquirer, it allows travellers to pay the local port tax in foreign currency without hidden fees.
Meanwhile, the same operator must consider the inbound side: European tourists arrive in Italy and want to pay for excursions in Tuscany using local wallets with reduced cash. If the Italian operator has integrated interoperable wallets, QR codes and SoftPOS, friction is reduced and conversion increases.
Another case: an Italian online travel agency selling packages in Australia. It offers “book now, pay in 3 months” through BNPL; meanwhile, on the other side, the Australian destination accepts international wallets and avoids forcing the traveller to exchange currency or use a card with high fees.
These cases show that payment becomes an integral part of the travel product, not a simple afterthought.
Challenges for Travel Payments: Regulation, Risk and Interoperability
As with any major change, obstacles exist. Travel companies and Italian travellers will have to deal with various issues:
• Regulation and credit risk: as mentioned, BNPL will have to comply with new requirements under the CCD II Directive in Italy.
• Compatibility and interoperability: wallets and payment methods vary widely across countries and can cause friction. Even within Europe, wallet systems do not always communicate well with each other.
• Currency exchange and hidden fees: In outbound travel, using an Italian card abroad may lead to fees that digital travel does not automatically remove.
• Local infrastructures: in some emerging destinations (e.g., Asia, Africa), digital wallet adoption is high, but Italian travellers may not have those same solutions installed or supported.
• Consistent customer experience: arriving at the destination and finding non-functioning payment methods, unaccepted wallets or outdated terminals… all of this undermines trust and conversion.
• Security and fraud: digital payments require attention to compliance, strong authentication (SCA), data protection, especially in travel, where bookings, cancellations and refunds are involved.
• Customer education: many travellers are not deeply familiar with digital wallets or BNPL, or with instalment-based payment models. The operator’s role is also educational.
Strategic Vision: Payment as Part of the Travel Experience
In light of what we have seen, I propose several strategic directions for travel operators, destinations and travel marketing players:
Adopt a “local-global” payment strategy: offer wallets and methods familiar to Italians and compatible abroad. If selling toward Asia, include Asian wallets; if targeting the Italian outbound market, include Italian international wallets.
Integrate BNPL into the travel product: not just as an accessory option but as a tool to democratise holidays. Communicate clearly the terms, benefits and process.
Consider payment as a travel experience: the payment moment has symbolic value: it is the act that transforms the “holiday plan” into a “booked trip”. Make it smooth, reassuring, digital.
Invest in cross-border infrastructures and interoperable wallets: embrace solutions such as SoftPOS, mobile wallets, pan-European networks. Prepare for future digital currency models and interoperability.
Monitor regulatory and legislative trends: understand European directives, digital payment rules, BNPL norms, user privacy and security requirements.
Educate customers and internal teams: explain how payment works; train front-office and back-office teams to manage cancellations, changes, refunds in instalment or digital models.
Use payment data as a lever for marketing and experience: understand which wallet converts better, which BNPL drives more bookings, and where checkout abandonment occurs due to non-accepted methods. Use payments as insight.
Future perspective: the journey of payments will meet the metaverse of tourism
Looking ahead—and with a future-oriented approach, as we appreciate in Odissey Travel Magazine, we can imagine several scenarios that could further transform the relationship between payment and travel:
Sovereign wallets and digital currencies: with the adoption of the Digital Euro and other CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies), international monetary exchange will become smoother, less costly and more transparent. The Italian traveller arriving in a partner country will be able to pay directly from their digital wallet in euros or in the local currency, without worrying about exchange or foreign cards.
Embedded payment in the travel customer journey: imagine booking a flight, followed by choosing the hotel, the excursion, the restaurant, all in a single app, with an integrated wallet, with instalment payment selectable, and everything managed with a single digital account.
Predictive and personalised payments: thanks to AI, an operator can offer travellers in real time the most suitable payment options (e.g., “Would you like to pay in 3 instalments?”, “Use wallet X for a discount”, “Currency exchange locked at a favourable rate”).
Frictionless payments in new travel spaces: think of space tourism, travel in remote areas, pop-up hotels, digital nomadism: in these contexts, payments will be exclusively digital, global and instantaneous. SoftPOS or mobile wallet solutions will allow local suppliers, even without traditional infrastructure, to accept international payments.
Sustainability and inclusion: digital systems also allow the inclusion of under-banked users, the reduction of cash usage, lower transaction costs, and make travel more accessible.
Interoperability between digital identity and payment: with the upcoming EUDI Wallet (the European digital identity wallet), identity, payment and travel services could be combined into a single ecosystem: for example, customs control, taxi payment, and travel wallet all integrated.
In this scenario, those able to manage payment in a fluid, global, digital and human way will prevail. The journey is not only the destination: it is the experience, and it is also the way we pay, relate to the service, and live the moment.
The journey of payments—as much as the physical journey—is an experience that accompanies, guides, reassures and can transform. For the Italian outbound traveller, today there are more tools than ever: familiar digital wallets, BNPL that spreads the commitment, instalment solutions that open new horizons, cross-border systems that break down barriers. For the travel operator, this means rethinking payment not as a mere bureaucratic obligation but as an integral part of the value proposition.
The horizon is clear: in a few years, when an Italian books a trip on the other side of the world, they will no longer wonder “which payment method is accepted?” but rather “which payment method do I prefer to use?”, and that method will be accepted without friction. The wallet will follow like a travel companion, the instalment will align with the beginning of the holidays, and the rest will be pure discovery.
Ultimately, paying well is part of travelling well. And innovating in payments means innovating in tourism.
Stripe, Revolut, PayPal, WeChat Pay, Alipay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Klarna, Afterpay, Scalapay, Satispay, Bancomat Pay, Nexi, Visa Direct, Mastercard Send, American Express Pay, Adyen, Worldpay, Wise, Skrill, Payoneer, UnionPay, Pix, UPI (Unified Payments Interface), Mir, Paytm, GrabPay, GoPay, M-Pesa
