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Conferma, the global leader in virtual card technology for business travel, and BCD Travel, a leading global travel management company, have today announced the expansion of their long-standing strategic partnership. This enhanced collaboration will accelerate the integration of virtual payment solutions across the travel value chain and deliver greater automation, visibility, and control for corporate travel programmes.
The expanded partnership represents a shared investment commitment to enhance technology integration and co-develop new functionality tailored to BCD client needs—underscoring a shared commitment to driving value through seamless payment solutions.
BCD have also committed to increasing their investment internally in this area over the next few years, with a view to enable new payment capabilities, promote continued innovation, and enhance the travel experience for its global travel base.
Advancing automation and hotel payment innovation
As part of the partnership expansion, BCD will continue to broaden Conferma’s hotel payment automation capabilities, including their integrations to hotel property management systems. This also enables automatic invoice intake of virtual payment across BCD’s client ecosystem, streamlining reconciliation and reducing manual work for travellers and finance teams alike. BCD will significantly increase their investment in this area over the next several years, to enable new payment capabilities, promote continued innovation, and enhance the travel experience for its global client base.
This marks an evolution in the payment landscape for managed travel,” said Yannis Karmis, SVP Product and Development. “By investing in this partnership, we’re furthering our commitment to building seamless, secure, and scalable payment solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients and the industry at large.”
“This partnership will place a strong emphasis on the hotel segment, which we know is a critical component of many of our clients’ travel programs,” said Neil Fyfe, Head of Payment Solutions. “Thanks to an increased integration with our hotel partners, we’ve seen an increase in card acceptance and folio collection percentage rates, expanding the data integration directly into our spend management platform – simplifying reconciliation and enhancing insights for our clients.”
“This partnership reflects a shared vision to remove friction from business travel,” said Jason Lalor, CEO at Conferma. “We’re bringing together world-class technology, scale, and deep travel expertise to drive smarter, more efficient payment experiences across air, hotel and beyond.”
The rise of virtual payments amid growing global travel spend
Global business travel spend is set to exceed US$1.8 trillion by 2027,[1] with corporate travel payments playing a pivotal role in facilitating seamless travel experiences while maintaining financial oversight.
As travel spending grows, so does its complexity—driving the demand for more control and efficiency. This shift is accelerating the adoption of virtual payments, which are expected to grow at a 20% CAGR globally through 2030.[2]
Virtual cards provide enhanced security, timely spend visibility, and simplified reconciliation—features that are becoming essential for travel managers and finance leaders seeking to optimize budgets and maintain greater control over spending.
A shared commitment to the future of travel payments
Conferma and BCD Travel have collaborated since 2011, with BCD clients among the earliest adopters of virtual card payments. The expanded agreement represents a renewed, future-focused commitment to innovation in a sector undergoing rapid digital transformation.
This partnership aligns with both companies’ goals to empower clients with frictionless, end-to-end payment experiences that remove administrative burdens, mitigate fraud risks, and improve compliance.
As travel and finance leaders face growing pressure to do more with less, BCD and Conferma are delivering the technology and trusted expertise to make it possible.
About Conferma
Conferma is the global leader in virtual payments, connecting businesses, issuers, and suppliers to streamline and secure transactions. Its technology underpins virtual card issuance for banks, travel management companies, and enterprises worldwide.
About BCD Travel
BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 15,000+ dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. BCD’s leading meetings and events management and global consultancy services complete our comprehensive suite of solutions for all aspects of corporate travel. In 2024, BCD achieved US$22.9 billion in sales. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com
References:
[1] GBTA, Business Travel Index Outlook, 2023
[2] Juniper Research, Virtual Cards: Key Use Cases, Emerging Trends & Market Forecasts 2023–2030, 2023