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Conferma, the leading provider of virtual card technology for business travel, has expanded its global programme to eliminate fax, rolling out a full shutdown across Asia Pacific[1]. From 1st June, hotels across APAC[2] will no longer receive virtual card information via fax – regardless of where the booking originates.
The rollout significantly broadens the reach of Conferma’s fax phase-out, moving the industry beyond isolated regional change into a coordinated global transition.
The move removes one of the travel industry’s most outdated and error-prone processes. Industry data from 2025 indicates that close to half of fax transmissions don’t complete successfully, highlighting the limitations of legacy delivery and reinforcing secure, scalable digital delivery as the gold standard for virtual card payments.
Setting a new standard for virtual card delivery
As virtual card adoption accelerates, legacy delivery methods like fax can’t support the speed and scale of modern travel programmes. By removing them, Conferma is moving the industry to secure, high-volume digital delivery that is faster, more reliable, and easier to manage.
“This shutdown marks a definitive shift for corporate travel payments. What started as a regional transition is now scaling globally,” commented Stuart Davenport, Chief Product Officer at Conferma. “Fax has been a point of friction in the industry for too long. By eliminating it, we’re improving reliability and accelerating the move to fully digital, scalable delivery methods like Conferma Connect Direct.”
With fax formally retired, hotels will automatically transition to secure digital delivery methods. Email delivery will be applied as a default, with additional options available depending on a hotel’s operational needs, including:
- Encrypted email and third-party digital vaults, both of which provide a secure baseline alternative to fax.
- API-based delivery through Conferma Connect Direct which allows virtual card information to flow directly into hotel property management systems (PMSs).
These approaches reduce manual handling, minimise errors, and enable a more consistent and resilient payment process across the region.
Why this matters now
The shift to digital delivery addresses long-standing challenges associated with fax-based processes, including failed transmissions, manual rekeying, and time-consuming follow-ups between hotels and travel management companies (TMCs).
By eliminating these inefficiencies, digital delivery offers clear benefits across the ecosystem:
- For travellers: Smoother check-in with fewer payment issues at the front desk
- For hotels: Reduced manual handling and less time spent chasing failed payment delivery
- For TMCs: Fewer exceptions and less time spent on manual follow-ups
What hotels need to do
To ensure they continue receiving virtual card details without interruption, hotels must make sure they have a secure digital delivery method in place.
Hotels can register their property and review their communication preferences at www.confermaconnect.com.
About Conferma
Headquartered in Manchester, UK, 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. For more information, visit www.conferma.com
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[1] Full list of countries affected by the shutdown: American Samoa, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Fiji, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam.
[2] Excludes Tokelau, Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia which will be shutdown later in the year.