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Virtual cards have become standard in corporate travel. But until now, the industry has lacked a clear way to measure how reliably those payments are processed at hotel level.
Today, Conferma announces the launch of the Virtual Card Performance Index (VPI) — alongside its first global benchmark report — creating the industry’s first objective standard for hotel payment performance.
Built on real transaction data, the VPI moves the market beyond acceptance, introducing a measurable view of how virtual card payments perform in practice.
Industry adoption from day one
Leading Travel Management Companies (TMCs) including BCD, Clarity, and CTM are adopting the VPI at launch, embedding payment performance data into sourcing, booking, and servicing workflows.
As early adopters, these partners are helping to bring real-world application of the Index, ensuring it reflects real operational challenges across global travel programmes.
“As an early adopter of Conferma’s virtual card innovations, BCD is excited to bring customers the next evolution with VPI. We’ve learned and improved from the initial launch of the Virtual Card Acceptance Rating last year, and the industry’s understanding of virtual card payments has evolved considerably in recent years as well. With VPI, we now have a shared benchmark to help the industry measure and improve payment experiences at scale,” said Neil Fyfe, Vice President, Payment and Expense Solutions at BCD.
“This is the first time the industry has had a shared benchmark for payment performance. That changes how we evaluate suppliers, and how we deliver value to corporate travel programmes,” said Pat McDonagh, Chief Executive Officer at Clarity.
“Payment reliability directly affects traveler confidence, service efficiency, and the overall performance of a travel program. The VPI gives us objective data to identify friction before it becomes an escalation, make more informed hotel sourcing decisions and help our customers build more consistent, efficient programs,” said Ken Augustine, Regional Head of Technology, North America at CTM.
Making payment performance visible
Virtual card acceptance does not guarantee a frictionless payment experience. When payments fail, travellers feel it first, while agents and corporate buyers absorb the fallout.
The VPI addresses this by assigning each hotel a score from 1-10, based on how consistently payments are handled.
Scores are:
- Based on real transaction behaviour
- Measured at property level, with parent-group views layered on top
- Updated in a monthly rolling window to reflect performance over time
First benchmark report for the market
Conferma’s VPI benchmark report provides the first aggregated view of virtual card performance across the hotel sector. It highlights strong performers, variability across the market, and identifies the clear gap between acceptance and reliable execution.
“The industry has focused on acceptance. But acceptance doesn’t equal performance,” said Mark Ledsham, CEO at Conferma. “Visibility is the key to unlocking the real impact of reliable payments – and Conferma’s VPI gives the industry a clear, objective benchmark.”
From insight to advantage
For TMCs, corporates, and hotel groups, the VPI turns payment performance into a measurable commercial lever, helping reduce friction, improve programme outcomes and strengthen supplier decisions.
About the VPI
The VPI scores every eligible hotel from 1 to 10 (10 = best in class) using aggregated virtual card transaction activity across the global Conferma ecosystem, not surveys or stated policies. Each score combines two measures: payment delivery performance (how reliably virtual card payment details are delivered to and handled by the hotel) and payment completion consistency (how consistently those payments are successfully completed). Scores are calculated at property level, with parent-group views layered on top, and recalculated monthly using a rolling performance window. Eligibility requires a minimum of 5 virtual card transactions within the window.
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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