White Paper covers practical insights for travel intermediaries to navigate the complexities of cross-border B2B travel payments

1. Cross-border complexities. Dealing with multiple currencies and regulatory environments can be complex and costly for travel intermediaries. Cross-border transactions, in particular, can incur expensive processing fees and administrative costs.
2. High transaction costs. High transaction costs associated with cross-border B2B travel payments pose a significant challenge to travel intermediaries. These costs become particularly financially burdensome due to the high volume of transactions and the multitude of foreign exchange mark-ups when facilitating payments across multiple pay-out corridors.
3. Inefficiencies in payment processes. Traditional payment methods such as automated clearing houses (ACH), billing and settlement plans (BSP), Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), and cash expose OTAs, TAs and TMCs to financial risks as they are slow and error prone. Many travel intermediaries still rely on outdated practices like manual data entry for invoicing and payments, or inefficient methods such as calling and faxing for direct hotel billing—both of which increase the likelihood of errors and slow down the entire payment cycle.
4. Security concerns. Handling large volumes of financial data comes with inherent security risks, especially for travel intermediaries dealing with sensitive payment information across multiple platforms. Cyber threats are a constant concern, with a significant percentage of businesses experiencing fraud attempts each year.
5. Challenges in meeting regulatory compliance. The travel industry is heavily regulated, and maintaining compliance across different regions presents significant challenges. Non-compliance can lead to fines and penalties, which adversely affect the bottom line. Keeping up with regulatory changes and implementing necessary measures is essential to avoid legal and financial repercussions.
6. Difficulties in data management and reporting. Effective data management is crucial for travel intermediaries seeking to make informed decisions and remain competitive. Inadequate systems can lead to errors, missed opportunities, and ultimately, poor business performance. A common issue in the industry involves fragmented data systems that prevent businesses from obtaining a unified view of their financial and operational performance.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About SUNRATE

SUNRATE is a global payment and treasury management platform for businesses worldwide. Since its inception in 2016, SUNRATE has been recognised as a leading solution provider and has enabled companies to operate and scale both locally and globally in 190+ countries and regions with its cutting-edge proprietary platform, extensive global network, and robust APIs.

With its global business headquarters in Singapore and offices in Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, and Shanghai, SUNRATE partners with the top global financial institutions, such as Citibank, Standard Chartered, Barclays, J.P. Morgan and is the principal member of both Mastercard and Visa. To learn more about SUNRATE, visit https://www.sunrate.com/