HRS Signs Global Partnership with Citi for Virtual Payment

Corporate lodging platform HRS has signed a global partnership with Citi to integrate Citi’s virtual payment product in HRS’ travel booking processes and help their corporate customers automate the lodging payment process.

Per the agreement, HRS is embedding Citi’s Virtual Card Account offering in 46 markets—including Brazil, China, India and Russia—into its travel booking processing, making virtual cards available to accommodation providers worldwide for payment. HRS can then collect, audit and provide hotel invoices to corporate clients with Level 3 data, which includes line-item data from the stay for ancillaries and other charges beyond the gross total and basic hotel information. Citi is providing billing and data capabilities to ease integration with accounting processes.

With the integration, joint customers of HRS and Citi will have access to detailed metrics on their program. For example, they can monitor onsite costs such as parking, food and beverage and resort fees and also get VAT data for reclaiming purposes.

“Ultimately, from a technology perspective being the enabler here, this is about ensuring there are minimal touchpoints which results in fewer issues and less chance for error and less pushback for users with the system,” said HRS payment solutions chief growth officer Kurt Knackstedt. “Our goal is to make the elements of the [payment] workflow as minimally invasive to the traveler as possible. But also from the finance department perspective, we want to reduce work for them and the quality of the information submitted through the travel process is increasing and it’s being done with less effort.” Formalizing the partnership with Citi, he said, allows HRS to offer this seamless workflow to more clients globally.

The partnership builds on collaboration that Citi and HRS already have been doing together with their mutual clients around the world. “Payment efficiencies drive an easier, more seamless experience for everyday business travelers while also advancing lodging program priorities that are vital to the C-suite,” HRS CEO Tobias Ragge said in a statement.

Virtual payment capabilities for hotel have taken a heightened priority during the pandemic, as they cut down on guest interactions with the front desk, limiting potential exposure points with close, in-person interactions, according to HRS.

Michael B. Baker  www.businesstravelnews.com