Amadeus has launched an automated hotel billback system in conjunction with booking reconciliation specialist Conferma.
The partnership aims to cut out the manual processing by hotel booking agents that is involved in settling billback accounts.
Billback is a payment method whereby the hotel bills the company or its travel agency directly for the employees’ stay instead of the bill being settled on check-out. The method is preferred by companies with many occasional travellers or those without company credit cards.
The new system means agents using Amadeus no longer have to contact the property via phone, email or fax to make payment arrangements. Instead, Conferma will create a ‘virtual credit card’ at the time of booking which is automatically sent to the hotel to guarantee the reservation.
The virtual credit card number is included in the Amadeus booking, thereby ensuring consistent payment information. At check-out, the card is charged by the hotel and automatically reconciled with the TMC’s back office.
Hugo Ehrnreich, Amadeus’ head of hotel distribution, said: “Our automated billback support helps travel agencies and TMCs to eliminate intensive manual processing and achieve higher levels of efficiency and improved service to corporations and travellers.”
The system is available now to UK customers and a pilot scheme is underway in France.