Outpayce and IATA Partner to Bring Account-to-Account Payments to Airlines

Outpayce, a travel payment solution provider, has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to enable airlines worldwide to accept account-to-account (A2A) payments, as highlighted in The Fintech Times. Through this partnership, airlines will now be able to process payments made via IATA Pay through Outpayce’s Xchange Payments Platform (XPP).

The collaboration addresses the growing demand for lower-cost payment methods, while enhancing the customer experience for travellers. A2A payments offer an alternative by allowing passengers to pay for air tickets directly from their bank accounts. This payment method has gained popularity globally, supported by initiatives such as UPI in India, Ideal in the Netherlands, PIX in Brazil, and QR Ph in the Philippines. IATA Pay is already available in over 30 countries.

Jean-Christophe Lacour, SVP and head of product management and delivery at Outpayce, emphasized the company’s commitment to expanding payment options for the travel industry: “We’re committed to helping travel companies accept the widest possible range of payment methods through a single connection to XPP, and IATA Pay represents an interesting new option for the industry.”

The integration of A2A payments allows travellers to select their bank or use a QR code at checkout, depending on their location. IATA handles the payment transfer and settles the funds with the airline the following day.

Juan Antonio Rodriguez, IATA’s director of financial settlement operations, highlighted the benefits for airlines: “The trend towards account-to-account payments is gaining more momentum. It provides a seamless experience for passengers and an attractive option for airlines to lower the cost of payment acceptance.”

Additionally, the new self-service APIs launched by Outpayce in 2024 make it easier for payments and fintech companies to integrate with XPP, increasing choices for travel companies. Anna Isabel Bengzon, CFO of Philippine Airlines, praised the new system: “Outpayce’s XPP system helps us to intelligently accept a wide range of payment methods… Moreover, we can access various payment methods and partners through XPP, with detailed analytics on the performance of payment flows.”