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April 03, 2026
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May 14, 2026
Payment Challenges for Travel Agencies
Travel agencies manage high-volume transactions across multiple suppliers, but traditional payment systems no longer support their speed or scale. For many agencies, card payments have become a major source of cost.
Payment Challenges
- High Card Processing Fees → Agencies lose from 2% to 4% of each booking to card fees.
- Chargebacks and Friendly Fraud → Disputes often result in lost revenue, even when services are delivered.
- Delayed Payouts → Settlement delays of several days disrupt cash flow and hinder financial operations.
- Fraud and Compliance Risks → Lack of strong authentication increases exposure to fraud and regulatory complexity.
Global merchants paid over €149 billion in card fees in 2023, with travel among the most impacted sectors. Agencies regularly lose from 2% to 4% per transaction to a combination of card fees, acquirer charges, and hidden fees. These costs are often non-transparent; what appears to be a simple transaction can end up passing through 3–4 separate parties, each taking a cut. For example, on a €2,000 booking, an agency might pay €70 or more in card-related costs.
Chargebacks are a growing issue in the travel sector, as customers often reverse their payments for personal reasons. In the first half of 2023, chargeback losses in the EEA reached €2.0 billion. Even when the agency fulfills its duties, it’s often left absorbing the loss.
Additionally, settlement delays create cash flow issues. Payments made by card can take several days to clear, making it harder to pay suppliers or confirm time-sensitive bookings.
Agencies are now looking for safer and more efficient payment methods, and that is where FLIQA comes in.
Fliqa Benefits for Travel Agencies
- Lower Payment Costs → Transparent pricing with fees up to 50% lower than traditional card payments.
- No Chargebacks → Account-to-account payments eliminate chargeback risks.
- Real-Time Settlements → Funds are transferred instantly or within hours.
- Built-in Fraud Prevention → Every transaction includes Strong Customer Authentication.
- Compliance-Ready → FLIQA supports full compliance with PSD2, AML, and KYC regulations across EU and global markets.
FLIQA equips travel agencies with a modern payment infrastructure, designed to simplify the entire financial flow. With FLIQA, customers complete their bookings using secure Pay-by-Bank transfers, which remove card fees and eliminate chargebacks.
Payments settle in real time or within hours, meaning agencies no longer have to wait days to access their funds or confirm reservations.
FLIQA reduces costs, as it uses a transparent model with costs that are up to 50% lower. The same €2000 transaction, as mentioned before, would cost as little as €14, saving up to €66, compared to card-based systems. Over thousands of bookings, these savings translate into substantial gains.
One of FLIQA’s key advantages is the complete removal of chargebacks. Because transactions occur outside of traditional networks, there is no chargeback mechanism to exploit. Combined with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), this reduces the risk of fraud. At the same time, FLIQA helps agencies remain fully compliant with financial regulations like PSD2, AML, KYC, and GDPR, without burdening internal teams.
Travel Agencies can now offer a smoother, more transparent payment experience for both travelers and suppliers.
