UATP Broadens Hotel Acceptance with HRS Merchant Agreement

UATP has added corporate lodging and payment platform HRS as a UATP merchant, giving the network its first "widescale" acceptance in the lodging sector, the companies announced.

As a UATP merchant, HRS now can accept UATP as a form of payment for business travel and meetings booked through its platform. HRS is providing invoice automation, billing and reconciliation to UATP.

"By joining forces, we’re creating a truly complete ecosystem for business travel, bridging the complexity of procurement and booking quality hotels with seamless payment and financial reporting," HRS VP of spend management and payment consulting Alexander Olsen said in a statement. "Our combination of innovative automation and hotel expertise also provides a new option for travel suppliers as they seek more cost-effective, streamlined lodging options for their global workforces."

UATP long has been broadening its acceptance scope beyond air, including use for payment in such categories as rail and travel management company fees. Its first merchant in the hotel space was La Quinta, from which it began accepting charges in 2010 for its client Wal-Mart. Working directly with hotels, however, is a challenge due to the widely used franchise model for most major hotel companies. 

"HRS’ expertise, particularly when it comes to the automated payment processes that govern expedient payment to hotels from corporate enterprises, makes them the perfect partner for our expansion in the hotel and meeting sector," according to UATP SVP commercial Zach Ornelas. "We expect a long relationship marked by extensive mutual benefit."