Ascend Winter 2019 | Page 33

I t seems like every month a data security breach on an enterprise scale makes headlines. Companies are searching for ways to protect their financial data, and virtual payments offer an easy solution. According to Gabe Rizzi, President at Travel Leaders Corporate, “Virtual payments are coming up in nearly every dialogue we have with existing customers and new prospects about how they can implement a virtual card strategy within their travel program to really insulate against security threats.” With a virtual payment, you get a unique credit card number with each reservation, making the transaction virtually bulletproof. Data security is a serious and ongoing issue. Major cybersecurity breaches like the one that hit Equifax in 2017 can affect over 100 million people. But even small-scale data breaches can expose names, addresses, email addresses and credit card information, which can be devastating for a small or medium-sized business. Once personal data is stolen, employees become vulnerable to phishing emails that can swiftly compromise an entire company. How can you move quickly to protect your company’s financial integrity? A virtual credit card solution is a good defense against emerging dangers and additionally offers users control, convenience and security. A virtual payment system produces single-use credit cards with a 15-digit card number that work the same way plastic credit cards do. Reliable Payments While the convenience of a virtual payment solution is attractive to many business travelers, when you’re standing at the hotel check-in desk, it can be less appealing. The actual use of a virtual or one-time payment for hotel rooms has been rated difficult to impossible by many business travelers. The technology hasn’t been able to reach all the way from the booked itinerary to the front desk. When there’s no physical card to produce and a fax isn’t cutting it, you have to rely on a travel manager to clear up any issues. That’s where Conferma comes in. Travel Leaders Group and Conferma have partnered to provide virtual transactions that allow companies to pay hotels around the world before their employee walks into the lobby. The virtual cards they power are accepted anywhere a plastic card is accepted—and in any currency. Conferma payments are accepted by travel merchants in 197 countries and are held within a reservation from initial booking to final transaction. Elevating the Art of Business Travel 33