TOKENIZATION |
Google Wallet ’ s mobile payment system offers guests a simple tap-andgo purchasing process . |
|||||
|
To fight hackers , vendors are featuring tokenization in payment-processing applications .
Tokenization renders captured credit-card data worthless for hackers , as the data is replaced by indecipherable coding before being transmitted . This makes hotel data networks less desirable targets , as currently hotel data systems store credit-card data for longer periods of time than a typical retail outlet , for example .
Hotel Technology Next Generation ( HTNG ) says “ tokenization is a security solution component particularly well-suited to the hotel industry ,” and the HTNG Secure Payments Framework for Hospitality , released in 2013 , supports all known variations of tokenization .
However , even the largest hotel companies have struggled with tokenizing payments processed via third-party business entities . To help this , the framework ’ s goal is to take tokenized payment information that originates from a system that uses one tokenization scheme and move it to a system that uses a different tokenization scheme through interface standardization set up for managing tokenized data .
|
MOBILE PAYMENT SYSTEMS While RFID bracelets help theme
parks and resorts track guests ’ on-property spend , other types of hotels have struggled to find a way to accurately track on-property spending for charges not billed to the guestroom .
In addition to eliminating the need for guests to bring credit cards or cash , mobile payment systems like Google Wallet could be the missing link between on-property purchase transactions and hotel loyalty programs . With this in mind , Omni Hotels & Resorts , Dallas , hooked up its loyalty program Select Guest with Google Wallet in December 2013 .
|
“ BEST WESTERN ’ S GOAL IS TO GET TO ONE-CLICK MOBILE BOOKING , AND OUR GOOGLE WALLET INTEGRATION IS THE NEXT STEP .” – DOROTHY DOWLING , BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL
|
Google Wallet it also being used by hotel companies to simplify the booking process . Best Western International , Phoenix , Arizona , introduced Google Wallet integration for booking on its brand . com mobile site and Best Western To Go application , adding a “ Buy With Google ” button . “ Best Western ’ s goal is to get to one-click mobile booking , and our Google Wallet integration is the next step in simplifying the booking and payment process ,” says Dorothy Dowling , senior vice president of sales and marketing .
Given the amount of investment in developing mobile payment software by companies such as PayPal , expect more innovation ahead in this sphere .
|
|||
48 HOTELS June 2014 www . hotelsmag . com |