HBX Group and Mastercard announced the launch of a new virtual payment program designed to bring greater efficiency, flexibility and security to travel payments worldwide. HBX Group is a global independent B2B travel technology marketplace that owns and operates Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, The Luxurist, Roiback and Civitfun.

The initiative leverages the Mastercard Wholesale Program, a purpose-built virtual card solution that, according to the announcement, has been simplifying B2B payments across the travel ecosystem for over 10 years. By combining Mastercard’s global payment innovation and technology expertise with HBX Group’s deep understanding of travel operations, said the announcement, the two companies have created a smarter way for travel intermediaries to pay and get paid.

Utilizing virtual cards built for high transaction volume, multiple currencies and distributed operations, according to the announcement, HBX Group’s partners across the EU, UK and US can now process supplier payouts instantly, track and reconcile transactions automatically and benefit from enhanced cash flow visibility and fraud protection. Virtual cards also offer flexible financing and payment guarantee options, helping partners improve liquidity and reduce operational complexity.

Daniel Nordholm, CIO at HBX Group, said managing payments in travel remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Intermediaries, he said, often deal with multiple currencies, fragmented supplier networks and manual reconciliation processes that create inefficiencies and risk. By combining Mastercard’s global payment expertise with HBX Group’s deep understanding of the travel industry, said Nordholm, “we are creating payment solutions that are not only efficient and secure, but truly designed around the operational needs of our partners.”

Chiara Quaia, senior vice president, B2B Travel at Mastercard, said the program with HBX Group “is a major step towards digitizing the B2B travel industry and providing travel intermediaries with the speed, simplicity and security they have come to enjoy throughout much of their consumer lives.”