Customers will gain access to virtual card technology

WEX, a financial technology company, announced it has selected Sabre Direct Pay, a division of Sabre Corporation, as part of a strategic global partnership to enhance payment solutions for travel agencies and other travel intermediaries. Through this collaboration, Sabre Direct Pay customers will gain access to WEX’s virtual card technology, enabling a more secure and efficient payment process for travel-related purchases.

Sabre Direct Pay is Sabre’s dedicated travel payments hub, designed to help agencies and travel service providers streamline transactions through secure virtual card technology. This partnership with WEX — which currently works with eight of the Top 10 online travel agencies worldwide — will pave the way for a more seamless travel experience for travelers and accommodation partners on a global scale by simplifying transactions across multiple currencies, borders and time zones, according to the announcement.

Jason Hancock, general manager and vice president of global travel for WEX, said the partnership with Sabre “is driven by the need to equip travel suppliers and agencies worldwide with industry-leading virtual payment capabilities, so that they can continue to meet demand in this fast-evolving travel landscape.”

“Payment efficiency and security are more critical than ever,” said Hancock. By integrating WEX virtual cards into the Sabre ecosystem, he said, “we are empowering customers with flexible, scalable and reliable payment solutions that drive business growth.”

Patricio Boccardo, managing director of Sabre Direct Pay, said WEX’s decision to work with Sabre Direct Pay “reflects a broader shift we’re seeing across the industry — a move towards integrated, virtual payment solutions that are purpose-built for travel.”

“As more leading providers seek partners that understand the complexities of global travel payments,” he said, “we are proud to offer the scale, reach and expertise needed to support that transformation.”

WEX, according to the company, pioneered virtual payment solutions by building one of the first virtual card programs for travel in 2000. Today, said the announcement, WEX is a leader in travel and corporate payment solutions, with its corporate payments segment processing approximately $138 billion in total volume in 2024 — which includes purchases on WEX-issued accounts as well as purchases issued by others, but using a WEX platform — and yielding approximately $488 million in 2024 revenue.