Whether you operate a small-scale travel agency or an international tour company, you first need to build your online presence. Having an intuitive travel website racked up with all essential travel services should be your #1 priority.
Now, to make sure that your customers find your services and purchase them directly from your website, you need a proper online booking system with payment integration.
So, how can you do this?
It’s simple — just get yourself a fully-fledged website with the best travel plugin out there. After that, see for the payment gateway extensions to incorporate on your travel website.
The payment gateway is the service that enables your travel website to accept debit or credit card payments in real-time. This advanced system serves as a link between you and your merchant account for processing the payments securely.
In the travel business, having a proper payment gateway system on your website is a must. It eases the whole booking and reservation process for your customers. It further makes your website authentic and trustworthy, which significantly scales your business.
As we already mentioned that it is easy to integrate a payment gateway on your travel website, it is time for us to prove our words to you.
In this article, we will demonstrate a live example of how you can integrate a payment gateway in travel websites using the WP Travel Engine plugin.
Besides, we have made this article more detailed by including the factors to consider before choosing the best payment gateway and some of the standard payment gateway services available.
Now, let’s get underway!
Why Do You Need An Online Payment Gateway?
In this day and age, almost every travel and tour company operates on a digital platform. Hence, it is crucial for them to have an online system where their customers can easily book and pay for their favorite adventures.
An online payment gateway is a service enabling those online payments. In general, an online payment gateway allows your clients to complete the transaction securely. It quickly approves or declines payments and authorizes fund transfers from your customer to your travel agency.
The benefit of the online payment gateway integration on your travel website is it offers you the ability to accept payments 24/7. Whether it’s late at night or during Sundays when banks are closed, your customers can still book a trip and pay for it instantly using this system.
Apart from that, here are a few reasons why you need an online payment gateway:
Offers Better Cash Flow
An online payment system provides a better cash flow for your business. With this system, your customers can complete both the booking and payment processes at the same time. This feature saves you from having to wait for the payment days after the trip is booked.
Besides, the online payment gateway allows you to offer discounts to your customers for prompt payments. You can also arrange a flexible payment schedule for bigger transactions using the online payment gateway. Similarly, you can come up with different cancellation policies and inform your customers about them from the beginning.
Instant Payments
An online payment gateway means that you can immediately approve or deny payment. You no longer have to stress about your customers delaying the payment for different travel packages, as it allows you to set up proper payment policies upfront.
More Secure Way to Conduct Business
An online payment system offers minimal risk of credit card scams or fraud — offering more security and ramping up your business activities. Similarly, the payment gateways protect your customer’s information and data, building trust amongst your customers.
Different Types of Payment Gateways
The following are some of the popular extensions of payment gateways that you can integrate on your travel website:
1. PayPal Express Checkout Payment Gateway
PayPal Express Checkout Payment Gateway is one of the best payment integration extensions for travel websites. It allows you to accept trip and travel payments via PayPal Express.
PayPal Express is one of the most popular payment gateways which is available in almost every country. With this payment method, your customers can buy products and services without providing their shipping and billing details. It ensures top-notch security when it comes to the customer’s personal information and payment details.
You can easily enable the PayPal Express Checkout system to book a trip by setting up a PayPal Express Account with key details like PayPal Secret and Client ID.
Once the customers are ready to checkout with the PayPal account, they can simply click the PayPal Checkout button. It will redirect your customers to the checkout page straight away. Before the customer returns to your travel website, all billing activities are carried out on the PayPal Express checkout page.
2. Authorize.net Payment Gateway
Authorize.net is a US-based payment gateway service provider that allows merchants to accept credit cards and electronic check payments through the website and an IP connection. As a travel agency operator, you can integrate the Authorize.net Payment Gateway extension on your website to accept credit cards directly through the account.
You can use this extension with the WP Travel Engine plugin on your website. When using this extension, your customers can enter their credit card details on the checkout page without leaving your website. This delivers a much better user experience and user convenience, ultimately increasing your website’s sales and conversion.
3. Stripe Payment Gateway
Stripe Payment Gateway is another payment extension for your travel website to carry out online transactions. It enables you to accept credit cards directly on your website via Stripe.com account.
With Stripe Payment Gateway, your customers can enter their credit card details on the checkout page without leaving your website. It simplifies the booking process and ensures the best user experience. Similarly, this easy-to-use tool boosts your website’s sales and conversion.
Stripe payment is available in many countries. However, to integrate Stripe into your website, you should use an SSL certificate. The pages that include a Stripe payment form should have prefixes https://.
4. PayU Money Payment Gateway
With the PayU Money Payment Gateway extension, you can give your customers the best payment experience with multiple payment options. This extension allows you to accept travel and tour payments through one of the leading financial services from India, PayU Money.
If you run a travel company, you can easily enable the PayU Money Payment Gateway for booking holiday trips by setting up the PayU Money Account. The account requires key details like Merchant Key and Merchant Salt.
Whenever your customers book a trip from your website via PayU Money Gateway, the payment page pops up on the website itself, ensuring a redirection-less payment experience. It offers your customers a seamless checkout experience as the extension supports different payment modes like credit cards and debit cards.
5. PayHere Payment Gateway
Another popular payment extension, PayHere Payment Gateway, allows you to accept trip and travel payments via one of the famous merchant services, PayHere.
You can enable the PayHere booking system on your travel website for trip bookings. For that, you just need to set up the PayHere Account using primary details like Payment Merchant ID and PayHere Merchant Secret.
Whenever your clients want to make an online transaction through the PayHere Payment Gateway, they get redirected to your merchant account on PayHere. Here, they will have to log in and make the payment. PayHere then handles all the transactions and redirects your visitors to your website.
6. PayFast Payment Gateway
PayFast Payment Gateway extension operates under South Africa’s popular merchant service PayFast. This extension works seamlessly with the WP Travel Engine plugin. With this tool, you can easily accept online transactions via PayFast on your travel website.
You can enable this payment system for hotel booking, trip booking, or airline tickets by setting up the PayFast Account with key details such as Merchant Key and Merchant ID.
When travelers visit your website and book a trip via PayFast, they get redirected to your merchant account. There, they need to log in and make the payment. Once the transaction is completed, your users are automatically redirected to your website.
7. Midtrans Payment Gateway
Midtrans Payment Gateway is yet another payment extension supported by the WP Travel Engine plugin. It enables you to accept online payments for travel packages via Midtrans — one of Indonesia’s most popular merchant services.
Similar to other payment gateways, the Midtrans payment system allows you to book holiday packages, hotel rooms, and airline tickets by setting up the Midtrans Account. While setting up the account, you need to include key details like Merchant ID, Client Key, and Server Key.
Whenever your clients book a trip through the Midtrans Payment Gateway, they get redirected to your merchant account on Midtrans to make the payment. Midtrans takes care of all the transactions and redirects your visitors back to your website.
Steps To Integrate Payment Gateway In Travel Website
Adding a payment gateway to your travel site is not that difficult if you are a WordPress user. There are several WordPress travel plugins specifically designed to help you integrate the online payment system into your website.
This article will guide you to add Authorize.net Payment Gateway to your travel website through the WP Travel Engine plugin. This payment extension enables you to accept credit cards directly on your travel website via the Authorize.net account.
Keep in mind, you require the Authorize.net API login id and transaction key to use this payment gateway.
Now, let’s go through the step-by-step process to integrate a payment gateway in a travel website. You can either follow the video or the below steps to integrate Authorize Payment gateway using WP Travel Engine:
First, install the WP Travel Engine plugin on your WordPress.
You can download the plugin zip file using the link below:
“https://wptravelengine.com/downloads/wp-travel-engine/”
Once you finish downloading the file, head into your WordPress admin dashboard and redirect to Plugins -> Add New from the left sidebar.
Once you are redirected to the new window, click the Upload Plugin button to continue.
Consequently, click on the Choose File button, then select the zip file of the plugin you downloaded a while ago.
Once you select the file, click the Install Now button to install the plugin on your WordPress.
Once you finish installing the plugin, click the Activate Plugin button to complete the process.
Upon activation, you can find the WP Travel Engine plugin right at the left sidebar of your WordPress dashboard.
Now, hover over it and click on Extensions to find the payment gateway extension for your website.
Since we are demonstrating how to add Authorize.net Payment Gateway on your travel website, click the Get the Extension button placed right below the Authorize.net Payment Gateway.
Following this, it will redirect you to the extension download page, from where you can purchase the selected extension.
After downloading the payment gateway extension, upload the folder to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
Now, activate WP Travel Engine – Authorize.net Payment Gateway from the Plugins menu within WordPress.
Once you activate the extension, you need to redirect to WP Travel Engine -> Settings -> Payments on the left sidebar.
After that, click on the Authorize.net tab to continue.
Here, you need to enter the valid API login id and transaction key from Authorize.net. Once you do it, click the Save & Continue button at the bottom right corner.
There you go! You have successfully integrated the Authorize.net Payment Gateway on your travel website.
How To Choose A Payment Gateway For Your Travel Website?
From the service charge to security and customer experience, there are a few key factors you should consider while choosing a payment gateway for your travel website. The following are some important factors in bullet points:
- Before picking a payment gateway for your travel website, you must check whether your website hosting supports the merchant service or not.
- Payment services may take up to a few weeks to a month to set up a merchant account and payment gateway system. So, always look for a payment gateway provider willing to sign up without a merchant account for quick service.
- Before getting a payment gateway for your travel website, it is crucial to plan your budget. You should always know the cost of the identified payment gateway before moving ahead.
- Security should be your top priority while finalizing the payment gateway for your travel website. With the cases of data breaches increasing these days, your travel website must ensure transaction security to build trust among your clients. For that, you need the best security with your payment gateway.
- Before you pick a payment gateway for your travel website, you must keep user experience in mind. The payment system must integrate properly with your website. Further, it should offer an intuitive interface for your customers to ease up their payment and transaction process.
- When picking a payment gateway for your travel website, look for maximum currency support. Plus, some countries use different credit or debit cards. Hence, you should thoroughly check what types of cards are accepted and if it is likely to affect the user experience.
Conclusion
A perfect payment gateway allows your travel website to accept credit card payments from your customers in exchange for your travel services. Payment gateways ensure secure online transactions as they are designed to protect your customer’s confidential information and data.
We hope this comprehensive guide on integrating payment gateway in travel websites helps you set up your payment system on your website. Integrating a proper payment gateway makes your travel business a lot more professional, easy to use, and reliable.
On the other hand, if your website uses the best WordPress travel agency theme, you don’t need to purchase these payment gateways separately. Almost all of the travel agency themes already support different payment gateways.
Please kindly share your thoughts on the entire payment gateway integration process in the comments section below!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does a payment gateway work?
A payment gateway has an essential role in processing and authorizing the payment or transaction between merchants and customers. It encrypts sensitive information of your customers and payment details, including the credit card number. The system guarantees that all the sensitive data passes securely between merchants and customers.
First, a client places an order on the website by submitting the payment order. Then, the merchant transfers the order information to the payment gateway. The customer can use the preferred payment method to carry out the transaction. The transaction is then sent for authorization by the issuing bank or card.
Upon completion of the transaction, the payment gateway sends a message to the merchant.
Is it possible to build my own payment gateway?
Technically, yes!
However, it can be costly to create your payment gateway system right from scratch. It is much better to opt for a custom platform that offers you the services without breaking your bank.
Investing in a custom platform will result in long-term performance and an optimized product that meets your needs.
What is the main difference between a payment gateway and a payment processor?
Both payment gateway and payment processor are termed as two key links in the payment processing chain. The only difference between these terms is that a payment processor facilitates the transaction, whereas a payment gateway communicates the approval or refusal of transactions between customers and merchants.
