Why More Payment Options Leads to More Web Direct Sales
In today's digital age, people expect to have a choice of payment methods, so it's important to keep up with the times and offer a variety of options. Read on to find out how accepting alternative payment methods like PlanPay could benefit your hotel and revolutionize the booking experience for your guests.
In the hotel and travel industries, web direct sales are vital to success. Studies have shown that offering multiple payment options can increase sales – one study showed by +30%. As hotels welcome more travelers back in their doors this year, it’s important to give your guests a great booking experience and the payment options they need. Here's a closer look at why this is the case.
It All Comes Down to Convenience
At the end of the day, people want things to be as convenient as possible. And when it comes to paying for a hotel stay, that means having multiple payment options available.
Think about it from your own perspective. If you're booking a hotel room and you see that there's only one way to pay, you might hesitate. But if you see that there are multiple ways to pay—including your preferred method (maybe that’s your credit card for frequent flyer points, PayPal for extra security, PlanPay for layby holidays, etc) —you're more likely to go ahead and book the room.
The same is true for your guests. Different people prefer different payment methods so by offering multiple options, you're making it easy, and quicker, for them to pay in a way that's convenient for them. As a result, they're more likely to book directly with your hotel — rather than going through a third-party website — which ultimately leads to more revenue for your property.
It's Important to Keep Up With the Times
In today's digital age, people are used to having multiple payment methods available to them. That's why it's so important for hotels to keep up with the times and offer guests a variety of different ways to pay.
If you're not sure where to start, consider adding some of the following checkout options:
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- PayPal
- PlanPay
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
By offering a mix of traditional and alternative payment methods, you'll make it easy for more guests to pay in a way that's comfortable for them.
And when guests are comfortable, they're more likely to book direct with you—which is good news for your bottom line.
Accepting Many Payment Methods Can Speed Up the eCommerce Process
In a survey by Shopify more than 70% of the consumers surveyed said the checkout experience is their biggest pain point. Speed and convenience are important when shopping online so looking at ways to offer a faster, more convenient, and more enjoyable booking experience will improve your web direct bookings.
Credit cards and cash are no longer the most popular payment methods for most shoppers. Digital wallets and other alternative payment methods are increasingly popular, particularly with younger generations so offering more checkout options can increase your sales and improve your customer satisfaction levels.
A New, Revolutionary Payment Method Has Just Launched
RoomStay is excited to be the launch partner with PlanPay and Ovolo Hotels, offering hotels guests digital layby holidays.
PlanPay is a new payments platform giving people power over how they pay by allowing them to book hotels and experiences, and pay off in flexible instalments before they travel.
There are many benefits for hotels by offering PlanPay as a payment method including:
- Greater payment method options for guests, which usually leads to greater direct bookings and revenue.
- Help drive longer book to stay, length of stay and larger average order value because the customer can book now and pay later.
- Payment is made prior to arrival.
- Competitive advantage versus the OTAs, who don’t offer this payment method.
RoomStay is the first to build this integration technology to power the travel industry into this exciting new world where hotels can increase direct bookings by offering PlanPay, and customers can book now and pay off in instalments before they travel at no extra cost to them.
If you want to increase web direct sales and revenue at your hotel/s offering multiple checkout options is essential. Guests appreciate being able to pay in a way that's convenient for them so offer a variety of payment methods which you think suits your hotel audience. You'll make it easy for them to book directly with your property and boost your bottom line in the process.
