SOUTHLAKE, TX — In the last 12 months the number of virtual cards issued through Sabre Virtual Payments has grown 150% globally.

And while virtual cards have been primarily used to pay for hotels, Sabre customers now have the ability to pay for air tickets, ancillary sales, service fees, credit card fees and rail services through Sabre Virtual Payments, providing corporations with all the booking and payment details in one place.

“We have invested significantly in a virtual payments solution that can be integrated in the Sabre Red Workspace,” said Clinton Anderson, senior vice president of Traveler Experience for Sabre Travel Network. “We’re now focused on further integrating this growing technology with GetThere, our online booking solution, and TripCase, the travellers’ itinerary management app. We are excited about the efficiencies it will bring agents and corporate travel managers, as well as the value this will bring to a business traveller’s overall experience.”

The ability to generate unique card numbers for each travel event reduces exposure to fraud, helps corporations manage travel program compliance, and saves valuable time during the reconciliation process, says Sabre. Sabre Virtual Payments allows corporations to control the exact dollar amount and allowable expenses of any single transaction. And with a virtual card, only merchants to whom the virtual card is issued can bill to the account, delivering more fraud protection and increasing travel policy compliance.

To address agency needs in this process, Sabre now offers Sabre Virtual Payments Ticketer, a software application that augments the fulfillment tasks and charges the same virtual card used for the air ticket when clients buy associated seats and bags, charge service fees or add incremental credit card fees to the transaction.  The product integrates Sabre Virtual Payments with air carriers that require immediate ticketing, also known as Guaranteed Ticketing Carriers.

“By introducing virtual cards with specific credit limits, merchant category controls and date restrictions, customers can rest assured that their payment is secure,” said Neil Fyfe, vice president – virtual payments for Sabre Travel Network. “Today our expansion into rail applies to Amtrak reservations, but there are plans to extend Sabre Virtual Payments for European rail later this year. These ongoing expansions support our global initiative to provide virtual cards for any travel supplier, extending our customers protection from fraud.”

Sabre processes more than US$120 billion of estimated travel spend annually.