Virtual card provider Conferma has entered a strategic collaboration with GroundSpan to support simplified, virtual payments for ground transportation. In a bid to support corporates in paying for ground transportation with virtual cards, Conferma and GroundSpan joined forces and are set to enable the centralisation of additional payment types within travel programmes.

This aims to expand virtual card utilisation past core hotel and air payments. By embedding the API integration in Conferma’s virtual card platform, corporates receive the ability to pay one bill every month to a single card issuer, thus optimising the payment process by merging hotel and ground transport spending, while end users’ experience does not change. In addition, the decision to forge this partnership between Conferma and GroundSpan was based on customer demand for ground transportation integration. According to Conferma’s officials, delivering the new functionality via GroundSpan is set to meet the need for a ground transportation virtual card capability, which has been requested by customers.

The collaboration also builds on the preexisting benefits provided by virtual cards for hotel payments. Conferma is committed to simplifying payment processes and the current API integration intends to further support this by assisting corporates and business travellers. Corporates are set to be able to leverage their existing virtual card accounts for a different element of the business trip, with the integration working towards enabling all costs of voyages to be paid through virtual cards. More information about Conferma and GroundSpan’s partnership The announcement follows a three-month pilot, resulting in nearly 5,000 bookings via the GroundSpan platform.

Representatives from a technology and entertainment company that participated in the pilot highlighted that the GroundSpan booking and management tool in collaboration with Conferma payments offers their firm the protection needed when travellers book global ground transportation vendors. The company also mentions that the process is convenient due to not requiring additional work for bookers in comparison to conventional credit card payments. Furthermore, GroundSpan underlined its allegiance to providing advanced data protection and security to customers, with the partnership with Conferma further supporting its practices. As GroundSpan can connect corporates and TMCs with their preferred vendors worldwide by leveraging legacy forms of payment, the company can now deliver the options of Conferma virtual cards and improve its solutions and customer experience.

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