The interchange opportunity for travel merchants – turning payments into an advantage
ES
Estera Sava
04 Nov 2025 / 8 Min Read
Travel payments are characterised by complexity, and merchants operating in this ecommerce vertical are facing unprecedented challenges and missing out on significant revenue opportunities.
In a recent conversation between Noman Burki, Global Head of Payment Operations at CellPoint Digital, and The Paypers’Raluca Constantinescu, a critical yet often overlooked aspect of merchants’ payment strategy emerged: interchange optimisation. Noman brings his expertise and shares why travel merchants should prioritise this often-neglected area of their payment operations.
Travel payments: why are they so complicated?
Noman identifies the challenges that make travel payments particularly complex. Unlike other verticals, travel merchants grapple with high-value transactions, extensive cross-border payments, and significant volumes of refunds and chargebacks. The complexity extends to compliance and regulation issues, FX considerations, various merchant category code assignments, and settlement and reconciliation difficulties.
Interchange optimisation: is it truly an important aspect for travel merchants?
Noman highlights why interchange optimisation should be higher on travel merchants' agendas despite being often overlooked. He looks at why rates fluctuate by region, card type, funding method, and transaction environment, and explains why these variables, rarely transparent, result in merchants overpaying.
Payment orchestration: the key to supporting interchange optimisation efforts
How can one unlock interchange optimisation opportunities? Noman says through payment orchestration: a ‘one-stop’ solution for intelligent transaction routing, data analytics, merchant category code management, and simplified FX and settlement processes. By leveraging data-driven insights and operational efficiencies, payment orchestration platforms enable merchants to navigate complex payment ecosystems and benefit from the lowest possible interchange rates while maximising approval rates.
Key Takeaways
Travel merchants face unique payment complexities, including high-value cross-border transactions, frequent refunds, and intricate compliance requirements that make interchange optimisation particularly valuable.
Interchange and scheme fees represent a significant hidden cost, with rates varying by region, card type, transaction type, and multiple other factors that require expert navigation.
Small percentage improvements in interchange rates can generate substantial revenue gains due to the high transaction volumes in the travel industry.
Payment orchestration platforms provide the essential infrastructure for interchange optimisation through intelligent routing, data analytics, and operational efficiencies
The future of payments will be shaped by AI integration, offering merchants new opportunities to optimise their payment ecosystems and reduce costs.
Conclusion
Noman’s insights reveal that interchange optimisation represents a critical yet underutilised opportunity for travel merchants. As the payment industry continues its rapid evolution with new players and AI technologies entering the space, merchants who invest in payment orchestration and interchange optimisation will be strategically positioned to capture hidden revenue and maintain a competitive advantage.
The interview is a must-watch for all those wanting to discover how to succeed in the travel ecosystem.
About the author
With over 15 years in payments, Noman Burki serves as Head of Payment Operations at CellPoint Digital, having previously driven strategic impact at Worldpay, Visa, PayPal, and Elavon. A director of pricing and interchange, he’s known for saving companies money through data-driven innovation and forward-thinking leadership. Outside work, Noman enjoys football, tennis and horse riding, and is always fuelled by a love for numbers and continuous improvement.
About CellPoint Digital
CellPoint Digital is a global fintech leader in payment orchestration and optimisation for the airline, travel, and hospitality sectors. Its One Source Orchestration Platform supports modern ‘Offer-Order-Settle-Deliver’ (OOSD) models, enabling merchants to unify payment experiences, accelerate new payment options, increase conversions, and reduce costs. With offices in Copenhagen, Dallas, Dubai, London, Miami, Pune, and Singapore, CellPoint Digital powers intelligent, scalable payment ecosystems worldwide.
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