HBX Group and Mastercard have introduced a new virtual payment programme aimed at travel intermediaries operating across multiple markets.
The initiative brings together Mastercard’s Wholesale Programme with HBX Group’s existing B2B travel technology infrastructure, focusing on streamlining payment processes between intermediaries and suppliers.
The programme enables partners in the EU, UK and US to use virtual cards to settle supplier payments, manage transactions across several currencies and automate reconciliation. According to the companies, the system is intended to reduce reliance on manual processes and legacy payment methods that remain common in the travel sector. Features include transaction-level traceability, automated reporting and tools designed to improve cash-flow visibility while limiting exposure to fraud.
Virtual cards are integrated into a global travel network
HBX Group has integrated Mastercard’s virtual card technology into its global network, which connects tens of thousands of travel distributors with a wide range of accommodation, mobility and travel-related products across more than 170 countries. Through this integration, intermediaries can issue virtual cards designed to support high transaction volumes and distributed operations, allowing payments to be linked directly to individual bookings.
Representatives from HBX Group said that payment management continues to be a structural challenge for travel businesses, particularly where multiple currencies, fragmented supplier bases and delayed settlement cycles are involved. They noted that virtual cards can simplify these processes by replacing manual reconciliation with automated, booking-linked payments.
Mastercard officials described the programme as part of the company’s wider effort to digitise B2B payments in travel, an area that has historically lagged behind consumer payments in terms of automation and transparency. They added that intermediaries increasingly expect the same speed and control in B2B transactions that they experience in consumer-facing payment tools.
The virtual payment programme is a part of HBX Group’s strategy to expand its services beyond core travel distribution by incorporating financial technology solutions. While the current rollout covers Europe, the UK and the United States, HBX Group and Mastercard plan to extend availability to the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 2026, with Latin America expected to follow at a later stage.
