CellPoint partners with PayU to expand travel payment options

By Gloria Methri

CellPoint Digital, a provider of payment solutions for the airline industry, has announced a strategic partnership with PayU GPO, a premier payment services provider (PSP) in emerging markets.

The partnership aims to increase the payment options available to travel merchants that work with both companies. The move would ensure more seamless entry into new regions with PayU GPO’s localised offerings and alternative payment methods (APMs). PayU GPO operates across over 50 emerging markets, with a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

Its expertise will extend CellPoint Digital’s capacity to support travel merchants in expanding their regional footprints with greater ease and efficiency. CellPoint Digital merchants have already committed to using PayU GPO, and integrations are underway.

Through the partnership, merchants will benefit from the APM Hub serving as a centralised hub for contracting and onboarding, whilst gaining access to PayU GPO’s streamlined services, high approval rates, and swift payment processing.

CellPoint Digital’s merchants will, through a single integration, gain access to various market-specific options offered by PayU GPO, including alternative payment methods (APMs), which are popular in emerging markets where traditional methods are less prevalent.

In 2022, APMs accounted for 39% of Latin America’s digital commerce volume. Through the PayU GPO partnership, merchants with a presence or plans to expand in the region can offer cash vouchers, a widely used APM in Latin America.

Similarly, thanks to PayU GPO’s partnership with PSE, CellPoint Digital merchants will be able to offer Colombian travellers without a credit or debit card the option to pay directly from their bank accounts.

“CellPoint Digital is a perfect partner for us to establish a strong foothold in the aviation sector. We anticipate significant interest from its merchants, who see alternative payment methods (APMs) as a key to breaking into emerging markets, where our expertise lies,” said Michiel Knoester, Partner Manager EMEA at PayU GPO.

“APMs are the future, particularly in Latin America and other high-growth emerging markets. PayU GPO has all the right credentials to help us expand APM offerings and enable our merchants to capitalise on localised payment solutions that better meet their needs,” added Andy Sale, Head of Partnerships at CellPoint Digital.