UTRECHT, The Netherlands – BCD Travel, in partnership with global payments leader Conferma, today launched the travel industry’s first Virtual Card Acceptance (VCA) Rating. The new system gives business travelers and travel managers unprecedented visibility into hotel payment reliability. With corporate virtual card adoption set to triple by 2030 according to Vantage Market Research, the launch builds on the expanded BCD–Conferma partnership, reinforcing their shared focus on seamless, data-driven payment innovation.
The VCA Rating evaluates hotels based on successful virtual card processing, scoring properties on a one to 10 scale. Integrated across BCD platforms, it enables:
- Travelers and agents to filter search results by virtual card acceptance for a frictionless experience.
- Travel buyers to benchmark suppliers and make data-driven negotiation decisions aligned with program goals.
Why it matters now
As business travel increasingly moves toward digital, frictionless payments are no longer optional — they’re expected. Virtual cards have become a cornerstone of modern expense management, offering speed, security, and simplified reconciliation. The VCA Rating is powered by the live transactional data captured through Conferma Connect, providing a single source of truth for hotel payment reliability across currencies, banks, and chains.
Delivering real world benefits
Conferma’s virtual card technology — powered by Conferma Connect — underpins the VCA Rating by automating payments and centralizing hotel expenses. The rating is driven by transactional data captured directly through Conferma Connect, reflecting each hotel’s real-world performance when processing virtual cards. Hotels must be enrolled in Conferma Connect to receive a score, ensuring results are based on verified payment activity rather than manual reporting. Properties with API integrations – Conferma Connect Direct – naturally achieve higher scores, demonstrating the operational benefits of deeper automation.
By making payment acceptance transparent, it helps travel managers and travelers make smarter, more seamless booking decisions. For example, travelers no longer need to manually report hotel charges, while travel buyers can identify and prioritize suppliers that consistently provide frictionless payment experiences.
True transformation requires more than technology—it requires transparency, trust, and collaboration across the entire payments ecosystem. Our VCA Rating is a pivotal step, giving customers actionable insight to streamline operations and build traveler confidence. This new feature advances our commitment to building a connected, secure and scalable payment infrastructure for the future of business travel. Neil Fyfe, Head of Payment Solutions at BCD
Our partnership with BCD reflects a shared commitment to modernizing business travel. By making virtual card acceptance transparent, we’re moving the industry toward an intelligent, interoperable ecosystem—one that benefits buyers, travelers, and suppliers alike. Stuart Davenport, Chief Product Officer at Conferma
The VCA Rating is available globally to BCD customers currently leveraging virtual cards. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.
About Conferma
Conferma is the global leader in virtual payment technology for business travel. Its platform connects 90+ global banks and 90,000+ hotels to power secure, scalable payments that eliminate friction and modernise corporate travel. For media queries, please contact [email protected].
About BCD Travel
BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 15,000+ dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. BCD’s leading meetings and events management and global consultancy services complete our comprehensive suite of solutions for all aspects of corporate travel. In 2023, BCD achieved US$20.3 billion in sales. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.
