UATP, the global network that enables organizations to simplify payment processes and expand their payment capabilities, announced that HRS, the leading global corporate lodging and payment technology platform, is a new UATP Merchant. By joining the UATP network, HRS will be able to accept UATP payments for individual business travelers, meeting attendees, and crews, expanding their growth opportunities across UATP’s vast portfolio of corporate issuers and airline clients.
For UATP, the partnership with HRS represents its first foray into wide-scale hotel acceptance, UATP travel merchants and corporate account holders will have direct access to HRS’ unmatched array of business-travel ready hotels, many available with compelling corporate rates via HRS’ AI-infused platform. Perhaps more importantly, the partnership offers newfound synergies for UATP clients and merchants, as the integration of HRS provides them with invoice automation, billing and reconciliation from a singular provider. For typical corporate programs, this accounts for the vast majority of their total travel expenditures.
“We see a lot of synergies in our partnership with UATP,” says Alexander Olsen, Vice President Spend Management & Payment Consulting, HRS. “By joining forces, we’re creating a truly complete ecosystem for business travel, bridging the complexity of procurement and booking quality hotels with seamless payment and financial reporting. Our combination of innovative automation and hotel expertise also provides a new option for travel suppliers as they seek more cost-effective, streamlined lodging options for their global workforces.”
The companies announced the partnership one day before UATP’s Airline Distribution® 2025, beginning on Tuesday in Budapest. UATP Chairman, President & CEO Ralph Kaiser will host HRS CEO Tobias Ragge on stage on Wednesday March 19 to further discuss the new partnership.
As a member of the UATP Network, HRS can optimize a dynamic ecosystem of corporate account holders, Issuers and Merchants. For many businesses and corporate travel managers – HRS’ core market – UATP accounts are their preferred method of payment. With payment efficiency identified as a key component in driving program compliance and use of preferred hotel suppliers, the partnership enables UATP to be used for those payments and expand their footprint at a time of surging corporate travel demand.
“In their commitment to creating efficient, digital and positive experiences for corporate travelers and their embrace of technological innovation, HRS shares many of the same core values of UATP,” said Zach Ornelas, SVP Commercial, UATP. “HRS’ expertise, particularly when it comes to the automated payment processes that govern expedient payment to hotels from corporate enterprises, makes them the perfect partner for our expansion in the hotel and meeting sector. We expect a long relationship marked by extensive mutual benefit.”
Captains of Corporate Travel Come Together
HRS is a leading name in corporate travel. The company’s AI-powered platform technology covers procurement, booking and payment, giving corporate hotel program leaders complete worldwide visibility across every element of a hotel booking. The company’s automation enables real-time tracking of local and regional hotel trends, exposing savings and performance opportunities for transient, meetings and longstay segments. HRS lodging content offers the broadest inventory of GDS and non-GDS properties, and a broad collection of chain-direct and independent hotels.
These capabilities are complemented by UATP’s payment, transaction data, and settlement expertise. Both UATP and HRS provide corporate travel managers with access to customized and detailed reports, including Level III data, expense integration, automated billing and reconciliation, as well as improved cost controls.
