Singapore – Global travel platform Agoda has announced its partnership with Visa, to offer interest-free credit card instalments across its booking platform. To enjoy this benefit, Visa cardholders will simply need to enter their credit card details at the point of checkout. An instalment option will appear for eligible cardholders. Following this, travellers can select their preferred instalment period via Agoda’s mobile app and website, with no additional charges or fees.
Agoda will be the first global Online Travel Agency (OTA) to offer this payment option with Visa in the Asia Pacific region. These instalments can now be exclusively enjoyed by HSBC Bank Malaysia credit cardholders.
Thi-Mai-Linh Bui, CFOat Agoda, said that as the world transitions from a pandemic to an endemic state, there is great demand for digital-first experiences to accommodate for changing consumer behaviours and purchasing patterns.
“At Agoda, we are always looking for innovative ways to help people gain more accessibility – using technology to simplify the search, booking and payment processes. We are happy to be working with a global leader like Visa to empower travellers who might have previously found it inconvenient to pay for their booking in one lump sum, to spread their purchases over multiple payments – allowing for greater flexibility and peace of mind.”, said Bui.
In the coming years, Visa and Agoda will progressively roll out this offering regionwide to locations like Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines, each with respective issuing banks.
Conor Lynch, head of consumer solutions of Asia Pacific at Visa, commented, “The buy now, pay later trend is here to stay, so add instalments to the list of consumer expectations for speed, safety and convenience, even when they’re booking their holidays.”
“We’re excited for Agoda to join the growing list of businesses in Asia Pacific giving their customers the ability to pay in instalments. It’s particularly great to see instalment payments taking off in the travel industry at the same time people are getting their ‘revenge travel’ plans underway,” Lynch added.
