ARC Brings Alipay Payment Option to Travel Agency Channel

ARLINGTON, Va., July 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) is pleased to announce that it is now offering airlines the ability to accept Alipay as a form of payment for tickets sold through the travel agency channel. Alipay is a mobile and online payment platform based in China with more than 500 million users. ARC's new offering to agencies is made possible by its partnership with Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP).

"Alipay is widely recognized as one of the largest payment platforms in the world, and as people from China travel to the U.S. they want to use their preferred payment method," said Chuck Fischer, ARC's managing director of airline services. "For airlines that choose to accept Alipay, ARC now provides the means to extend this payment platform to the agency channel. ARC continues to work with UATP to enable other payment options for airlines and agencies that can be easily integrated into their revenue accounting systems."

As airlines and online travel agencies seek ways to enhance the customer experience, providing payment options that are familiar and seamless is key to gaining and retaining those customers. ARC anticipates that its airline and agency customers will desire to accept Alipay in the very near future. And when they are ready, ARC will be ready to support them.

"Customer demand for Alipay, and other payment options continues to grow and we want to fulfill that demand," stated UATP's VP of Business Development, Tom Cunningham.  "Having the agency channel ready for Alipay acceptance is crucial; naturally, working with ARC is fundamental to meet this demand."

About ARC:
The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) is the premier driver of air travel intelligence and commerce in the travel industry with leading business solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial management tools and high-quality data. In 2017, ARC settled $88.5 billion worth of airline ticket transactions for more than 7,000 travel agencies with 12,000 points of sale. Established in 1984, ARC is an ISO 27001 certified company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Louisville, Kentucky, Tampa, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.arccorp.com and www.twitter.com/arctalk. Have you registered for TravelConnect? October 11-12, 2018 | National Harbor, Md., www.arctravelconnect.com. #TravelConnect2018

About UATP
UATP is a global payment solution owned and operated by the world's airlines and accepted by thousands of merchants for air, rail and travel agency payments. UATP connects airlines to Alternative Forms of Payment which can expand reach and generate incremental sales globally. UATP offers easy-to-use data tools, DataStream^SM and DataMine^SM, which provide comprehensive account details to Issuers and Corporate Subscribers for accurate travel management.

Accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies and Amtrak®; UATP accounts are issued by: Aeromexico; Air Canada (TSE: AC) Air New Zealand (ANZFF.PK); Air Niugini; American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL); APG Airlines; Austrian Airlines; China Eastern Airlines (NYSE: CEA); Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL); EL AL Israel Airlines; Etihad Airways; Frontier Airlines; GOL Linhas aereas inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4); Hahn Air; Japan Airlines (9201: JP); JetBlue Airways; Malaysia Airlines; Qantas Airways (QUBSF.PK); Shandong Airlines;  Sichuan Airlines; Southwest Airlines; Transavia Airlines; TUIfly GmbH; Turkish Airlines (ISE: THYAO); United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) and WestJet. AirPlus International issues the UATP-based Company Account for Lufthansa German Airlines.

©2018 Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.

SOURCE UATP; Airlines Reporting Corporation

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