Strategic partnership to streamline payment solutions and elevate traveller experience, introducing over 40 new payment methods across 8 key Asian markets
Amsterdam, Netherlands and Hangzhou, China; January 15, 2025 – Booking.com, one of the world’s leading travel companies, and Antom, a leading merchant payment and digitisation services provider under Ant International, today announced a strategic partnership which will enhance the payment experience for Booking.com customers by integrating diverse payment options across key markets in Asia.
This partnership will enable Booking.com to deliver a more tailored customer experience while unlocking business opportunities across China’s Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines — markets with a combined population of approximately 680 million. Each market presents distinct challenges, including varying payment methods, currencies and regulatory frameworks. Antom helps global merchants like Booking.com navigate this complexity by leveraging its extensive payment channel partnerships and deep knowledge of local payment landscapes.
Antom has established local acquiring capabilities in over 40 countries and regions, enabling businesses to integrate hundreds of payment methods and supports transactions in over 100 currencies. It offers businesses seamless access to a diverse range of global payment options, including credit cards, e-wallets, and local payment solutions. By leveraging AI technology, Antom helps merchants enhance transaction security, optimise foreign exchange risk management, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency through real-time payments and blockchain solutions. Additionally, Antom provides digitisation and digital marketing solutions to support merchants’ business growth.
Booking.com is committed to making it easier to experience the world, with a smooth and seamless payment process being a key factor in enabling travellers to book with ease and confidence. Through its partnership with Antom, the digital travel platform will make over forty payment options available over time, including online banking, bank transfers, digital wallets and local card payments. Key mobile wallets such as AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), Boost (Malaysia), GCash (the Philippines), GrabPay (Singapore), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Naver Pay (South Korea), Touch’n Go eWallet (Malaysia) and TrueMoney (Thailand) will be the first to be introduced as new payment methods. This added flexibility empowers a wider range of customers to use their preferred payment methods, streamlining the checkout process and ensuring quicker, more seamless transactions – ultimately unlocking travel opportunities for more consumers across Asia Pacific.
By integrating Antom’s multi-currency offerings and cross-border settlement capabilities, Booking.com is empowering its global accommodation providers to expand user reach and optimise payment acceptance and reconciliation across diverse markets. This collaboration will especially benefit smaller properties and holiday rentals that may lack access to traditional payment infrastructures, enabling them to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.
Daniel Marovitz, Senior Vice President of Fintech, at Booking.com commented, “Partnering with Antom allows us to streamline and enhance the payment experience for our travellers across Asia Pacific, integrating a wider range of local payment options that align with regional preferences. This collaboration reflects our commitment to delivering a seamless travel experience from booking to checkout. We look forward to working with Antom to support local businesses and continue advancing a more connected, innovative payment ecosystem for travel.”
“We’re excited to partner with Booking.com to expand payment options, broaden customer reach across diverse markets, and support the platform in better serving the unique needs of each region,” said Gary Liu, General Manager of Antom, Ant International. “This partnership reflects our commitment to making payments more efficient and enabling merchants to unlock new growth opportunities in today’s dynamic landscape.”#
