Guest Post: Why hotel checkin still breaks the business trip

Business travel has evolved. Flights are smoother, booking platforms smarter, and loyalty schemes more personalised. But one part of the journey hasn’t caught up: the hotel front desk. Despite years of investment in digital tools and travel wallets, check-in remains one of the most common and disruptive flashpoints for corporate travellers.

The challenge is rarely the room itself. It’s payment. Too often, business travellers are  asked for a personal card at check-in, even when the booking’s been paid for. The hotel hasn’t seen the payment details, the guest thinks it’s sorted, and the confusion starts. A few phone calls later, and the first impression is already soured. Given how much of the travel experience is now digital, it’s surprising how often hotel check-ins still come down to paper and crossed wires. Travellers are booking via apps, receiving real-time updates, and moving through airports with digital passes. But when they reach the hotel, the experience still relies on inconsistent, manual processes to handle the most critical detail of all: payment.

This isn’t just frustrating. It makes it harder for companies to stick to their travel policies, slows down how quickly payments get matched and processed, and puts unnecessary stress on the people doing the travelling.

In our Invisible Banks Report, nearly half (47%) of business travellers said they’d experienced issues at check-in. For 49%, these problems added stress before their trip had properly begun. More than a quarter (27%) said it left them feeling less prepared for work. A poor check-in experience doesn’t just affect perception, it can directly impact performance.

So why does this keep happening?

The root cause lies in how payment instructions are (or aren’t) communicated. In many cases, the booking system doesn’t send the hotel clear authorisation to charge a virtual card. Or the message is sent separately via fax, sometimes to a printer no longer in use. Staff on the front desk are expected to guess what to do, or re-key details under pressure, without a standardised process. 

It’s not about pointing fingers. The reality is, business travel still relies on a lot of moving parts. Legacy systems, and busy hotel teams doing their best with the tools they’ve got. But when things don’t join up properly, it’s the traveller who ends up stuck at the front desk.

The good news: it’s fixable. Across the industry, there’s growing recognition that payment and booking data must finally connect. When payment details are embedded directly into the booking record - automatically, securely, and visibly - check-in just works. The result? Fewer errors, faster reconciliation, and a smoother experience for both staff and guests.

The direction of travel is encouraging. Large hotel groups are already trialling and expanding API-led payment integrations. Travel buyers are asking sharper questions about the full guest experience, not just room rates. And virtual card adoption is growing steadily as businesses seek greater control, visibility, and security.

Modern payment technology makes it easy for hotels and travel managers to move on from legacy processes. Integrations fit smoothly into existing systems, backed by dedicated support at every stage. The result? A faster, simpler way to work but without the disruption

Fixing check-in might seem like a small operational win. But its impact is wide-reaching. In a sector under pressure to prove value, reduce costs, and protect traveller wellbeing, solving this single pain point could unlock disproportionate benefits, not just for finance and travel teams, but for every guest arriving after a long journey.

It’s time to move on from workaround culture. The technology is already there. What’s missing is consistency, and commitment. The industry has everything it needs to make seamless check-in a standard, not an exception. The question now isn’t can we fix it, but will we?