Ecommpay releases UK OTA payment strategies report

Major names examined to reveal learnings

With highest cart abandonment in e-commerce at 81.7%, analysis reveals how smarter payment design could help unlock an estimated £16.5bn in revenue

Payments platform, Ecommpay, has published a new benchmark report that analyses payment strategies of the UK’s top 10 online travel agencies (OTAs). 

The report, Payment strategies of leading UK travel companies, revealed where leading brands are excelling and where the next wave of revenue gains will come from for travel merchants across the sector.

It assessed the verified 2025 payment stacks of Booking.com, Airbnb, TUI, easyJet Holidays, Expedia, Jet2holidays, On the Beach, Lastminute.com, Travel Republic and Loveholidays. 

It identified best-in-class innovations by the players and highlighted critical gaps that continue to cost the sector billions in lost bookings.

The travel sector’s cart abandonment rate remains the highest in e-commerce, at 81.7%, with 37 of drop-offs directly tied to payment issues, from lack of trust to insufficient payment options or card declines. 

Optimising payments represents an estimated £16.5 billion in recoverable revenue for the UK travel industry.

The benchmark revealed several shared traits among the highest-performing travel brands.

It found mobile-first payment experiences matter most and leaders that prioritise digital wallets and frictionless mobile flows will directly addressing travel’s significant mobile conversion gap.

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and instalment options are now standard among top OTAs and global OTAs differentiate by offering local payment methods.

Open banking is gaining momentum and early adopters are already benefiting from lower costs, stronger authentication, and fewer false declines.

Finally, payment flexibility strengthens brand trust. From low deposits to interest-free plans, leading OTAs use payments to reinforce customer confidence and not just process transactions.

“Travel businesses can no longer afford to treat payments as back-end plumbing,” said Roy Blokker, head of strategic sales at Ecommpay.

“Our analysis shows that the leading OTAs are already turning checkout into a strategic product. 

"The brands that follow suit will see substantial gains in conversion, trust and customer lifetime value," he said.

"There are clear opportunities for travel brands to increase approval rates, reduce abandonment and ultimately boost revenue.”

Blokker added: “At Ecommpay we are enabling OTAs to modernise their payment stack without complexity. 

"Whether it’s improving mobile conversion, adding new payment methods or launching instalment plans, we help travel brands turn payment strategy into measurable growth.”