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
Inclusive global payments platform, Ecommpay, has published a comprehensive benchmark report analysing the payment strategies of the UK’s top 10[1] online travel agencies (OTAs). The report, ‘Payment strategies of leading UK travel companies’, reveals where leading brands are excelling and where the next wave of revenue gains will come from for travel merchants across the sector.
The report assesses the verified 2025 payment stacks of Booking.com, Airbnb, TUI, easyJet Holidays, Expedia, Jet2holidays, On the Beach, Lastminute.com, Travel Republic and Loveholidays. It identifies best-in-class innovations and highlights 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%[2], with 37%[3] 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 reveals several shared traits among the highest-performing travel brands:
- Mobile-first payment experiences matter most – The leaders prioritise digital wallets and frictionless mobile flows, directly addressing travel’s significant mobile conversion gap.
- Affordability drives bookings – Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and instalment options are now standard among top OTAs, helping convert high-value trips and reduce abandonment.
- Localisation wins international customers – Global OTAs differentiate by offering local payment methods that build trust and improve cross-border conversion.
- Open banking is gaining momentum – Early adopters are already benefiting from lower costs, stronger authentication, and fewer false declines.
- Payment flexibility strengthens brand trust – From low deposits to interest-free plans, leading OTAs use payments to reinforce customer confidence—not just process transactions.
“Travel businesses can no longer afford to treat payments as back-end plumbing,” commented 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. There are clear opportunities for travel brands to increase approval rates, reduce abandonment and ultimately boost revenue.”
Ecommpay supports leading online travel agents with more than 100 alternative payment methods, mobile-first checkout flows, open banking, BNPL integrations, carbon-offsetting checkout options and market-leading chargeback management.
Roy 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.”
