Security concern raised over online travel transactions

More than half (62%) of consumers fear their security is at risk when purchasing travel over the internet, according to a new study,

Fifty five per cent rank security as the most important factor when making an online purchase, according to the research by payment solutions brand RBS WorldPay

While people are happy with purchasing small ticket products online, nearly a third (30%) feel more comfortable making a booking offline due to the large amount of money involved in the transaction.

In addition to security issues, the research also shows that technology failure halfway through the transaction process is a further bugbear of online travel bookers – cited as an issue by more than a quarter (26%) of those surveyed.

Furthermore, whilst travel businesses may not regard payments as an obvious contributor to customer service, nearly a quarter (22%) of consumers specifically says they want faster payment solutions when paying for travel.

When it comes to purchasing products offline, travellers are even more demanding.

Four in ten said they would like to see a future where we have just one piece of technology (e.g. a mobile phone) or one card to handle all payment transactions and four in ten (42%) said their lives would be much easier if they could pay for everything with cards rather than cash.

Half of those interviewed said they expect the UK to become a near cashless society by 2030.

The research also covered the future of payments within the travel industry, showing that consumers are already ‘future gazing’.

A third (29%) expect to soon pay for goods and services with automated face recognition and a quarter (24%) believe microdots will be inserted into hands to enable ‘wave and pay’.

The poll was based on the opinions of 110 decision makers and 1,000 consumers.

Ron Kalifa, managing director of RBS WorldPay, said: “This study clearly shows that consumers buying travel services and packages want to see changes in the way they pay – be it in speed or security, on or offline. Security fears could deter transactions, which often involve large sums of money.

“This is unnecessary when you consider that developments in card payment technology can give everyone peace of mind. Security shouldn’t be an issue for consumers or any travel business, regardless of size.”

He added: “Travel companies that consider new types of technology and adopt them where relevant will be among those that secure a competitive edge in the future.

“The efficiency of transactions plays a major part in the overall customer experience so improvements in this area can prove invaluable, particularly in the current economic climate.”

by Phil Davies