Tokenisation in hotel booking workflows
An Italian channel manager wanted to reduce the handling of card details in its own systems. Complior built a tailored service for the booking flow.
Card data in several places
When a hotel booking travels from a travel portal through a channel manager to the hotel, sensitive information can pass through several systems. In March 2019, an Italian channel manager described how it reduced its direct handling of card data without building a new hardware environment itself.
A token replaced the card information
Complior received the booking message and replaced the card information with a token before forwarding the message. Card details were handled in a separate environment. Through the designated process, the hotel could access the details when required for payment.
The service was adapted with APIs so the customer could integrate the workflow without developing the entire solution or installing an equivalent server environment itself.
Access to card details, connections and responsibilities for the tokenisation service need to be included in the PCI DSS scope assessment.
Less exposure, clearer responsibilities
Replacing card data with tokens reduced the amount of sensitive information in the channel manager's normal workflow. It created a clearer separation between booking functions and the handling of payment data.
The tailored service allowed the channel manager to change its payment flow while continuing to focus on booking management.
Sources and further reading
Sources reviewed .