Junior Real Time Analyst

Centara unveils Global Payments alliance. Digital tie-up targets international guests PUBLISHED: 8 Oct 2026 at 06:26 NEWSPAPER SECTION: Business Ask Bangkok Post anything What payment solutions does Global Payments offer to Centara Hotels? How has Global Payments improved hotel booking experiences in Thailand? Why did Global Payments expand its cross-border payment services in Thailand? Global Payments Inc has expanded its cross-border payment capabilities in Thailand through a partnership with Centara Hotels & Resorts (CHR). .aratneC ot gnidrocca ,seitreporp iahT s'aratneC ssorca sremotsuc lanoitanretni dna lanoitan gnitroppus ,seitilibapac tnemyap redrob-ssorc rewop ot stnemyaP labolG rof sllac pihsrentrap ehT .seirtnuoc 21 ssorca seitreporp 39 sreffo RHC ,rotarepo letoh gnidael s'dnaliahT .noitneter dna noitcartta remotsuc srednih ytixelpmoc tnemyap redrob-ssorc erehw slacitrev levart emulov-hgih yfitnedi ot ygetarts aisA redaorb 'stnemyaP labolG srorrim pihsrentrap ehT .ynapmoc eht deton ,ni-kcehc letoh ot gnikoob thgilf morf ecneirepxe remotsuc sselmaes a gnireffo ,yenruoj rellevart lanoitanretni lluf eht snaps won taht erutcurtsarfni stnemyap a setelpmoc oiloftrop rentrap dnaliahT 'stnemyaP labolG ot noitidda sihT .eunever laer dnaliahT ni stnahcrem levart tsoc sredrob ssorca sdnuf gnilttes fo ytixelpmoc eht dna ,sdohtem tnemyap lanoitanretni rof troppus detimil ,tuokcehc ta noitcirf ycnerruC .stekram emoh rieht yb depahs snoitatcepxe tnemyap dna seicnerruc tnereffid htiw gnivirra hcae ,raey tsal srotisiv ngierof noillim 33 ylraen democlew dnaliahT .sgnikoob tcerid rof ecnereferp a gnitacidni ,setisbew letoh hguorht yltcerid emoc won noiger eht ni sgnikoob letoh fo %53 ylraen swohs hcraeser yrtsudni ,aisA tsaehtuoS ni sgnikoob letoh fo %96 rof tnuocca )sATO( seicnega levart enilno elihW .stnemyaP labolG deton ,rotaitnereffid yek a sa sevres ecneirepxe tnemyap sselmaes a gnivah ,stifeneb ytlayol dna seicilop elbixelf ,secirp retteb fo ruovaf ni sATO gnissapyb trats srellevart sA .mrif stnemyap eht dias ,ytlayol sdrawer dna desilacol si taht yenruoj remotsuc a rof erised gnivird era srotcaf esehT .tuokcehc ta noitatiseh reyub ni gnitluser spmub deeps eht era setar noisrevnoc detcepxenu dna ytilitalov egnahcxe ngierof ,worg ot gniunitnoc gnidneps redrob-ssorc htiW .sremotsuc htiw pihsnoitaler gnikoob tcerid a edivorp dna ecneirepxe tuokcehc eht nwo ot aratneC selbane erutcurtsarfni tnemyap 'stnemyaP labolG .skcol etar dna secruos xerof elbailer gnirugifnoc yb dna ,sepyt tnemyap 002 dna seicnerruc 351 ssorca gnicirp ycnerruc-itlum gnilbane yb snoitatcepxe eseht sserdda taht seitilibapac sreviled pihsrentrap ehT .ynapmoc eht dias ,6202 fo retrauq htruof eht ni seitreporp dnaliahT s'aratneC ssorca ecnemmoc ot detcepxe era mroftalp wen eht no snoitcasnarT .ybbol letoh ot etag erutraped morf rellevart lanoitanretni eht swollof taht erutcurts detcennoc ,sselmaes a gnitaerc puorg letoh tnenimorp tsom sti fo noitidda eht htiw ,sreirrac gnidael s'yrtnuoc eht htiw spihsnoitaler dehsilbatse sah stnemyaP labolG ,oga shtnom 21 tekram iahT eht gniretne ecniS .koob yeht reverehw ecneirepxe tuokcehc sselmaes a dna dohtem tnemyap derreferp ,ycnerruc nwo rieht dnif ot tcepxe won srellevart dias ,stnemyaP labolG ta cificaP-aisA esirpretne fo dael evitucexe ,drofmoP lihP .dias eh ",sdnarb ytilatipsoh detcepser tsom s'aisA fo eno ot noitulos redrob-ssorc nevorp ruo dnetxe ot duorp era ew ,srentrap enilria labolg ruo yb decaf segnellahc emas eht gnisserddA" .srellevart lanoitanretni s'yadot fo snoitatcepxe eht steem taht ecneirepxe tnemyap dna gnikoob sselmaes a reviled ot ti swolla stnemyaP labolG htiw gnirentrap taht dias ,RHC fo evitucexe feihc ,tavihtarihC htuyarihT .dias eh ",yats rieht skoob tseug a tnemom eht snigeb taht ytilatipsoh ssalc-dlrow gnidivorp ot dna noitavonni ot tnemtimmoc s'aratneC serocsrednu noitaroballoc sihT" .seicnerruc dna sepyt tnemyap fo sderdnuh ,seirtnuoc 571 naht erom ssorca yllaunna snoitcasnart ni noillirt 7.3$SU ylhguor seganam stnemyaP labolG Exclusive online content.

Global Payments expands Thailand travel network with Centara. Tue, 6th Oct 2026 (Today) Global Payments has partnered with Centara Hotels & Resorts to provide cross-border payments across the hotel group's Thailand estate, extending its travel payments network in the country. Centara operates more than 92 properties across 10 countries, and the agreement covers its hotels in Thailand. The arrangement is intended to support domestic and international visitors as hotels manage a wide range of currencies and payment preferences. Thailand's tourism market provides the backdrop to the move. The country welcomed 32.97 million international visitors in 2025, according to Global Payments, while travel businesses have faced lost sales linked to currency conversion issues, limited support for overseas payment methods and the difficulty of settling funds across borders. The partnership also reflects a shift in how travellers book accommodation. Online travel agencies account for 69% of hotel bookings in ASEAN, but Global Payments cited industry research showing that nearly 35% of hotel bookings within Southeast Asia now come directly through hotel websites, as travellers seek better prices, more flexible policies and loyalty benefits. That trend has increased pressure on hotel operators to improve payments on their own sites. Foreign exchange volatility and unexpected conversion rates can deter customers at checkout, particularly in cross-border transactions where buyers want familiar payment options and prices in their own currency. Under the new arrangement, Global Payments will provide multicurrency pricing in 153 currencies and support 200 payment types. It will also configure foreign exchange sources and rate locks for Centara's Thailand properties. Transactions on the platform are expected to begin across those hotels in the fourth quarter of 2026. The tie-up also adds the hotel segment to payment relationships Global Payments has already established with airlines in Thailand, extending its reach across more of the traveller journey. Travel focus Global Payments has been expanding its travel business in Asia by targeting sectors where cross-border payments are more complex. In Thailand, that strategy has focused on high-volume travel categories where payment issues can affect customer acquisition and retention. With Centara added to its local partner base, Global Payments says its payments network in Thailand now stretches from flight bookings to hotel stays. That gives the group a broader role in the tourism sector as it seeks to handle spending by international travellers from departure through to accommodation check-in. Global Payments manages about $3.7 trillion in transactions each year across more than 175 countries, according to the company. It works across hundreds of payment types and currencies, giving it a broad footprint in international commerce. Centara is one of Thailand's best-known hotel operators, with a portfolio spanning domestic destinations as well as markets including the Maldives, Vietnam, Japan, Nepal, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Its brands range from luxury and upscale properties to more affordable lifestyle hotels. Shifts in booking patterns have increased the importance of direct payment systems for hotel groups. As travellers increasingly bypass third-party travel agents in favour of booking direct, the checkout process becomes more central to whether a hotel can win and retain business online. Phil Pomford, Executive Lead, Enterprise APAC, Global Payments, said: "Travellers now expect to find their own currency, preferred payment method and a seamless checkout experience wherever they book. Addressing the same challenges faced by our global airline partners, we are proud to extend our proven cross-border solution to one of Asia's most respected hospitality brands." "Partnering with Global Payments allows us to deliver a seamless booking and payment experience that meets the expectations of today's international travellers. By integrating multicurrency pricing and secure cross-border capabilities, we can strengthen direct relationships with our guests, enhance loyalty and support Thailand's tourism growth. This collaboration underscores Centara's commitment to innovation and to providing world-class hospitality that begins the moment a guest books their stay," said Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer, Centara Hotels & Resorts.

Konek(TM) digital wallet to be enabled for Global Payments merchants nationwide. Sep 29, 2026, 08:01 ET New rollout signals growing demand for flexible, pay-by-bank checkout options TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2026 /CNW/ - Interac Corp. (Interac) today announced that Global Payments(R)(NYSE: GPN), a leading payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide, will enable Konek across its merchant network in Canada. Konek is Canada's digital wallet, powered by Interac and backed by the country's leading financial institutions. The integration of Konek with Global Payments will give thousands of Canadian businesses nationwide the opportunity to enable account-based payments, along with card-based payments, for their customers. "We are proud to collaborate with Global Payments to scale the availability of Konek to more businesses of all sizes across the country," said Kris Zanuldin, head of Konek at Interac. "This enablement of Konek underscores accelerated momentum across Canada's payments ecosystem as merchants and consumers seek more flexible, secure checkout experiences and access to account-based payment solutions." Account-based payments from chequing or savings accounts are powered by Interac Direct(R), available exclusively on Konek. Global Payments is rolling out Konek, starting with its API and expanding into built-in online checkout and hosted payment solutions for merchants. Konek is expected to be available to a broad range of Global Payments merchant customers in Canada by fall 2026. Interac research shows nearly half of mobile wallet users in Canada value the convenience of mobile wallet payments (47 per cent). The same study also shows 42 per cent of younger Canadians (Gen Z and Millennials) are increasingly open to paying directly from their bank accounts for online purchases, pointing to a growing interest in pay-by-bank solutions at checkout. "Canadian merchants are navigating rising consumer expectations, and checkout has become a real differentiator," said Chris Baron, general manager and Canada country head at Global Payments. "Enabling Konek gives merchants access to a solution that's built for how Canadians want to pay. This includes more direct, bank-based payment options that offer speed, security and flexibility, all while helping them manage the cost of acceptance in the process." Konek: a Canadian solution for Canadian commerce By combining account-based and card-based payments in a single solution, Konek gives merchants greater flexibility at checkout as well as issuer fraud liability. This shifts responsibility for fraud losses from the merchant to the issuer and reduces the cost of acceptance compared to most traditional cards. About the Interac Survey Findings are based on the Follow-Up survey component of the 2025 Interac Payments Diary study, conducted by Dig Insights. The survey was fielded from December 2 to December 9, 2025, among n=3,039 Canadian consumers aged 15 and older, with results weighted to 2021 Census demographic targets to reflect the broader Canadian population. The margin of error for a sample of this size is +/-1.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. About Konek Konek is Canada's new way to pay online offering Canadians the choice to pay with their credit card or with debit directly from their chequing or savings account. Powered by Interac Corp., and backed by Canada's leading financial institutions, this payment solution gives customers more choice, convenience and control in how they pay. For more information and to learn about Konek, visit www.konek.ca About Interac Corp. Interac empowers Canadians to transact digitally with confidence by providing payment and value exchange services. In helping to develop the future of money movement in Canada, security is at the core of everything we do. We help keep Canadian customers safe and secure when transacting. With nearly 300 financial institutions connected to our network, Canadians choose Interac products over 20 million times a day on average to exchange money. Interac champions workplace culture, community, and corporate citizenship. We are proud to be one of Canada's leading and most trusted financial brands. SOURCE Interac Corp. Media contact: [email protected]