Flywire acquired hospitality-focused software and payments platform Sertifi.
The $330 million deal is designed to bolster Flywire’s travel payments business, according to a Tuesday (Feb. 25) press release.
“Sertifi’s hospitality-specific integrations give Flywire immediate access to new subsegments of the global travel industry, and they are expected to create additional value for Flywire’s extensive client roster,” the release said. “Sertifi has a successful track record of digitizing hotels’ workflows around events and group booking sales, and [it’s] a solution that Flywire is expected to scale internationally by leveraging the strength of Flywire’s global go-to-market and partnership expertise around the world.”
Sertifi provides a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for the hotel and hospitality space, serving global brands like Hilton and Hyatt along with luxury independent hotels, such as the Sage Hospitality Group and the Corinthia Hotel in London, according to the release.
The platform allows these hotels to efficiently and securely sign contracts, exchange payment details while complying with industry requirements, and carry out customer payments, integrating with a range of catering and property management systems, the release said.
“The acquisition of Sertifi represents an exciting next phase of growth for our travel vertical…,” Flywire CEO Mike Massaro said in the release. “By expanding into a large new subsegment of the hospitality industry with strong ecosystem alignment and gaining a software solution in the early stages of its payments monetization journey, we are unlocking new growth and innovation opportunities for Flywire.”
In other travel payments news, Delta Air Lines offered $30,000 in compensation to 76 passengers involved in a Feb. 17 plane crash, leading to a debate about the adequacy of the compensation and its potential long-term impact on customer loyalty.
Axia Public Relations CEO Jason Mudd told PYMNTS that Delta’s move was more of a crisis management tactic than a goodwill gesture, adding it offers immediate relief but could fall short considering the trauma passengers experienced. Long-term customer loyalty requires consistent, transparent actions, not one-time payouts.
“This approach may create short-term goodwill, but true customer loyalty is built on consistency,” Mudd said. “If Delta wants this to resonate long term, it must follow through with transparent communication, reinforced safety measures and ongoing customer engagement. Otherwise, it risks being perceived as transactional damage control rather than a genuine commitment to passenger well-being.”
