Zilch Adds Travel Payments Offering With lastminute Partnership

Zilch says it has launched a partnership to help customers book and pay for travel.

The ad-subsidized payments network is rolling out Zilch Travel in conjunction with European online travel service lastminute.com, according to a Monday (Jan. 13) press release.

“Travel is one of the largest household expenses, yet it’s also a non-negotiable annual priority, and in 2024, it hit an all-time high,” Zilch said in the release “This surge has made travel one of the fastest growing categories for Zilch, with a remarkable 140% year-on-year growth as customers seek smarter, more flexible ways to fund their trips.”

Close to half of families now book travel plans five to 12 weeks before departure, the company said, and Zilch hopes to meet this demand by offering travelers a way to spread out the payments to cover the cost of large bookings.

“In 2025, travel is no longer a luxury — it’s a professional and family priority,” Zilch Co-founder and CEO Philip Belamant, said in the release, adding that with 84% of U.K. consumers explore destinations at home or abroad, and they collectively spent more than 72 billion pounds on overseas travel in 2023.

Zilch Travel, he said, is designed to offer customers — amid an ongoing cost-of-living crunch in the U.K. — the ability to structure and pay for trips “within the regulated app they trust to manage their money.”

Writing about the travel sector last week, PYMNTS noted that travelers have come to expect the seamless payment experiences they encounter in their daily lives.

“As a result, real-time payments have come to the fore. Travelers are prioritizing ease of use and security when making payments, with 73% reporting instances of payment declines or issues,” that report said, citing research from the PYMNTS Intelligence study “Check-In Time: Hospitality Welcomes Real-Time Payments.”

Real-time payment systems — things like digital wallets — can address these concerns by delivering secure and instant transactions, lowering the risk of fraud and ensuring an overall smoother experience.

In addition, the research found that most travelers were willing to invest more in the quality of their experiences rather than worry about the price.

“According to the research, 77% of travelers prioritize experience over cost,” PYMNTS wrote. “This presents an opportunity for hospitality businesses to invest in real-time payments, which elevate service quality and customer loyalty, leading to potential financial returns.”

The research also found that despite rising demand for advanced payment methods, the hospitality sector continues to depend on outdated, complex payment systems, with 66% of travel finance executives reporting that their payment infrastructure hinders growth.