Summary: Conferma has integrated its virtual card payments with Oracle OPERA Cloud via the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform, automating payment instructions to properties. Thon Hotels is the first hotel group to adopt the solution.

Conferma has announced a new integration with Oracle OPERA Cloud that streamlines virtual card payments for corporate travel. The link delivers payment instructions directly into a property's management system, eliminating manual handoffs and improving the security of sensitive payment data. The solution uses the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP) to automate and secure the flow of virtual card details.

How the integration works

The integration routes virtual card payment instructions into OPERA Cloud through Conferma Connect Direct and OHIP using API connections. That approach removes the need for email exchanges or manual data entry at the property, reducing the risk of errors and exposure of payment details while speeding up check-in reconciliation.

Oracle OPERA Cloud is a widely deployed property management system, used by more than 30,000 hotel properties worldwide. By integrating directly with OPERA Cloud, Conferma aims to deliver virtual card details and payment instructions in real time to the systems hotels already rely on.

Thon Hotels leads early adoption

Thon Hotels, one of Norway’s largest hotel groups, is the first to implement the integration across its portfolio. The chain says the move will simplify payment handling for corporate guests and operational teams.

At Thon Hotels, we are committed to delivering exceptional guest experiences. By adopting Conferma’s integration with OPERA Cloud, we’re removing friction from the payment process and giving our corporate guests the convenience and security they expect

Benefits for hotels, corporates and travellers

  • Automates delivery of virtual card details into the PMS, avoiding manual entry
  • Reduces administrative workload and the potential for reconciliation errors
  • Improves protection of sensitive payment information
  • Supports corporate reconciliation, VAT reclaim and travel policy compliance
  • Lowers fraud risk and off‑programme spend for enterprises

Conferma points to growing adoption of virtual cards in business travel: the company says 88% of businesses are already using or plan to adopt virtual cards. Connecting directly to hotels’ PMSs addresses that demand by removing manual processes and supplying payment visibility for finance teams.

Corporate travel is evolving, and payment processes must keep pace

That statement came from Stuart Davenport, Chief Product Officer at Conferma, who highlighted that the integration reduces complexity for both hotels and travellers while delivering automation, security and visibility at scale. Conferma Connect Direct delivers virtual card details securely via API straight into the PMS, removing email or manual entry as the distribution method.

Conferma is headquartered in Manchester, UK, and provides virtual payment and travel payment technology solutions designed to support corporate expense management and hotel payment processes via platforms such as Connect Direct and partnerships with hotel groups.

Hotel reception desk displaying a digital system and virtual payment workflow through OPERA Cloud integration
Conferma's integration delivers virtual card details into a hotel's property management system, reducing manual handling of corporate payments

Wider industry context

As corporate travel demand grows and expectations around speed and security rise, hotels and travel managers are seeking automated payment workflows. Integrations like this aim to modernise back‑office operations, speed reconciliation and support compliance while protecting customer payment information.

Thon Hotels operates 89 hotels in Norway as of the end of 2022, plus five hotels and two apartment hotels in Belgium, one hotel in the Netherlands, two hotels in Sweden and one hotel in Denmark, with a combined total of 13,386 rooms. That scale underlines the potential operational impact when a major group adopts automated virtual payment routing into the PMS.

What this means for travellers and the industry

So what? For corporate travellers, the integration reduces uncertainty at check‑in by removing the need to present or pre‑pay using personal funds, and it shortens the administrative loop for finance teams. For hotels, it reduces manual tasks and reconciliation errors, and for enterprise buyers it increases visibility into spend and supports VAT reclaim. Overall, the move represents a practical step toward more automated, secure and auditable hotel payments in corporate travel.