Cendyn Adds Payment Upgrades to Lower Cart Abandonment
Cendyn integrates Flex Pay, FreedomPay, Stripe, and Gr4vy into its CRS to introduce BNPL, multi-currency routing, and lifecycle tools.
The short answer
Cendyn has integrated Flex Pay, FreedomPay, Stripe, and Gr4vy into its CRS to provide BNPL options and automated payment routing. The framework reduces direct cart abandonment and gives finance teams centralized control over refunds and deposits.
“Every lost booking is a revenue decision. When guests abandon the checkout it’s often because their preferred payment method isn’t available. This is a conversion failure that hits both the commercial P&L and the direct channel,”
The short version
- Cendyn integrated Flex Pay, FreedomPay, Stripe, and Gr4vy into Cendyn CRS to reduce checkout drop-offs.
- 52% of travelers abandon online carts due to poor digital checkout experiences, according to SiteMinder data.
- 43% of guests who use BNPL financing upgrade their hotel accommodations, based on Uplift findings.
Cendyn has launched a unified payment framework directly inside the Cendyn CRS to reduce checkout drop-offs and secure direct hotel bookings [1]. By integrating Flex Pay, FreedomPay, Stripe, and Gr4vy, the platform introduces buy-now-pay-later financing, intelligent gateway routing, global currency processing, and policy-driven payment management as part of standard CRS subscriptions [1].
Why are hotels losing direct bookings at checkout?
Hotels lose direct bookings primarily due to payment friction, missing local payment methods, and poor digital booking interfaces [1]. As eHotelier reported, poor digital experiences cause 52% of travelers to abandon their online carts [1]. When a direct-booking engine fails to offer a traveler's preferred payment method or triggers a declined authorization, guests abandon the reservation entirely [1]. Kevin Duncan, Executive Vice President Product at Cendyn, stated that checkout abandonment directly hits hotel commercial P&L accounts and undermines direct distribution efforts [1].
Which payment platforms are integrated into Cendyn CRS?
Cendyn integrated four separate payment engines—Flex Pay, FreedomPay, Stripe, and Gr4vy—into its central reservation system [1]. Each provider delivers specific financial management capabilities to hotel booking engines [1].
| Payment Partner | Primary Function | Operational Capability |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Pay | Installment financing | Direct Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) checkout options |
| FreedomPay | Lifecycle payment control | Policy-driven modifications, cancellations, and refunds |
| Stripe | Global processing | Regional payment methods and international currency acceptance |
| Gr4vy | Payment orchestration | Intelligent transaction routing and authorization optimization |
How does Buy-Now-Pay-Later impact hotel direct revenue?
Buy-now-pay-later options drive booking completion and encourage guests to purchase room upgrades [1]. According to eHotelier, NerdWallet's 2026 Summer Travel Report found that 17% of summer travelers plan to pay for travel expenses using BNPL services [1]. Furthermore, data from Uplift shows that 43% of guests who use BNPL financing choose to upgrade their stays [1]. Flex Pay President Tom Botts explained that offering installment options within the booking journey converts demand while letting hoteliers retain control over commercial distribution [1].
What operational controls do hotel finance teams receive?
Hotel finance teams gain unified tools to structure, collect, and reconcile transactions across the reservation lifecycle [1]. The framework manages partial deposits, pre-booking conditions, booking modifications, cancellations, and guest refunds [1]. Kevin Carson, Senior Vice President Global Partnerships at FreedomPay, noted that policy-driven management streamlines back-office payment operations while supporting flexible payment rules [1].
How does intelligent routing improve international guest conversions?
Intelligent payment routing directs cross-border transactions through regional gateways to prevent false card declines [1]. John Lunn, CEO and Founder of Gr4vy, stated that seamless routing boosts authorization rates and captures revenue from global guest groups [1]. Processing transactions in local currencies eliminates foreign exchange friction and avoids international gateway limitations [1]. Cendyn provides these capabilities within the standard Cendyn CRS subscription tier [1].
Reported by
This article was written from the following reporting. Follow the links for the original coverage.
- [1]Cendyn Adds Payment Upgrades to Lower Cart Abandonment— eHotelier
Frequently asked
+What payment providers are included in the Cendyn CRS integration?
Cendyn integrated four payment platforms into its CRS: Flex Pay for BNPL financing, FreedomPay for policy-driven lifecycle management, Stripe for global payment acceptance, and Gr4vy for intelligent gateway routing.
+What proportion of travelers abandon online carts due to poor digital experiences?
According to research from SiteMinder cited by eHotelier, poor digital experiences cause 52% of travelers to abandon their online shopping carts during travel booking.
+How many travelers intend to use BNPL financing for travel?
NerdWallet's 2026 Summer Travel Report indicates that 17% of summer travelers plan to use buy-now-pay-later services to finance travel expenses.
+Do guests using BNPL purchase higher-tier hotel rooms?
Yes, data from Uplift shows that 43% of guests who use buy-now-pay-later payment options choose to upgrade their hotel stays.
+Is the new payment framework an additional cost for Cendyn CRS users?
No, the unified payment integration is available as part of a standard subscription to Cendyn CRS.
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