Revolut integrates payment service into Booking.com checkout globally

Revolut announced on November 17, 2025, a global payments partnership with Booking.com that enables customers to complete travel bookings through Revolut Pay, the company's streamlined checkout solution. The integration took two years from initial development to full deployment, according to early investor Max Karpis, who shared technical details about the collaboration on social media.

The partnership connects approximately 9 million Revolut customers who already purchase through Booking.com with enhanced payment functionality. Revolut Pay now offers these users one-click checkout capability for accommodation bookings, with flights and car rentals scheduled to follow. According to the official announcement, almost 2 million monthly active users currently utilize Revolut Pay across participating merchants.

Alex Codina, General Manager of Acquiring at Revolut, characterized the integration as meeting customers in their existing behavior patterns. "Our strategy at Revolut is about meeting customers where they are," Codina stated. "Given our customers' passion for travel and the millions of users on Booking.com, this partnership is a natural fit for us. Integrating Revolut Pay means a faster, more secure, and ultimately more rewarding checkout experience for users."

The payment mechanism redirects customers from Booking.com to the Revolut app during checkout, where they complete purchases through a single click protected by biometric security protocols. This implementation eliminates the need for customers to enter card or bank details during each transaction, reducing exposure of financial information to merchant systems.

Technical implementation details

Booking.com adopted Revolut Business infrastructure as part of its day-to-day operations to facilitate the payment integration. According to the announcement, this established operational trust in Revolut's business solutions before expanding into consumer payment partnerships. The technical foundation enables Booking.com to process transactions through Revolut's acquiring infrastructure while customers benefit from the streamlined authentication process.

JC Rodriguez, Senior Director of Commercial Fintech at Booking.com, explained the platform's approach. "At Booking.com, we are always looking at how we can make it easier for everyone to experience the world, and introducing innovative solutions to make transacting on our platform fast, secure and flexible for all customers is key to that goal," Rodriguez stated. "With Revolut's strong growth in key European markets, this partnership was a natural fit."

The payment system supports multiple currencies, addressing the international nature of travel bookings. Customers can select from currency options relevant to their location and destination, with conversion handled through Revolut's established foreign exchange infrastructure. In discussions on social media, Karpis noted that merchants benefit from reduced fraud rates and lower payment processing fees compared to traditional card networks. The arrangement allows Revolut to pass some of these savings to customers through loyalty incentives.

Rewards structure and promotional period

Revolut customers completing transactions through Revolut Pay earn additional RevPoints, the company's pan-European debit loyalty program. The program allows point redemption at thousands of participating merchants, with options including airline miles, accommodation stays, gift cards, and experiences within the Revolut app. Standard earning rates vary by subscription tier, with higher-tier accounts receiving multiplied point accrual.

From November 17 through January 3, 2026, Revolut is offering 10X RevPoints on Booking.com purchases completed through Revolut Pay. According to the promotional terms, this accelerated earning rate applies across all account types during the limited timeframe. The multiplier represents a significant increase over standard reward rates, which typically provide 2X points for Revolut Pay transactions compared to standard card payments.

Karpis explained the incentive structure in response to user questions on social media. "No need to enter card or bank details, so you are not exposing your details, also you get 2x revpoints for your purchase," he wrote. "The merchant saves on the card processing fees, and Revolut rewards you for it." The economics enable what amounts to a three-way value exchange between platform, merchant, and customer.

Terms and conditions specify that RevPoints earning depends on subscription plan level. Revolut offers five tier structures: Standard (free), Plus (€2.99 monthly), Premium (€7.99 monthly), Metal (€13.99 monthly), and Ultra (€60 monthly). Higher tiers provide enhanced earning multipliers and additional travel benefits including airport lounge access, insurance coverage, and global data packages.

Market positioning and travel footprint

The Booking.com integration represents Revolut's largest travel partner adoption of Revolut Pay to date. According to the announcement, Booking.com operates as one of the world's leading online travel platforms, with over 1 billion room nights booked through the platform in 2024. Karpis noted this scale in social media commentary before the official partnership announcement.

Revolut serves over 65 million global customers and hundreds of thousands of business customers across its fintech platform. The company provides banking services including current accounts, international transfers, currency exchange, investment products, cryptocurrency access, and insurance distribution through licensed entities across multiple jurisdictions. Revolut Bank UAB operates as a Lithuanian-chartered bank supervised by the European Central Bank and Bank of Lithuania, with branch operations in Germany and other European markets.

The travel industry alignment follows Revolut's broader strategy of integrating payment services into high-frequency customer touchpoints. Travel advertising and booking technologies have seen significant development in 2025, with major platforms introducing enhanced planning and transaction capabilities. Karpis suggested that similar integrations would increase as Revolut's customer base grows, citing the operational advantages for both merchants and consumers.

Rodriguez noted that the partnership would extend beyond initial payment integration. "We're excited about this collaboration and will continue working with Revolut to explore strategic opportunities that deliver value to our millions of travellers and partners all around the world," he stated in the announcement.

User feedback and rollout observations

The integration became visible to some users before the official announcement. Karpis reported spotting Revolut Pay at Booking.com checkout in August 2025 while traveling in Wales, indicating phased rollout or limited testing periods preceding the full launch. He noted at that time that he had not seen a partnership announcement despite the checkout option appearing for his account.

Some users expressed initial skepticism about the payment option when it appeared without formal announcement. One social media commenter stated they encountered the feature the previous week and "thought it was a scam" before the official confirmation. Others reported geographical availability variations, with the payment method not appearing for all users despite account eligibility.

Karpis confirmed the integration had "been implemented for a while" when asked about beta rollout status on November 19, suggesting that backend infrastructure and selective user exposure preceded the public announcement by several months. This phased approach allows platforms to test transaction processing, security protocols, and user experience flows before announcing availability to the full customer base.

User responses highlighted interest in tier-specific benefits. One commenter suggested that Ultra subscribers should automatically receive elevated Booking.com tier status when paying with Revolut, or at minimum receive a tier boost for existing members. Karpis acknowledged this as a viable idea for Revolut to consider, though no formal benefits alignment was announced beyond the RevPoints earning structure.

Competitive landscape for alternative payments

The partnership enters a competitive landscape where payment method flexibility increasingly influences merchant selection and customer loyalty. Major technology companies have expanded payment offerings to include rewards integration, installment financing, and streamlined checkout experiences that reduce friction in transaction completion.

Alternative payment methods that bypass traditional card network fees provide economic incentives for both merchants and payment platforms. By processing transactions through direct bank connections or proprietary payment rails, companies like Revolut can offer lower merchant service rates while maintaining security standards through biometric authentication and fraud detection systems.

The closed-loop loyalty structure creates additional competitive advantages. Unlike traditional credit card rewards that operate independently of merchant relationships, Revolut's RevPoints system can incentivize specific merchant partnerships through elevated earning rates. This allows the company to direct customer behavior toward preferred partners while merchants benefit from reduced processing costs and potentially higher conversion rates.

Booking.com's adoption signals growing merchant acceptance of fintech payment alternatives in high-value transaction categories. Travel bookings typically involve larger transaction amounts than everyday purchases, making percentage-based payment processing fees particularly significant for merchant economics. Alternative payment methods that reduce these costs while maintaining fraud protection offer compelling value propositions for online travel platforms.

Strategic implications

The development marks continued expansion of fintech companies into merchant acquiring and payment processing traditionally dominated by established card networks and payment processors. Revolut's acquiring business, led by Codina, positions the company to compete directly with conventional payment service providers while leveraging its established customer relationships.

For customers, the integration offers practical advantages beyond loyalty incentives. The elimination of repeated card entry reduces friction in the booking process, particularly for frequent travelers making multiple reservations. Biometric security through the Revolut app provides authentication without requiring password entry or SMS verification codes. Currency selection capability addresses the complexity of international travel bookings where destination costs, home currency billing, and optimal exchange rates intersect.

The two-year development timeline Karpis cited reflects the complexity of integrating payment systems between major platforms. Technical implementation requires coordination of authentication flows, transaction processing, settlement procedures, fraud detection, and compliance with financial regulations across multiple jurisdictions. The extended timeframe suggests substantial engineering investment by both companies to ensure reliable operation at scale.

Booking.com benefits from diversified payment options that reduce dependency on traditional card networks while potentially lowering overall payment processing costs. The partnership also strengthens relationships with European customers where Revolut maintains particularly strong market presence. Rodriguez specifically cited Revolut's growth in key European markets as a factor in the partnership decision.

Regulatory and operational context

Revolut operates under European banking licenses through Revolut Bank UAB, with supervision from the European Central Bank and Bank of Lithuania. The company's German operations function through Revolut Bank UAB, Zweigniederlassung Deutschland, with oversight from the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht to the extent of German branch services. This regulatory structure enables Revolut to provide credit, payment, and current account services across the European Economic Area.

Insurance distribution operates through Revolut Insurance Europe UAB, authorized by the Bank of Lithuania as an insurance broker. Investment services function through Revolut Securities Europe UAB, also licensed by the Bank of Lithuania. This multi-entity structure separates financial services under appropriate regulatory oversight while maintaining unified customer experience through the Revolut app.

Cryptocurrency services operate through either Revolut Digital Assets Europe Ltd, licensed by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission as a Crypto Asset Service Provider under EU Regulation 2023/1114, or through Revolut Ltd in the UK, which is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority for cryptocurrency services under money laundering regulations. Commodity services remain unregulated through Revolut Ltd.

The regulatory framework matters for payment partnerships because it establishes the legal basis for transaction processing, customer fund protection, and cross-border payment capabilities. Revolut's banking licenses enable it to process payments as a principal rather than merely facilitating transactions between customers and merchants through third-party processors.

Implementation timeline and expansion plans

The November 17 announcement specified that accommodation bookings gained immediate Revolut Pay support, with flights and car rentals to follow in unspecified future updates. This staged expansion allows both companies to validate transaction processing and customer experience for accommodation before extending to additional product categories.

The promotional 10X RevPoints period running through January 3, 2026, provides incentive for early adoption while enabling Revolut to gather usage data across the holiday travel season. This timing captures both winter holiday travel and early planning for spring and summer trips, offering insight into booking patterns across different travel types and lead times.

Rodriguez's statement about continuing collaboration to explore strategic opportunities suggests the partnership may extend beyond payment processing alone. Potential expansions could include data sharing for personalized offers, integrated travel planning tools, or enhanced loyalty program linkages between Booking.com's tiered member benefits and Revolut's subscription levels.

Karpis predicted increasing merchant adoption of Revolut Pay as the customer base grows, creating network effects where additional users make integration more valuable to merchants while merchant participation drives customer acquisition. "It will only increase as Revolut's customer base grows, I think," he wrote. "Merchants get less fraud, smoother payments for the customer and payment processing fees are lower. Customers get additional security, ease of payment extra RevPoints."

The network effect dynamics could position Revolut Pay as a standard checkout option across multiple merchant categories, particularly in Europe where the company maintains strongest market penetration. However, geographic expansion faces regulatory complexity as banking and payment regulations vary substantially across jurisdictions beyond the European Economic Area.

Timeline

• August 2025: Revolut Pay appears at Booking.com checkout for some users during testing phase
• November 17, 2025: Revolut announces global payments partnership with Booking.com, enabling Revolut Pay integration for accommodation bookings
• November 17, 2025 - January 3, 2026: Promotional period offering 10X RevPoints on Booking.com purchases through Revolut Pay
• November 18, 2025: Revolut confirms partnership took two years from initial development to deployment
• Future date TBD: Revolut Pay expansion to flights and car rentals on Booking.com platform
• Related: Google expands AI travel planning to 200+ countries with booking features
• Related: Apple Pay gains ground with rewards, installments, and wider browser support

Summary

Who: Revolut, a European fintech company with over 65 million customers, partnered with Booking.com, one of the world's leading online travel platforms. Alex Codina serves as General Manager of Acquiring at Revolut, while JC Rodriguez holds the position of Senior Director of Commercial Fintech at Booking.com.

What: The companies integrated Revolut Pay into Booking.com's checkout process, enabling one-click payments through biometric authentication in the Revolut app. The system supports accommodation bookings immediately, with flights and car rentals planned for future expansion. Customers earn RevPoints loyalty rewards, with a promotional 10X multiplier running through January 3, 2026.

When: Revolut announced the partnership on November 17, 2025, though the payment option appeared for some users as early as August 2025 during testing phases. The development process took two years from initial work to full deployment. The promotional 10X RevPoints period extends from November 17, 2025, through January 3, 2026.

Where: The integration operates globally across Booking.com's platform, available to Revolut's customer base concentrated in European markets but extending to users worldwide. Transactions process through Revolut Bank UAB, chartered in Lithuania with supervision from the European Central Bank and national regulators.

Why: The partnership addresses multiple objectives: Revolut expands payment service adoption in travel, a high-frequency customer category; Booking.com diversifies payment options while potentially reducing processing costs; customers gain streamlined checkout with security and rewards incentives. The integration took two years because of technical complexity integrating authentication, transaction processing, settlement, and fraud detection across major platforms operating under multiple financial regulations.