Hospitalitech Magazine - February Issue

February Issue We need to talk about cancellations

Clarity Hotel Manager More than just another PMS.

The Checkout of the future is here

Pages 14-15

Pages 16-17

Pages 28-29

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Contents 4

Industry News

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Hospitality Management Software

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Hotel In-Room Technology

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Contactless Payment Solutions

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Recommended Companies

To feature in an upcoming issue or to discuss advertising opportunities please contact a member of the Hospitalitech team; Publication Manager Dean Little - 01227 314 324 dean@warmwelcomemagazine.com Sales & Marketing Manager Michael Amor - 01227 314 324 michael@warmwelcomemagazine.com Editorial Assistant Carol Jean - 01227 314 324 carol@warmwelcomemagazine.com

2022 Travel trends report by Cloudbeds reveals three new booking trends Reflecting on a year of great change within the travel industry, Cloudbeds’ 2022 Travel Trends Report analyses the emerging booking trends enabling savvy hoteliers and property owners to drive more revenue and profitability from their future guests.

Cloudbeds, the hospitality industry’s fastest-growing technology partner, launches its 2022 Travel Trends Report highlighting nine key booking, travel, and macro trends set to shape the future of the hospitality and hotel industry as we learn from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. A dynamic demand environment, direct bookings, and longer stays are three areas identified that will lead the way in booking trends for 2022.

The report, which uses multiple reputable resources from across the travel industry, including Expedia, Vrbo, Airbnb, and Skift, 4

in addition to hospitality data platforms such as STR to form its conclusions, offers insights into how the pandemic has influenced three major changes in booking habits that will impact lodging businesses in 2022. The report also provides useful tips on how to respond to these changing trends, as well as invaluable recommendations to hoteliers and property owners on what areas of the business to invest in, and useful tools and techniques on how to adapt, upgrade and promote their offering to optimise every available revenue-making opportunity.

3 Key Booking Trends A dynamic demand environment One of the biggest impacts of the pandemic is that travel demand has been consistently unpredictable.

Even factors such as location and seasonality are no longer as reliable as they once were. Much of the

unpredictability has been driven by lockdowns and changing border restrictions, which has forced many travellers to cancel or change their plans at the last minute.

A single announcement can also drive enormous spikes in demand.

- Travel searches from EMEA to the United States increased 95% weekover-week on Expedia after the White House announced it would soon lift travel restrictions for international visitors who are vaccinated.

Travellers, now used to such uncertainties, have altered their booking habits accordingly.

Booking lead times have shortened considerably, with many consumers preferring to wait until closer to their trip to book it.

- A staggering 79% of travellers are now booking within 14 days of their stay date, up from 24% in the previous year, according to STR.

- Flexibility remains a priority for many travellers: Nearly one in three travellers say that an accommodation provider’s cancellation policy is one of the top three factors influencing a booking.

- A growing number of travellers are taking advantage of the flexibility by “trip stacking,” booking two or more trips over the same travel period in case Covid-related issues ruin their preferred travel plans.

Travellers prefer booking direct At the start of the pandemic, as lockdown orders spurred mass travel cancellations, many consumers grew frustrated with online travel agencies for their poor communication and long delays in issuing refunds. The resulting negative press eroded consumer confidence in booking with OTAs. - In a June 2021 poll by GlobalData, 39% of consumers said they would

typically book directly, versus 17% that would opt for OTA and price comparison sites.

- According to Skift, 56% of bookings at independent hotels came from direct channels in 2020, up from 39% in 2019, a 17-point shift.

Travellers are booking longer stays Prior to the pandemic, weekend getaways were one of the most popular types of trips, but that trend has since flipped.

- A GlobalData poll revealed that 44% of travellers prefer leisure trips of at least 7 nights, with 26% of travellers preferring stays of 10+ nights.

- Extended stays are also rising in popularity: Per Airbnb’s Q3 2021 earnings report, long-term stays of 28 days or more are the company’s fastestgrowing trip length and accounted for 20% of nights booked that quarter, up from 14% in the prior year’s quarter.

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RBH Hospitality Management commits to two-year partnership with Mental Health UK RBH Hospitality Management has partnered with Mental Health UK to raise significant funds and awareness of the importance of mental health in hospitality and beyond.

first time. Finally, the teams have been invited to join Clic, Mental Health UK’s online community platform which offers peer support, access to forums and information.

The UK-wide charity provides support and services for some of the biggest societal challenges that pose a threat to people’s mental health, including money problems, loneliness and isolation.

In addition, Mental Health UK helps to promote awareness and understanding of mental health conditions, and how to access the right support.

The first major fundraising effort being undertaken by RBH will take place at the company’s annual conference and awards ceremony in March, with raffle prizes currently being collected. This will kick off a two-year campaign to raise money for Mental Health UK following RBH’s running total of £340k of donations to four different charities since 2013. In addition to the management company’s central fundraising schemes, each of the portfolio’s hotels are encouraged to run their own independent events and staff initiatives to support the cause.

This partnership will become a core part of RBH’s Giving Something Back promise which pledges to support its community, as well as its established Tree of Life Health & Wellbeing programme to promote and encourage staff wellbeing.

The first in a string of awareness campaigns is Time To Talk Day (3 February) in which each member of the RBH team and its portfolio of 45+ hotels have been encouraged to download Mental Health UK’s Conversation Guide – a challenge in which they should aim to have one conversation with someone about how they’re feeling.

Employees are also being urged to watch Mental Health UK’s webinar on How to talk to your manager about your mental health for the

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With just £60 funding someone to be part of a peer support group for an entire year, RBH is seeking to directly help hundreds of lives in the following year, as well as indirectly influencing thousands more through its awareness efforts.

On the decision to launch this partnership, HR Director, Martin MacPhail said: “Every few years, we seek to support a worthy charity that aligns particularly closely to our own company values. It is our people who choose our new charity via a vote, so the fact that they

have opted for a mental health charity illustrates how important it is to us. We’ve already put a lot of work into campaigning the importance of the wellbeing of our workforce and the whole hospitality industry, so the work of Mental Health UK is a great fit. We’re delighted to be undertaking efforts that simultaneously positively impact our own employees with increased support and tools, as well as hopefully raising a significant amount of money to aid the charity’s resources.”

Katie Legg, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Mental Health UK said: “We are delighted that RBH Management colleagues have chosen to support Mental Health UK at a time when our services are needed more than ever. Over the last two years not only have we experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a crisis of poor mental health. The effects of this pandemic on the nation’s mental health will be felt for years to come, and we need partnerships like this one to enable us to be there for the people who rely on our support.

“At Mental Health UK, we won’t stop until everyone has the tools they need to live their best possible life, and we cannot do it alone.

Thank you to everyone at RBH Management for your support, and we can’t wait to get started!”

Valor Hospitality announces partnership with charity offering rooms to hidden heroes Hotel management company, Valor Hospitality Partners, has announced a new partnership with Room to Reward (“R2R”), a nonprofit organisation which works with hotels across the UK to offer charity volunteers overnight stays in unsold rooms in recognition of their dedication to good causes.

By registering as a partner, all 35 of Valor’s UK hotels will initially be available on the R2R network, with charities able to nominate volunteers for a well-earned short break up to twice per year, per hotel, providing an opportunity for ordinary people, doing extraordinary things, to have a night stay in a hotel of their choice.

of the initiative and we can’t wait to welcome our first guests.”

Commenting on the recent partnership, charity director at Room to Reward, Adam Terpening said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Valor Hospitality as partners of Room to Reward. This is a significant step for our charity, both in terms of the number of new hotels donating unsold rooms and to have the backing of such a prestigious hospitality group.

“Valor’s wonderful support will give the nominated hidden heroes even more fantastic choices for their well-earned break.”

Leading the initiative on behalf of Valor, Ben Morcombe, general manager at Hotel Indigo Liverpool, said: “Following the challenges of the past two years, it is a privilege to be in a position to give something back to the hidden heroes of society, by providing complimentary stays at one of Valor’s venues to those most deserving through Room to Reward.

The 35 hotels in Valor’s UK portfolio include brands such as IHG, Hilton and Marriott in major towns and cities across the country.

“Whether it is volunteering their time to their community, championing their charities or anything in between, we’re delighted to be part

For more information on Valor Hospitality Partners and its global properties, visit: www.valorhospitality.com

Charities looking to register and nominate one of their exceptional volunteers should visit: www.roomtoreward.org/charitycommunity-group-registration/

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Premier Software partner with Made for Life for Cancer Touch Therapy™ training campaign Premier Software, the creator of business management solution Core by Premier Software®, has partnered with skincare brand Made for Life Organics, to help make spas more inclusive by training staff in Cancer Touch Therapy™.

Throughout 2022, any spa that uses or purchases Premier Software’s flagship business management solution, Core by Premier Software®, will receive 25% off Made for Life’s Cancer Touch Therapy™ qualification.

Many spas in the UK are unable to offer treatment to those diagnosed with cancer due to insurance issues. The Made for Life course, accredited by the Complementary Medical Association (CMA), removes this issue so that spas can offer holistic therapies to those who need it most.

“At the heart of Made for Life, there has always been the profound belief that wellbeing should be accessible for all,” says Amanda Winwood, managing director for Made for Life Organics. “Over the past decade Made for Life has provided training which has enabled therapists, spas and salons to confidently welcome everyone, including those diagnosed with cancer.”

“We feel incredibly grateful that Premier are partnering with us to promote training that simply throws those spa doors wide to all. This joint initiative underpins our vision and Premier’s that, in the future, all spas will have trained therapists able to welcome everyone and make a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.”

Spa therapists that complete the training will be able to perform Cancer Touch Therapy™ treatments using the correct techniques, with suitable pressure and speed.

Options range from massage to facial, hand and foot treatments.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Made for Life to 8

help make spas a more inclusive environment,” says Laura Meeson, corporate manager at Premier Software.

“Spas are a vital space for relaxation, recuperation and wellbeing. We believe this should be accessible to everyone. Through our partnership to offer Cancer

Touch Therapy™ training to all Core clients, our aim is to make spas more accessible to those diagnosed with and recovering from cancer.”

Cancer Touch Therapy™ is approved by the Standard Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC), BABTAC and CIBTAC.

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Clockwork Marketing’s GuestNet, the new time-saving DIY marketing suite is helping small hospitality businesses boost bookings Clockwork Marketing, hotel and hospitality marketing specialists for 30 years, announces that GuestNet, a new DIY hospitality marketing suite has successfully launched with a number of small hospitality businesses on board.

With GuestNet owners of hotels, selfcatering, B&B businesses, restaurants, or pubs can learn impactful marketing tactics and gain confidence to do the right marketing, at the right time.

The GuestNet suite offers different marketing support including: - Online Learning - with a series of time-saving videos presented by Clockwork’s marketing experts to improve marketing skills and deliver new bookings quickly.

- DIY Marketing Tools – to put GuestNet’s online learning

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into practice. Build your own professional hospitality website or send impactful emails with easy-touse marketing tools.

Clare Bushby, managing director of Clockwork Marketing, said: “We are delighted to have successfully launched GuestNet, and are now available to more small hospitality businesses that wish to take control of their future and thrive. ”GuestNet is perfect for time-poor owners of hotels, self-catering and B&B businesses, as well as those working in holiday parks, restaurants or pubs, who want to learn or improve their skills and capture more guests. “With GuestNet you can build on your existing knowledge to become a marketing expert and boost bookings quickly”.

Sally Downie, owner, Cricketer’s Inn who participated in the pilot research, said: “GuestNet is a great time-saving model for hospitality businesses as there are different stages of marketing support on offer. You can either do it yourself, have a mentor or have Clockwork who we completely trust do it all. For us it feels like the magic marketing wand for keeping on top of social media, our website and abreast of current trends to maximise our marketing efforts.”

Another research participant, Richard Edlmann, owner of the Ring of Bells Inn said: “With technology combined with the right marketing tactics I have the ability at my fingertips to connect with my customer base and target new customers with new ideas.

With GuestNet and the support it provides I can start planning and taking innovative concepts to market with confidence.”

Several small hospitality businesses are now signed up as GuestNet customers across the UK. GuestNet’s Online Learning platform has a library of 5-10 minute videos covering a wide range of marketing topics to help deliver great marketing. The videos cover essential hospitality marketing including how to drive more website visitors, understand what Google Analytics can do for your business or how to create impactful emails, with many more topics added regularly.

GuestNet also offers a supportive online hospitality community for

fortnightly group calls, led by Clockwork marketing specialists, exploring hot topics and trends including: creating engaging content, identifying customers, or understanding the role of PR, for example.

Hospitality businesses can use GuestNet as a DIY service with online learning videos, be part of a community chat hub and receive practical tips, trends and insights straight to your inbox as one payment option from £199 per month. The second option offers a guided support service including everything in the DIY service plus fortnightly community calls to dive deeper into specific topics, readymade marketing templates and exclusive discounts on GuestNet marketing tools.

Bushby added: “Clockwork Marketing has been colouring travel dreams and boosting bookings since 1992.

Our space-themed stand at the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (HRC) Show is about the future of travel for hospitality providers and helping them with services like GuestNet to aim high and reach their full marketing potential.”

GuestNet will be demoing at the HRC 2022 show at Clockwork Marketing’s stand H658.

Clockwork Marketing will be offering half price for anyone signing up to GuestNet at HRC 2022 - 50% off the first 3 months of membership.

Learn more about GuestNet: GuestNet Promotional Video GuestNet Online Learning

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We need to talk about cancellations Even before COVID-19 cancellation rates on OTA bookings were high relative to other booking channels and trending up. In fact, some studies have shown OTA cancellations as high as 41% based on the channel and geography.

Rather than requiring deposits to secure a booking, these channels now emphasise the option of “free cancellation” - with ease to potential guests. This has led to a rise in “Booking Infidelity” as travellers continue to research hotels long after their initial booking, sometimes booking multiple properties safe in the knowledge that their unwanted booking can be cancelled easily and without penalty later on.

A steady creep of the same buying behaviour is now evident on the direct channel. Avvio data shows up to 7% of direct bookers hold multiple hotel bookings for the same stay dates in 2021.

Unless hotels mitigate this by adopting new strategies to retain bookings, we predict this behaviour will grow faster in the coming years as new technologies emerge allowing a guest’s booked rate to be monitored post-booking, and automated rebooking tools become more common.

At the sharp end, we expect this trend will have a very negative effect on profitability for hotels unarmed with a Booking Retention strategy.

Booking Retention – Beyond Segmentation Whilst COVID-19 has contributed a lot of noise to our datasets, the insights that can be gleaned from historic cancellation data provide a solid platform for a hotel to develop an understanding of how guest segmentation relates to cancellation behaviour.

With the right tools, it is possible to go beyond segmentation and look at which individual bookings within a segment are at higher risk of cancellation. For example, to predict which international couple will be more likely to cancel than another.

Rather than looking at one dimension of data (e.g. traveller type), this fine-tuned approach leverages Artificial Intelligence to take a multidimensional view, incorporating data based on the individual guest journey, market conditions at time of booking, what has changed since the booking, and more.

Revenue forecasting that doesn’t consider the full impact of cancellations will increasingly undermine wider business goals.

Hoteliers need to consider the whole timeline and detail the opportunity-costs attached to their strategies to optimize for profit.

To do this, hoteliers will need to utilize a new breed of tools that leverage A.I. and big-data to obtain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Allora.ai is designed with this in mind.

Key considerations - You need a booking retention strategy to take control of your cancellations.

- Start analysing cancellation patterns – Who - When - How - and Why. - Ensure you have the right tools that leverage A.I. and machine learning - these technologies can dramatically reduce the burden of effort needed to tackle the problem and improve accuracy.

- Start tracking your Net CPA in relation to digital marketing. Let this guide your targeting and postbooking messaging.

- Look at retention strategies as an opportunity to build your brand and overall engagement with your guests.

- Be as personal as possible and contextualise around the individual needs of the guest.

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The Science of Direct Guest Acquisition created by

Our analysis of 2.3 million direct booking transactions

shows cancellation rates are rising every year, from 11% in 2016 to 15% in 2019. In 2022 this figure may well hit 20%. The cost to the industry is catastrophic - in 2019 alone over £11.5m was spent by UK hoteliers on paid digital marketing activities for direct bookings that were subsequently cancelled without penalty.

Avvio’s AI-powered booking engine, allora.ai, creates a personalised booking experience for every guest.

allora.ai drives engagement and leads to unparalleled guest conversion and retention. It is supported by digital marketing with outstanding website design. To combat cancellations and maximise profit, hoteliers need to utilise a new breed of tools that leverage AI and big data. allora.ai is designed with precisely this in mind.

Find out more - visit allora.ai

Clarity Hotel Manager More than just another PMS. When The Lowy Group spelled out their connectivity wishes for their 3 Brighton hotels, Clarity was able to respond in a timely and costeffective manner.

“Connection” is Clarity’s middle name and is a core skill Clarity has applied continually over the 25+ years of providing software to the Hospitality industry.

Recovering from the dark days of COVID, the group decided that building closer Guest relationships is the key to rebuilding business.

After looking at options, they were impressed with the whole range of contactless guest experience capabilities that the Criton Guest Engagement app offered.

Extending that with the Inspire loyalty system to encourage repeat bookings was logical.

Being the PMS provider for the group, it was natural that the Queens Hotel contacted Clarity to see how difficult and expensive it would be to integrate these systems.

Clarity was already in discussion with Criton and integrating Inspire was relatively simple given the extensive in-built architecture of Clarity Hotel Manager.

Both integrations were achieved at ZERO cost to the group.

The positive experience with Clarity encouraged the group to also upgrade their E-POS system to that provided by Clarity and to commission integration to their Sage Accounting system.

Michelle of the Queens Hotel says “working with Clarity to implement these solutions has been easy, and surprisingly cost effective. Clarity have been responsive, prompt, thorough and the integrations work perfectly. We particularly like what Criton delivers to our Guests, and it has become a key tool in creating Guest satisfaction and increased bookings. We’d recommend Clarity to anyone wanting an excellent system and first-class service”.

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Further UK growth for Valor Hospitality following Edinburgh hotel appointment Valor Hospitality Partners has been appointed to manage the Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh hotel, the international hotel management company’s first property in the city.

The appointment follows a period of significant growth for Valor, which saw its UK portfolio more than double in 2021, after 17 IHG hotels were placed under its management.

Valor also recently strengthened its portfolio further, with the addition of two new luxury properties in development in world renowned golf resorts St Andrews, Scotland and Dunluce, Northern Ireland.

Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh is a 4-star 240-bed hotel located in the heart of the Scottish capital, combining heritage and style, with innovative design and locally

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inspired furnishings. It is the first Courtyard branded hotel within Valor’s portfolio and is also the latest Marriott brand that the company has managed since its successful launch of the very first two AC by Marriott hotels in the UK, back in 2016.

Brian McCarthy, managing director of UK and Europe at Valor Hospitality, said: “We continue to grow here in the UK, with close to forty hotels now operating under our leadership and we are delighted to be given this opportunity to expand into Edinburgh.

“We have aspirations to continue to grow and fully develop our business, which is founded on creating exceptional levels of employee engagement, delivering commercial excellence and maximising returns for the partners

who choose and trust us to work on their behalf.”

Euan McGlashan, global cofounder and CEO of Valor Hospitality, adds. “Hailing from Edinburgh personally, the city holds a special place in my heart.

This in addition to our partnership with renowned chef Roy Brett and his Ondine Restaurant, means we are bringing our own very special brand of hospitality to this incredible city” The addition of the Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh takes Valor Hospitality to 85 hotels managed globally, covering IHG, Marriott, Hilton and independent luxury brands.

For more information on Valor Hospitality Partners and its global properties, visit: www.valorhospitality.com

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The Collective, Leeds Great sound is on the menu at a unique cafe and interiors shop’ led by a prominent interior design firm, NANU SODA’, where almost everything you see is available to buy ‘The Collective’ Leeds is a new café and retail experience which adds a whole new meaning to take-away.

Because when customers meet for an artisan coffee or an organic afterwork beverage, they can also purchase virtually anything they see, from the sofas, tables, chairs and lighting to the crockery and cutlery.

Inspired by several successful Los Angeles-based businesses, ‘The Collective’ is a radical departure from the conventional retail model and the first of its kind to open in the region. Based at 34 Boar Lane in Leeds city centre, it’s the brainchild of experienced retail and hospitality innovators Dale Wynter and Ellen Pryce. Says co-director Ellen Pryce: “We wanted to create a feast for the eyes as well as

offering a space where people could re-fuel with some incredible food and drinks. Guests can peruse the art and dreamy décor in a really chilled atmosphere, giving them time to immerse themselves in the quality, hand-crafted goods we have for sale.”

The team also includes interior design experts, who are on-hand to offer design ideas and to discuss bespoke furniture and finish options as well. Guests needing further consultation can book an appointment and meet on-site to explore the options in-depth.

The Project To enhance this extraordinary blend of hospitality and interior design spaces, co-director Dale Wynter approached local integrator Luuxx for the sound system and lighting control. Luuxx’ Michael Glarvey takes up the story: “we’d worked successfully with

Dale on several other projects, so he came straight to us. “He showed us a large, empty space: approximately 170 sq m of ground floor topped by a concrete ceiling around four metres above, with all the electrics and air conditioning architecture on show. “This would remain exposed to provide a stimulating ‘industrial’ contrast with the gorgeous interior spaces beneath.”

“Dale wanted an audio system which would match the bold design ambition for the space and provide an evenly distributed high sound quality throughout. “He’d heard the worst kind of sound design elsewhere: far too loud and distorted in some areas, too quiet and unintelligible in others. “The sound for ‘The Collective’ would be noticeably detailed and full range, without drowning out conversations in the dining and design zones, including the bar area, a large comfy lounge area for dining, and a studio area with island seating primarily for consultations. “He also wanted the staff to be able to control the sound intuitively from a tablet.”

In addition, ‘The Collective’ planned to use a sixteen-zone lighting design created by Ellen Pryce to add a further style dimension to the meeting and dining areas, and Dale wanted Luuxx to automate the dimming with easy control for the staff.”

The Solutions “For the sound we used a total of eight Sonance PS-P63T Pro Series 6.5” pendant speakers in the big space. “Hanging approx. 2.5m off the floor they enhance the ceiling architecture beautifully. “Habitech’s ‘Ease’ predicative analysis helped us to achieve a balanced coverage of detailed wideband audio throughout the space, and also in the restrooms, for which the interior design team pulled out all the stops, figuring that luxury loos would further distance ‘The Collective’ from rivals. “Here we chose the super discreet Sonance PS-C43RT Pro Series 4” round inceiling speakers to provide audio quality compatible with the soundin the larger spaces outside.”

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For power and processing we specified a Yamaha MXV-4140 4-ch amp, hooked up to a matching MTX3 matrix processor and a Yamaha MCP1 wall-mounted frontend, providing control over the system and access to music sources and playlists via Yamaha’s ProVisonaire Touch iPad app.”

“For lighting control and automation, we used a Lutron wireless system of main repeater and in-line dimmers controlled by little Pico keypads, allowing the staff to activate a variety of designed effects in the different zones as simply as pushing a light switch.”

The challenges “The project was very straightforward because, unlike a typical custom install job, we were not required to hide any cables.

“We were however compelled to take utmost care in running the cable infrastructure on the ceiling so it would look impeccably neat.”

The results “When Luuxx arrived early November 21, The Collective was just a shell.

“Six weeks later it had become the creative and energetic hospitality/ design environment you see today - such is the speed at which the retail business operates. “Even so, Dale and Ellen are delighted with the results. “The curated AV does a great job at further differentiating the business from rivals, helping to emphasise that the little details, including great sound and easy control, demonstrate the big design message. “Our relationship with the business is such that Luuxx is now able to hold meetings with prospective clients at ‘The Collective’, which, after all, has become the perfect environment for design creativity. “As usual our thanks goes to the team at Habitech for their fabulous product and design support.”

Kit list 8 x Sonance PS P63T (Black) 1 x Sonance PS C43RT Pair 1 x YAM-XMV-4140 1 x YAM-MTX3 1 x YAM-MCP1 1 x Lutron Main repeater 12 x Lutron Dimmer Module 8 x Lutron PICO-SCENE-PK2-4BTBL-P04 21

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The father-daughter firm bringing transparency to the payment tech world and helping small businesses save thousands The family brand is putting a refreshingly personal spin on a formerly faceless sector empowering companies to trade more competitively at lower rates, with better service

“Bigger payment gateway corporations really overcharge businesses without them realising but we can highlight better options where they can enjoy substantial savings.”

A tech startup run by a fatherdaughter team is bringing some essential family values to the digital payment world - offering a range of supportive services that empower small businesses to trade in a more cost-effective way.

5G-365’s exclusive partnership with Opayo (formally Sage Pay) means clients never pay more than 1% plus 12p per transaction - with no cost to add the gateway to the website and zero downtime required during installation.

5G-365 was launched in spring 2021 by entrepreneurs David Links and Victoria Oster, and the duo have combined their respective skillsets of finance and tech knowledge to build a brand that offers superior, simple, straightforward payment solutions which save clients huge sums of money.

These rates are considerably lower than the popular payment gateway options out there including PayPal, Stripe, Shopify and Square.

The team specialises in both online and offline transactions, including payment gateways - which function as the middleman between customer cards and business accounts - and Chip and Pin merchant services.

- Shopify: 2.2% plus 20p & monthly fee

Whilst most payment gateways are operated by large, faceless corporations, 5G-365 prides itself on working with firms on a personal level - conducting rigorous analysis of payment systems and/or chip and PIN contracts to secure better deals.

In some cases, 5G-365 has helped to save clients up to 50%.

Victoria - who joined forces with her dad whilst also running her own decluttering company - says too many businesses are still paying hidden payment costs they aren’t even aware of.

The 5G-365 co-founder explains: “Lots of businesses just use the standard payment portal that their web designer built into the site when they first created it - and that isn’t usually the best option at all.

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- Paypal: 2.9% plus 20p - Square: 2.5%

- Stripe: 1.4% plus 20p - 5G-365: 1% plus 12p Victoria says that many companies are also tied into overly expensive chip and PIN contracts.

“Businesses can lose so much money by falling victim to hidden costs,” she explains.

“In many cases, business owners just don’t have a clue how much they are losing - we’ve seen companies with chip and PIN contracts on ridiculously high rates.

“The problem is chip and PIN bills are often very complicated, and extra fees can be built into them. PCI data security standard forms are also long-winded and complex and you can be charged for completing them incorrectly - with the penalties added to the monthly bill.

“It’s these hidden fees that can really hurt businesses. We want to help people avoid those by being transparent and honest.

“With 5G-365, you always know exactly what you’re paying for and there will always be someone at the end of the phone to help when you need us.”

As well as offering vital insight into the world of payment systems, 5G365 also assists with digital signage tech - enabling businesses to execute a digital marketing strategy that puts brand names in the best places. Every solution is bespoke and designed for the client in question.

For more information on how 5G365 is offering a different type of payment solutions service, visit the official website: www.5g-365.com

The Checkout of the future is here Proppos is an A.I. company based in Spain specialised in food recognition using computer vision and deep learning algorithms.

Thanks to its technology, Proppos offers A.I,. checkout solutions for Horeca and Retail industries.

Proppos first solution is Proppos FastPay, an intelligent self-checkout that is able to recognize any kind of product in less that 0.2s. It’s an ideal solution for canteens, cafés and grab & go stores in order to offer a fast checkout experience. The main advantages of Proppos are: - It uses Edge A.I. in order to not depend on internet connection and high cloud infrastructure costs.

Also to offer the fastest image recognition.

- It uses multiple camera pipelines, in order to have better accuracy for products like drinks.

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- It is able to recognize a new product, never seen before with just 5 pictures. After taking the pictures, Proppos FastPay trains itself and transfers the learning to the other terminals. This process takes 2 minutes and enables you to recognize a new product never seen the same day that arrives at the restaurant. It’s a key feature as self-service restaurants have a big rotation of products and every day new products can appear.

Also, on top of its solutions, Proppos offers an end-to-end computer vision platform for its partners that enables them to manage the different solutions. From creating new accounts to training the computer vision models.

Proppos platform makes it very easy to develop new solutions for other sectors like QSRs and Supermarkets. At this moment,

Proppos and its partners offer two more solutions: - Food inspection: It helps Hospitals and Catering companies to be more efficient during the food quality inspection process on the conveyor belt. Proppos analyzes every tray in real time and helps the nutricionist be more efficient.

- Picking Control: it helps QSRs to be more efficient when they prepare the orders for different clients. Picking control product, uses computer vision to check that all the items are present on the tray or in the take away bag.

Check out our video here to see Proppos FastPay 2.0 in action www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UfFH9NJCAew To find out more about Proppos email : info@proppos.com or visit www.proppos.com/

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Where does the payment technology road lead?

The last two years have shown us it’s impossible to predict exactly how, when and where the payments landscape will move. We can make educated guesses, by analysing emerging technologies, consumer behaviour and payment patterns, but the world will throw its own challenges in the way, altering the path we see ahead, or accelerating it beyond our control.

The pandemic has made us re-evaluate how we manage payments, so what have we learnt over the last two years in hospitality payment technology?

The road is never straight – QR comeback The technology road is not a straight one. One excellent illustration of this is the comeback of QR codes. During their general introduction in 2010, QR codes were seemingly forced upon us as an impractical ‘tool’ that had no distinctly useful purpose, other than for making marketing or advertising seem ‘techy’. They quite rapidly faded out of the mainstream. Then, as social distancing became an established part of society, businesses had to rethink the transfer of information, and QR codes found their place in the technology landscape. Their re-emergence demonstrated the important role they could play in simplifying the payment process, with ‘scan-to-pay’ QR codes located in many hospitality locations. They have also proved useful in other ways, not just as a method to facilitate easy payment transfer, but also as a link to menus and for web-based ordering.

Some things will get left behind – cash The rate at which the payment landscape has shifted to cashless has been irreversibly accelerated by the pandemic. Cash as a percentage of all payments fell from 56% in 2010, to 45% in 2015, and then with a steep decline to 17% in 2020.

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We have reached a tipping point where there is no going back, but to move forward we need to ensure we are working with the right payment methods that benefit businesses and consumers.

The fastest route is fantastic… but we need to be cautious – contactless and direct transfers In October 2021 there were 1.3 billion contactless card transactions, which is 34.1% more than October 2020, and 74.5% more than October 2019.[2] Our appetite for speedy, seamless transactions is not reducing. However, as the contactless card limit in the UK rose to £100, there are some reservations from consumers as to whether this will enable overspending, and from retailers with regards to higher cost ‘walk-offs’ – customers leaving the store without realising their payment hasn’t gone through.

Mobile banking, PIN on Glass/PIN transactions and direct transfers (bank to bank), are all emerging technologies that will reduce costs and facilitate fast payments. Yet, hospitality providers should be aware that it’s likely we will see card schemes and banks begin introducing some other charges for these in order to recoup their profits lost from the reduction in sales of card terminals.

It can be hard to know which way to go – biometric payments and cryptocurrency Biometric payment will almost certainly revolutionise the payment landscape. However, we can’t yet know in which form biometrics will be most widely and effectively implemented in the hospitality landscape. Iris, fingerprint, facial, movement, and voice are all big news in biometric payment technology. ‘Pay by selfie’ or ‘smile to pay’ services have been around for a while, especially in China, but haven’t become widespread in the UK or Europe, so we have yet to see which of these methods will pull ahead.

Before Covid-19 hit, it seemed as though fingerprints might emerge as the foremost biometric payment method, but the emphasis on reducing touchpoints to cut back on the spread of virus has meant facial and iris are becoming more prevalent.

Although it’s possible Amazons’ palm/vein recent launch may be the way forward.

Another uncertainty is whether cryptocurrencies come into play as a method of payment in our day to day lives? Could we be paying for our morning coffee in crypto in the next few years…unlikely, but it’s hard to say never.

Keep moving forward, but there is much to be learnt from the path you’ve travelled To understand the future, we need to look at the past. When it comes to technology, we have to understand how and why changes have happened, by looking at consumer behaviour, reservations and the factors which have influenced their decision to embrace certain technologies.

Generational adoption, especially in technology, is a continuous iterative process.

PoS as an independent process doesn’t really exist anymore, instead we have different solutions coming together seamlessly to take customers on a streamlined, personalised journey. Technology has facilitated us interacting with customers, collecting data and taking payments in the easiest way possible.

Utilising personal data for a better consumer experience, whilst creating a hospitality journey with frictionless processes and transactions, is certainly the future of payments, but the focus should be on security and ensuring data is used responsibly.

For more information visit: www.ukfinance.org.uk

PXP Financial integrates its ANYpay Checkout Solution into Vertical Systems New Pay-by-link Product The payment expert continues to improve the payment process for the hospitality industry in the UK PXP Financial Ltd, the expert in acquiring and payment processing services, today announces a new step in its partnership with Vertical Systems, one of the longest established and largest suppliers of travel technology in the UK market.

PXP Financial and Vertical Systems have enjoyed a strong partnership for over 20 years, with the former ANYpay checkout solution integrated into the latter’s ManageMyBooking application.

Now, both companies can confirm that the ANYpay Checkout solution will also be integrated into Vertical Systems latest product: VSL Pay. VSL Pay is a pay-by-link solution that creates a unique prepopulated payment link for travel and hospitality agents, one that is

fully compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and achieving PCI DSS compliance regulations. The cloud-based application reduces the steps required to make payments whilst increasing payment conversions, all of which is handled by the ANYpay Checkout solution from PXP Financial.

Chris North, Managing Director at Vertical Systems Ltd., comments: “We understand the hospitality sector and from our experience working with PXP Financial, we are confident they do as well. Our upcoming VSL Pay product will make it even easier for those in hospitality across the UK to accept any form of payments in new ways.

The ANYpay solution offers a secure checkout process for the end-user and will ensure zero hassle when making payments.”

Kamran Hedjri, CEO at PXP Financial Ltd., says: “Our partnership with

Vertical Systems has been long and successful and we are thrilled to be continuing this with VSL Pay. Together with Vertical Systems, we have been offering the right combination of technology that is unique to the hospitality sector. This has given us a proven track-record of making payments seamless for customers in the UK and we’ll continue to do so for users of this new service.”

As the hospitality industry improves, it is crucial that businesses are prepared for an influx of customers looking to book simply and safely.

With VSL Pay, powered by ANYpay, agents will have the capabilities to accept all payments in a way that is not disruptive to the businesses payments network and leaves the end-user pleased.

To find out more about the PXP Financial, please visit: www.pxpfinancial.com.

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