Agoda & Adyen mark decade-long payments partnership

Agoda and Adyen have marked more than a decade of working together on traveller payments, a relationship that began in 2015.

The tie-up started as Agoda expanded its mobile-first business across Asia and has since widened as the travel company grew into a global multi-product platform. Adyen now acts as Agoda's payments acquirer across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US, while supporting a range of local payment methods in different markets.

As Agoda entered more countries, its payment needs became more complex. The partnership has included expanding currency choice, reducing checkout friction for legitimate bookings, and improving authorisation rates and payment reliability through routing changes.

Those changes affect a key part of the customer journey for online travel platforms, where failed or delayed transactions can disrupt bookings. For Agoda, the payments set-up underpins accommodation and travel purchases across multiple markets and currencies.

Oliver Webster, Chief Financial Officer at Agoda, said the long relationship has developed alongside the company's international growth.

"Agoda and Adyen have partnered closely for more than a decade, growing together as Agoda's business has expanded around the world," said Oliver Webster, Chief Financial Officer at Agoda. "In particular, there are strong synergies around performance enhancement, whether that's making payments easier, increasing reliability, or improving overall experience. Ultimately, that aligns seamlessly with Agoda's goal to take the hassle out of travel, and help people see the world for less."

Payments role

Adyen's role now covers acquiring for Agoda in three major regions, giving the Dutch payments group a central role in how the travel platform processes transactions. In travel, merchants often need to offer local payment preferences and manage cross-border transactions while keeping approval rates stable.

The partnership also reflects Agoda's shift from a regional online travel business to a broader global platform. Payment providers supporting that growth are typically expected to handle multiple currencies, local regulations and different consumer payment habits in each market.

Agoda's operations have expanded beyond their earlier regional footprint, and payment acceptance has had to keep pace. Local payment options have become particularly important in markets where card use sits alongside bank transfers, digital wallets and other domestic methods.

Another focus has been authentication, where companies try to balance fraud controls with ease of use. Reducing unnecessary checks for genuine customers can lower the risk of abandoned bookings, particularly on mobile devices, where extra steps can deter users from completing a transaction.

Shared growth

Kai Tang, Head of Hong Kong at Adyen, said the two groups have worked together on regular adjustments to improve payment outcomes.

"Over ten years, our relationship with Agoda has grown alongside their business," said Kai Tang, Head of Hong Kong at Adyen. "What makes this partnership special is our shared focus on continuous optimization. At Agoda's scale, improvements in how payments are routed, authorized and settled can have a meaningful impact on performance and the traveler experience. We're excited to continue building on that together."

The relationship underscores how payments infrastructure has become a strategic function for online travel companies rather than just a back-office necessity. As booking platforms compete on conversion rates and customer experience, small changes to authorisation, settlement and local acceptance can influence revenue and customer retention.

For payments companies, travel remains a significant sector because of its cross-border nature and high transaction volumes. Merchants in the sector often need support across geographies at once, so long-term arrangements with processors and acquirers become more important as they scale.

The companies are also examining additional areas, including issuing and payouts in supported markets. Agoda said it continues to invest in customer experience and emerging technology to make travel simpler and more accessible for everyone.