Virtual cards have become standard in corporate travel. But until now, the industry has lacked a clear way to measure how reliably those payments are processed at hotel level.Today, Conferma announces the launch of the Virtual Card Performance Index (VPI) — alongside its first global benchmark report — creating the industry’s first objective standard for hotel payment performance.Built on real transaction data, the VPI moves the market beyond acceptance, introducing a measurable view of how virtual card payments perform in practice.Industry adoption from day oneLeading Travel Management Companies (TMCs) including BCD, Clarity, and CTM are adopting the VPI at launch, embedding payment performance data into sourcing, booking, and servicing workflows.As early adopters, these partners are helping to bring real-world application of the Index, ensuring it reflects real operational challenges across global travel programmes."As an early adopter of Conferma's virtual card innovations, BCD is excited to bring customers the next evolution with VPI. We've learned and improved from the initial launch of the Virtual Card Acceptance Rating last year, and the industry's understanding of virtual card payments has evolved considerably in recent years as well. With VPI, we now have a shared benchmark to help the industry measure and improve payment experiences at scale,” said Neil Fyfe, Vice President, Payment and Expense Solutions at BCD.“This is the first time the industry has had a shared benchmark for payment performance. That changes how we evaluate suppliers, and how we deliver value to corporate travel programmes,” said Pat McDonagh, Chief Executive Officer at Clarity."Payment reliability directly affects traveler confidence, service efficiency, and the overall performance of a travel program. The VPI gives us objective data to identify friction before it becomes an escalation, make more informed hotel sourcing decisions and help our customers build more consistent, efficient programs," said Ken Augustine, Regional Head of Technology, North America at CTM.Making payment performance visibleVirtual card acceptance does not guarantee a frictionless payment experience. When payments fail, travellers feel it first, while agents and corporate buyers absorb the fallout.The VPI addresses this by assigning each hotel a score from 1-10, based on how consistently payments are handled.Scores are:Based on real transaction behaviourMeasured at property level, with parent-group views layered on topUpdated in a monthly rolling window to reflect performance over timeFirst benchmark report for the marketConferma’s VPI benchmark report provides the first aggregated view of virtual card performance across the hotel sector. It highlights strong performers, variability across the market, and identifies the clear gap between acceptance and reliable execution.“The industry has focused on acceptance. But acceptance doesn’t equal performance,” said Mark Ledsham, CEO at Conferma. “Visibility is the key to unlocking the real impact of reliable payments – and Conferma’s VPI gives the industry a clear, objective benchmark."From insight to advantageFor TMCs, corporates, and hotel groups, the VPI turns payment performance into a measurable commercial lever, helping reduce friction, improve programme outcomes and strengthen supplier decisions.NoYesPayments04 Aug, 2026