Articles

Category:

Who uses visa processing software?

February 21, 2020 in Travel Technology
visa processing software

In an increasingly digital world, electronic visas are becoming much more common. 

As more countries transition from traditional to e-visa systems, online travel companies are quickly beginning to discover the many benefits of online visa processing software.
Online visa processing is growing in popularity. In the near future, it will most likely become essential. Therefore, it’s essential that companies learn how these systems work if they’re going to compete in the changing market and meet their customers’ expectations.

So, what are electronic visas? What are the benefits? And who uses processing software to issue them? 

Simply put, electronic visas allow for the management of the visa application process to be carried out entirely online.
This means that rather than completing physical forms and waiting for them to be received and processed – which can be time-consuming – travelers are able to complete their application online. This includes all aspects of the process. Everything from filling in forms, making payments, and receiving a final decision, can be completed using an eVisa portal. 

This is something that’s used by many countries, including major destinations like the US, Australia, and others. As of 2021, this will also include the European Union. It’s not surprising that online services are popular with travelers, as well as immigration services. They offer many benefits, such as: 

  • They make the process more efficient and much less hassle for everyone involved
  • Safety and security are improved due to better access to traveler information and better tools for tracking passengers 
  • It saves time as it streamlines and simplifies the entire application process 
  • It boosts revenue for travel operators as they can charge additional fees for visa processing

As you can see, there are numerous benefits to e-visas. But, when it comes to visa processing software, who can use it?
There are several types of online companies that can benefit from adding this additional service to their existing ones. 

Visa processing software for online travel agencies (OTA’s) 

There’s no doubt that online travel agencies are the future of the industry. Booking holidays and trips abroad online has never been more popular. In fact, in a study carried out in 2019, it was estimated that, in the same year, online digital travel sales were worth $755 billion globally. Impressive, right? And in addition to this, it was also estimated that 83% of adults in the US now prefer booking their travel online.
These figures show just how much money is being spent on travel online. Because of this, online travel agencies are often looking for a way to improve their service and boost profits. Integrating visa processing software is a great way to do this. Most customers now prefer to purchase everything online, and all in one place. 

By adding the option to buy an e-visa with the rest of their trip, in the same way, that they would book a hotel or car hire, this improves their experience and saves them time and money. It’s also great for the agency, as they can charge an additional processing fee. 

Visa processing software for airlines 

As well as online travel agencies, airlines can also benefit from using visa software as part of their service. Like travel agencies, airlines aren’t short of customers – especially when it comes to online bookings. However, in the last few years, many airlines have found that slowing demand and rising operating costs are squeezing their profit margins.
In 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it would be downgrading its predictions of the global air travel industry, and many companies are beginning to plan accordingly.
The report did note, however, that passenger demand is still strong and that airlines can still remain profitable. Like in any industry, companies are finding that they need to do more to compete. By including a visa application service at the point of sale, airlines can offer their customers a service that’s faster and simpler than their competitors.

They can also charge additional fees for visa processing like they would for other added extras. This is one of the best ways of boosting revenue – in a similar way to charging for more baggage allowance or transfers, airlines can offer an e-visa at the point of sale. 

Visa processing software for physical travel agencies 

Although more consumers are choosing to book their trips online, there is still demand for physical travel agencies. In fact, many travelers still prefer this service for many reasons. For example, they might prefer speaking to someone in person, or they might feel like the service is more secure and less open to the risk of fraud or security breaches. Whatever the reason, the fact is, physical travel agencies still provide an essential service within the travel industry. But, with many of these types of businesses struggling, it’s essential they maximize profits and try to attract as many customers as possible.

Offering travelers the chance to purchase their e-visa with the rest of their trip is an amazing way to do this. When someone books a holiday through an agent, it’s usually a sign that they want to remove the hassle of booking everything themselves – and, the majority of the time, they are willing to pay more for this. 

Physical travel agencies can take advantage of the software that’s available and offer their customers e-visas when booking the rest of their trip. This can be done in the same way as they would when booking other extras, like car hire or anything else. 

Visa processing software for tour operators 

Lastly, tour operators can use visa processing software to offer customers visa application services that are included in their package. This is particularly beneficial for operators that run large packages or have high paying clients – for instance, they might be working with a large company sending their employees abroad. With bigger contracts like this, the additional profits from e-visa processing can be substantial. Plus, it makes life much easier for the person booking, as they don’t need to spend additional time researching which visas are needed, applying for them, and waiting for a response. 

As we’ve seen, visa processing software is a great addition to various types of businesses. It improves the service they can offer their customers, as it saves them time and is much more straightforward. 

Also, it can help the types of businesses we’ve mentioned to boost their profits by charging extra fees, and by attracting and retaining more customers thanks to the convenient service on offer. 

If you want to know more, request a demo of our travel visa API.

How eVisa APIs work: Step by Step

February 11, 2020 in Travel Technology
evisa api Step by Step
evisa API process

E-Visa APIs are fairly new to the travel industry. Here is a step by step guide of how these travel visa API work.
Every year some new innovative software and technologies get introduced to travel summits such as the Aviation festival Americas, the Aviation festival Asia or the Future Travel Experience Show. This year, it is a new way for travelers to manage their visas application that got discovered. It is now possible for travelers to apply directly with their travel agency (online and physical agencies) or through the airlines when booking their trip. While the travel industry has been using seat selection, additional baggage and meal reservations as a means to increase their ancillary revenue, the passenger was on its own when it came to visa requirements and application. Travel visa requirements are becoming more common and an eVisa API simplifies the process for the passenger and increases the ancillary revenue for the booking platform. Here is how it works:

Retrieves the data

While using a travel document system, the software will retrieve and analyze the passenger’s data such as where the country of the multiple countries they are traveling to. The citizenship of the traveler will also be taken into account to determine if a visa is needed. If the software determines that the passenger will need an eVisa for one of the destinations, it will automatically determine which one according to the law and regulations of the country that will be visited during their travel.

Submission of the form electronically

Depending on the eVisa needed for your client to be able to travel, the API will send the appropriate form for them to fill. The form must be filled in advance as the government can sometimes take time to approve or not an application. This is due to high demand or other circumstances.
It gives you the option to apply directly for your eVisa while you are booking your plane ticket or travel experience. The option can be applied as an add-on. If the passenger chooses the option, the API will send directly the information filled by the customer to the appropriate government or agency to apply for an eVisa. They won’t have to leave the company’s website anymore and spend time looking for what visa is needed, when and where to apply.

Sends confirmation of application and approval or refusal

Once the API submits the application, the government will then decide if the application is approved or not. At this stage, the government can also ask for more information from the traveler. If the government approves, the passenger will then receive an eVisa confirmation and eVisa number on the email address provided. At this stage, the government may ask for further information. An eVisa application can also be denied for various reasons. In this case, the passenger should contact their embassy directly or follow the instructions given. If the eVisa application is approved the passenger will receive a visa confirmation number and will now be able to travel safely to the country of destination.

eVisa API benefits

The Customer benefited from not having to leave the website to find how and where to apply for their e-visa. On the company side, the benefits come from are the increase in revenue and better client satisfaction If you want to learn more about using eVisa as an ancillary revenue for your company, you can book a demo directly with our API software developer.

3 benefits of a travel visa document systems

February 11, 2020 in Travel Technology
travel documentation system benefits

Electronic visas are now becoming much more common. Rather than traditional visa processing, online systems are now being used instead. Lots of countries are now implementing these systems, which streamline the visa application process and make it more secure. This is great news for many consumers, who often prefer online systems. And it can also bring many benefits for travel operators, as they can offer this as part of their service. E-visas allow the management of visa applications to become completely digital. Everything, from security checks and submitting documents to making payments and receiving a final decision can now be completed online. And the list of countries switching to this type of application is growing quickly. 

The most recent example of this would be the EU, which announced in 2016 that it would be introducing ETIAS – the European Travel Information and Authorization System. This system will be completely electronic and will be similar to the U.S Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which has existed for several years for travelers with a visa exemption. The EU is planning for its own system to be rolled out by 2021 and will make it much easier for applications to be processed for new arrivals into the European Union. ETIAS will carry out detailed security checks on applicants wanting to travel to the Schengen Zone. It means that citizens from countries with a 90-day visa waiver will no longer need to go through a long application process – this will all be completely replaced by the online service. The electronic system is much more convenient and will save both business travelers and tourists time and hassle. It will also make the EU much more efficient in tracking visitors and keeping up to date with any security risks. 

So, what do these changes mean for online travel operators and airlines?
Consumers have always had the option to rent a car or book a hotel online, but in terms of making a visa application, they’ve always been on their own. However, it’s predicted there will be huge changes in this area. As electronic visas become more common, this will also mean an increase in the number of companies using travel visa document systems for customers booking a flight or trip abroad. Eventually, this will become the norm.
If you’re a business owner, you may be unsure about how this affects you. But, using travel visa document systems have many benefits for travel operators. Let’s take a look at some of these benefits: 

Travel visa document systems save time

Up until now, customers have mostly been left to make their own arrangements in terms of visa applications. This can often mean lengthy research into fees and visa requirements, finding and the right external services and completing the application themselves.
This process can take up a lot of time. But, by using a travel visa API in your business, this no longer has to be the case. You can help your customers save time by allowing them to buy visas directly from your website at the checkout. They no longer need to search to find out if an e-visa is needed or where they need to go to apply. Everything is available in one place, and it makes it possible to book this with their flights or trip, just like they would with transfers, car hire or hotels. E-visas make the application process much faster. As all the application processes can be completed online, including payments and decisions, this saves a lot of time for customers, who can get visas for dozens of countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey. 

A travel visa API makes it more convenient 

It’s estimated that around 82% of holiday bookings are now made online through a website or a mobile app. The online travel industry is growing rapidly and has been for several years. This means that competition is growing, too. Consumers now have more choices than ever before. Competition is fierce. This means that, if you want to attract and retain more customers, as a travel provider, you need to offer the best, hassle-free service possible. Including a travel visa document system API into your service is a great way to do this. Customers are now looking for the most convenient, easy to use service they can get – and part of this is being able to purchase everything in one place. Being able to buy e-visas with flights from a travel agency directly is a much more convenient option. It means everything they need for their trip can be booked easily from the airline or agency website, and there’s no longer any need to look around elsewhere. 

Travel visa document systems increase revenue

Last but not least, one of the biggest advantages of using a travel visa API in your business is that it can increase revenues. As you know, many companies make additional profits off added extras for trips. Up until now, this has been limited to insurance products, transfers, car hire, hotels, and similar products – with visas being something the customer had to purchase externally. This is no longer the case. Going forward, businesses will be able to add this as one of their products. Not only will this make the customer’s life much easier, but it also means the business will be able to charge a fee for online visa processing. 

Electronic visas are quickly becoming the norm, and this means businesses need to adjust to these changes if they want to keep up with their competitors. For online companies selling trips abroad and flights, this is a great opportunity to offer their customers an additional service at the checkout which allows them to purchase their visas online with the rest of their holiday. This is great for customers as it saves them time and is much more convenient, and it can also help businesses increase their revenues and build their brand. If you want to know more, get a demo of the travel visa API and find out how it could benefit your business.