Payment Gateways for Travel Agencies: Stripe vs Razorpay vs PayPal

Taking payment online is one of the biggest improvements a travel agency can make. It turns interest into commitment, reduces last-minute cancellations and ends the daily routine of asking customers for transfer screenshots and matching them to bookings. But choosing a payment gateway can feel confusing. Different gateways work in different countries, support different payment methods and charge in different ways.

This guide compares three gateways widely used by travel businesses, Stripe, Razorpay and PayPal, and explains how to choose, how to connect a gateway to your bookings, and what to watch for in travel specifically. Gateway terms, fees and availability change, so always check the current details on each provider's website for your country.

Why travel payments are different

• High ticket values. Packages and group tours can be expensive, so customers need to trust the payment page.
• International customers. Travellers often pay from another country with foreign cards.
• Refunds and cancellations. Changes of plan are common, so refunds must be easy to process and record.
• Chargeback risk. Services delivered in the future can attract disputes, so clear terms and records matter.
• Some gateways treat travel as higher risk and may ask for extra information during onboarding or hold funds for a period. Ask about this up front.

Stripe

Best for: agencies selling to international customers who pay by card, in countries where Stripe is available to your business.

Stripe is a developer-friendly gateway known for a clean checkout, broad card support and wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay in supported regions. It handles many currencies and is widely trusted by international travellers. Stripe is available in many countries, including the UAE, but availability for new accounts varies by country, so confirm that you can open an account for your business location before you plan around it.

• Strengths: smooth card payments, strong international support, good fraud tools and a detailed dashboard.
• Watch for: country availability, currency conversion costs and any review of travel businesses during onboarding.

Razorpay

Best for: agencies registered in India selling to Indian customers.

Razorpay is one of India's most widely used gateways. In one integration, it covers the payment methods Indian customers prefer: UPI, cards, netbanking and popular wallets. For an Indian agency, UPI support alone can make a big difference to conversion, because many customers prefer it to cards. Razorpay generally requires an Indian registered business.

• Strengths: UPI and local payment methods, familiar to Indian customers, and a secure signature-based way to verify each payment.
• Watch for: it is focused on India, so you will usually want a second gateway for international customers.

PayPal

Best for: international customers who prefer to pay with a PayPal account, and as a trusted second option at checkout.

PayPal is recognised by travellers in many countries, and some customers will only pay online through it because they trust its buyer protection. That trust can help a small or new agency. In some markets, such as India, PayPal is used mainly for international rather than domestic payments, so check how it works in your country.

• Strengths: brand recognition and customer trust, especially in Europe and North America.
• Watch for: cross-border and currency conversion costs, and dispute processes that favour buyers, which makes clear terms and records important.

Quick comparison

Should you offer more than one gateway?

Often, yes. A common setup is one main gateway for your home market and a second for international customers or those who prefer PayPal. An Indian agency might use Razorpay for domestic customers and Stripe or PayPal for foreign travellers, subject to availability. A UAE agency might use Stripe as the main card gateway with PayPal as an alternative. Offering the method a customer trusts can be the difference between a booking and an abandoned checkout. Don't overdo it, though: two or three options are plenty.

Fees: what to compare

Fees vary by provider, country, payment method and customer location, and they change over time, so compare them on each provider's current pricing page. Look at:

• The percentage and any fixed fee per transaction for domestic cards and local methods.
• Additional charges for international cards and currency conversion.
• Refund fees, and whether the original fee is returned on refunds.
• Chargeback or dispute fees.
• How quickly money reaches your bank account.

Record card and gateway fees as a cost against each booking so your profit figures stay accurate.

Connecting the gateway to your bookings

A gateway on its own just moves money. The real benefit comes when it is connected to your booking system:

1. The customer books and is sent to the gateway to pay.
2. The gateway processes the payment and reports the result.
3. Your system verifies the payment on the server rather than trusting the browser, so nobody can fake a successful payment.
4. The booking is marked paid, and the payment is recorded against it.
5. The customer receives a confirmation and invoice automatically.

Without this connection, someone has to match gateway payments to bookings by hand, which is slow and error-prone.

Refunds and cancellations

Publish a clear cancellation and refund policy and show it at checkout. When a refund is due, process it through the gateway and record it against the original booking, including any amount you retain under your policy. Keeping refunds in the same system as bookings keeps revenue and profit reports honest.

Security essentials

• Card details should be entered on the gateway's secure pages or components, never stored on your own server.
• Your website must use HTTPS.
• Payments should be verified server-side, for example using the gateway's signature or confirmation methods.
• Staff access to payment records should be limited by role.
• Use test mode for setup and changes, and switch to live mode only when everything works.

Reducing disputes

Disputes are less likely when customers know exactly what they bought. Clear inclusions and exclusions, confirmation emails with booking details, a PDF invoice, a customer dashboard showing the booking and a visible cancellation policy all give you the evidence you need if a customer later disputes a payment.

Checklist before going live

1. Your gateway account is fully approved for your business and your travel services.
2. Test bookings have been paid successfully in test mode for every service you sell.
3. A failed or cancelled payment leaves the booking unpaid and doesn't send a confirmation.
4. Confirmation emails and invoices show the correct amount, currency and business details.
5. A test refund has been processed and recorded against its booking.
6. Your cancellation and refund policy is visible at checkout.
7. Live keys are entered, test keys removed, and a small real payment has been made and refunded.

Running through this list takes an hour and prevents the most common payment problems agencies discover only after real customers start paying. Repeat it whenever you change gateways or update your website.

Mistakes to avoid

Relying on bank transfers and screenshots. Slow, error-prone and easy to fake.

Choosing only on headline fees. Availability, payment methods and customer trust often matter more.

No server-side verification. Never mark a booking paid based on the browser alone.

Ignoring gateway fees in your margins. They are a real cost on every booking.

Payments in Crafts Travel

Crafts Travel by Crafts Software has Stripe, Razorpay and PayPal built in, plus a test mode for safe setup, so you can offer the right mix for your market. Customers pay online for packages, cars and activities in one checkout, and for visa services. Razorpay payments are verified using Razorpay's signature, and payments are recorded against bookings, which are marked paid and followed by automatic confirmation emails and PDF invoices.

The finance module lets you receive, refund or partly retain payments against each booking and record costs, including gateway fees, so profit per booking stays accurate. Card details are handled by the gateways, not stored in Crafts Travel. Our team installs the platform on your own server and helps you connect your gateway accounts.

Conclusion

There is no single best payment gateway for every travel agency. Razorpay is the natural choice for Indian customers, Stripe is strong for international card payments where available, and PayPal adds trust for travellers who prefer it. Many agencies use two. Whatever you choose, connect it to your booking system with server-side verification, record fees and refunds against bookings, and make your terms clear. For the bigger picture, read our guides to starting a travel agency and travel agency software in India.