Tokenisation helps protect sensitive card data and reduce your PCI data security scope, which is great from a security point-of-view. However, many of our customers in the hospitality industry are seeing ancillary benefits around operational, cost and marketing efficiencies. These can be as significant as the security benefits — sometimes more so.
1. What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation replaces sensitive card data with a token, which hoteliers can use across various front-end and back-end systems instead of the real card data.
You are never actually processing or storing card data in the clear on your systems, as we store the real data in our secure data centre. If the tokens were compromised, the random strings of numbers would be of little use to a criminal.
2. How does it work?
PXP creates tokens using ‘format preserving encryption’, which comes with a range of different options. The token looks like a card number with either 16 or 19-digits. Which means you can continue to use existing business applications and databases that store card numbers without modification.
3. What card data can I tokenise?
You can tokenise face-to-face or remote sales (via mail order/telephone order or e-commerce). You can tokenise sales, refunds, top-up authorisations or completions. You can tokenise individual transactions or batches, and those from sub-brands across a group or franchise. You can also tokenise card data on your systems retrospectively without completing a transaction.
4. What are the benefits of tokenisation for hoteliers?
Historically, you may have stored card data to perform certain tasks, such as reserving rooms, performing pre authorisations, top-up authorisations, or processing delayed and amended charges. You can still perform all these operations using tokenised data instead. Preserving existing processes and systems means all the data security and operational benefits, with none of the system upgrade costs and staff re-training.
Strategically, tokenisation helps power business expansion, whether that is across channels, countries or franchisees. Financially, the costs of implementing tokenisation are more than offset by the risk reduction, business efficiency and security savings delivered. Tokenisation also helps deliver marketing benefits associated with loyalty, analytics and creating a more frictionless customer experience.
5. Which front-end business applications does tokenisation work with?
Tokenisation is compatible with any front-end business application interfacing to the PXP API. It is also compatible with any property management system, irrespective of whether it is a hosted or enterprise version.
6. Which back-end business applications does tokenisation work with?
More and more back-office applications now integrate with tokenisation as standard, as no organisation wants or needs to handle sensitive card data if they do not have to. Our tokens can be configured to work with corporate travel agencies, booking agents and hosted property management systems which pass guest bookings to your business and share the tokens across all of these channels.
7. Will tokenisation slow my systems down?
No, the creation of tokens does not impact transaction processing time.
8. What changes do I need to make to enable tokenisation?
The token is returned in the existing card number field in the response from PXP, therefore no changes are required from the front-end, except to enable a new BIN range.
9. How does tokenisation help me with PCI DSS compliance?
Tokenisation simplifies the task of compliance with PCI DSS requirements of as it allows merchants to remove card data from their systems.
Financially, the costs of implementing tokenisation are more than offset by the risk reduction, business efficiency and security savings delivered.
How To Find Out More
For more information, please see the PXP Financial Hospitality Guide.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to data security and the hospitality industry has some particular requirements. For a free 30-minute consultation, please complete the form below or call 0844 209 4370.
PXP Financial
The End-to-end payment platform
PXP Financial provides a single unified payments platform to accept payments online, on mobile and at the point of sale. Powered by inhouse global acquiring, 200+ alternative payment methods & financial services, PXP processes over EUR 16 billion annually through our unified gateway.
Whatever your business needs today or tomorrow, PXP Financials’ innovative payment platform will support your business growth with all the payment services you will ever need from one source, wherever your business takes you.
