Motorhome Republic launches PayTo for instant bank transfers

Motorhome Republic has launched PayTo at its Australian checkout, enabling customers to pay via instant bank transfer and avoid card surcharges.

The integration leverages Volt's global real-time payments platform and payment infrastructure from Optty, offering new payment flexibility for users booking motorhome and campervan rentals in Australia.

Motorhome Republic, part of Webjet Group, is one of the largest rental agencies of its kind, with vehicle pick-up locations across more than 50 countries. The Australian market, known for its popularity among budget travellers exploring the outdoors, represents a significant portion of the company's customer base.

The new payment solution offers customers an alternative to traditional debit and credit card payments, which often carry surcharge fees. With PayTo, Australian customers can make instant bank transfers, potentially saving on these extra charges and making self-drive holidays more accessible to a wider audience.

How PayTo works

PayTo is a real-time payment solution designed to facilitate quicker and safer bank transfers for both one-off and recurring payments. First introduced by New Payments Platform Australia in 2022, PayTo is being promoted as a successor to traditional direct debit systems, providing users with greater transparency and control over online payments through their own bank's secure interface.

When customers of Motorhome Republic in Australia proceed to checkout, they can now select the 'PayTo - instant bank transfer' option alongside existing payment methods like debit or credit cards and PayPal. To use PayTo, customers enter their PayID or bank details, allowing them to set up a payment agreement directly from their bank account. Once authorised, returning customers can enjoy faster checkouts through a one-click process in future transactions.

This approach aligns with recent technological updates in Australia's payments landscape. POLi, a widely used instant payments platform among travel merchants, ceased operations in 2023. Unlike POLi, which required customers to share their bank account login details, PayTo uses secure API connections to banks.

Jessica Kaukas, Webjet Group's Payments, Revenue Protection & Finance Systems Lead, commented on the rollout, noting the advantages of reducing friction and costs at the point of sale.

"We're excited to bring PayTo and Volt to our customers through our integration with Optty's payment orchestration platform. This partnership highlights our shared commitment to innovation, speed, and delivering a seamless payment experience."

Global payment ambitions

While PayTo integration is going live in Australia, Motorhome Republic aims to broaden its real-time payments capability using Volt's global API. The company has indicated plans to accept similar instant bank transfers in the United Kingdom and Europe, where Volt utilises Faster Payments and SEPA Instant rails respectively. These developments are designed to bring the same benefits of lower transaction costs and faster settlements to Motorhome Republic's international markets.

Kristofer Rogers, Senior Vice President Australia & New Zealand at Volt, emphasised the value of the partnership, as well as the growing role of real-time payments as a viable alternative to card transactions.

"We're thrilled to welcome Motorhome Republic on board via our partners Optty. It's fantastic to see such a highly regarded enterprise travel brand - the sixth in our merchant portfolio - realise not only the benefits of PayTo, but Volt's specific integration of what has already become a serious challenger to cards. We look forward to helping Motorhome Republic realise these benefits, and to delivering a faster, better-optimised payment experience to its users - in Australia and beyond."

Infrastructure partners

Steven Ritchie, Interim CEO of Optty, highlighted the role of Optty's infrastructure in delivering this payment solution to a global userbase. "Because Optty is a global payments infrastructure platform, we want to support and grow the demand for adaptable and cost-effective payment solutions. This partnership with Motorhome Republic and Volt ensures our joint partners and merchants will always have access to cutting-edge and cost-effective solutions through two platforms with global reach."

Motorhome Republic's acceptance of PayTo reflects wider trends in Australian and international payments markets towards faster, safer digital bank transfers. According to the company, the solution supports its ongoing expansion and offers the same transaction security and settlement efficiency for customers renting vehicles in Australia, the UK and Europe.