Meet Arun. He’s been saving for a Europe trip for months. Flights compared. Hotels shortlisted. Budget figured out. The decision is made. He’s ready to hit Book Now.
And then checkout gets in the way.
Price in USD. No UPI. No EMI. No way to split the payment. He gets overwhelmed and drops off.
The booking wasn’t lost because he changed his mind. It was lost because the checkout didn’t give him a way that worked. Sound familiar?
The Intent Is There. The Checkout Isn’t Keeping Up.
64% of global travellers are cutting spending in other areas just to keep travelling. That’s how badly people want to book. But wanting to book and completing a booking are two different things. The gap between the two is almost always checkout.
When checkout doesn’t offer payment flexibility, high-intent customers don’t wait around. They leave.
The intent is high. The budget is tight. But they’re still booking, just not on checkouts that don’t meet them halfway.
What Flexible Payments Do to Your Conversions
When you give customers a way to pay that works for them, conversions follow. 75% of travellers plan to use BNPL for their next trip. When a ₹1.2 lakh flight can be split into manageable instalments, the booking that felt out of reach suddenly feels possible.
How Flexible Payments Improve Conversions:
- +35% Conversions on high-ticket bookings when BNPL is offered
- +20% Conversions when multiple payment methods are available
Affordability isn’t nice to have. It’s a growth lever. And the opportunity is even bigger in India.
India’s Checkout Reality
India’s online travel market stands at $23.1 billion in 2025, growing to $33.9 billion by 2030. Tier 2 and 3 cities are driving this demand. Digital wallets and UPI already account for 50% of travel transactions in India. This isn’t a new behavior. It’s the new baseline.
Your checkout needs to be built for them or you’ll lose your high intent customers. So what does the right checkout actually look like?
Win Every Booking at Checkout with PayU
The travel platforms winning in India right now aren’t spending more on acquisition. They’re converting better by offering the right payment options for every type of customer. Here’s what that infrastructure looks like.
Every payment method gap you close is a booking you convert. PayU makes sure every customer completes their booking by making the experience hassle-free.
Win on Conversion, Not Just Spend
The travel brands winning in India aren’t out-spending their competition. They’re out-converting them at checkout.
A 1% improvement in checkout conversion compounds across every booking, every campaign, every channel, without adding a single rupee to your acquisition spend.
Your customers have already decided to book. PayU makes sure your checkout feels as easy as the trip itself.
