Turning Armchair Travellers into Actual Tourists with Instant Financing

Mastercard and Divido are partnering with lastminute.com to offer online checkout financing in the UK, making it easier to book that dream holiday

People increasingly crave flexibility and control when it comes to spending their money: from how they pay to where they pay – in store, on mobile or online. Now consumers in the UK can take advantage of a new installment payment solution when booking travel through lastminute.com, giving them greater flexibility on when to pay.

Giving consumers the opportunity to ease the financial burden of booking a holiday and helping enhance the travel planning experience, lastminute.com has partnered with Divido and Mastercard to launch instant financing options, which lets retailers and businesses offer eligible customers the opportunity to spread the cost of their purchases over a period of time using installments.

The flexibility of financing at the point of sale is particularly attractive to those faced with large-ticket purchases: Spreading out the cost with clear terms lets travelers budget better and helps them plan their holidays more effectively – and enjoy them worry-free. And consumer confidence in alternative lending is growing. A third of UK shoppers view retail finance as a convenient way to spread the cost of expensive purchases, and nearly one in five call the availability of different finance options the most important factor when making big-ticket purchases, according to 2019 research by Divido.^[1]

“We are always looking for innovative ways to deliver seamless payment options for consumers and value-enhancing solutions for our retail partners,” says Zahir Khoja, senior vice president, Global Acceptance, Mastercard. “Our partnership with Divido and lastminute.com gives travellers greater flexibility to book and pay when convenient for them.”

“Travel should be inspirational, not aspirational,” says Sergio Signoretti, CFO, lastminute.com. “We want to give all travellers the opportunity to widen their horizons, and spreading out the cost of a trip over time can enable the experience of a lifetime. This partnership reinforces our commitment to launching even more innovative and frictionless payment options, helping transform travel dreamers into bookers.”

Divido’s platform provides instant access to credit by connecting shoppers to multiple lenders at the moment of purchase, whether buyers are online, on payment-enabled devices or in store. With lastminute.com, the consumer applies for financing as part of the checkout process by providing personal information and selecting their desired loan term. The loan application is sent to Fly Now Pay Later via API, and if approved, the consumer checks out as normal. The consumer’s monthly payments are automatic and transparent.

“Enabling choice through multiple lenders is a winner for consumers, and that gives retailers a competitive edge on big-ticket items and boosts loyalty, average order size and conversion rates,” says Christer Holloman, CEO, Divido.

Mastercard continues to grow its global investment in retail financing solutions through partnerships like this, which combine our technology with platforms that further boost the flexibility and convenience of the checkout experience, creating even more choice for consumers and differentiation for retailers and businesses.

Instant financing with lastminute.com is currently available in the UK.

^[1] “The Spending Index: Big Ticket Edition,” Divido, March 2019.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.


About lm group

lm group is among the worldwide leaders in the online travel industry and operates a portfolio of well-known brands such as lastminute.com, Volagratis, Rumbo, weg.de, Bravofly, Jetcost and Hotelscan. The Group's mission is to be the most relevant and inspiring travel company, committed to enriching the life of travellers. Every month, the Group touches 60 million users across all its websites and mobile apps (in 17 languages and 40 countries) who search for and book their travel and leisure experiences with us. More than 1,200 people enjoy working with us and contribute to providing our audience with a comprehensive and inspiring offering of travel related products and services. lastminute.com N.V. is a publicly traded company listed under the ticker symbol LMN on SIX Swiss Exchange.

About Divido

Divido is a multinational white label platform for point-of-purchase lending; enabling retailers to unlock buying power and lenders to extend a new line of credit at the point of need. Retailers offering Divido can increase sales up to 20% and average order values by 15%, whilst lenders and payment providers licensing Divido’s technology can expand their loan portfolios and grows transaction revenues. Over 1000 partners work with Divido including lastminute.com, Mastercard, BMW and BNP Paribas.

Divido connects multiple lenders to deliver high accept rates and low fees. The platform is also omni-channel, available online, in-store and via mobile, and works across multiple countries through one integration. Divido has a vision to become the world’s largest platform for point-of-purchase finance, and has been recognised by Google, Forrester and the U.K. Government as leading innovation in the retail and finance industries.

Media Contact:

lm group | communications_team@lastminute.com

Mastercard

James Thorpe – 020 7557 5430 | James.Thorpe@mastercard.com

Divido

Munveer Garcha | 020 3773 9510 ext. 414 | munveer.garcha@divido.com