UATP helps Acculynk connect to airlines

WASHINGTON, DC (August 19, 2008) – Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP) has partnered with Acculynk to enable the use of PIN debit cards for online purchases for the travel industry. Acculynk is the first company in the US to offer a software-only service for online PIN debit payments that is integrated directly into the airline checkout and requires no consumer enrollment or redirection.

“Our new partnership with Acculynk will benefit consumers and airlines alike: the consumer gets their payment option of choice and the airlines have an additional payment option enabled without any significant IT work,” said Ralph Kaiser, president & CEO, UATP. “With Acculynk, UATP continues its mission to work with quality partners and provide airlines with new consumer demand and revenue while lowering the cost of sale; everyone wins.”

“Our partnership with UATP allows their airline partners to implement our service quickly, with little effort and cost,” said Tom Wilkerson, vice president of business development for Acculynk. “Our Internet PIN Debit service provides airlines significant value through lower fees, reduced charge-backs, and new revenue opportunities. Our service does not require any hardware plug-in and securely executes payment transactions in under 6 seconds.”

When consumers arrive at the online airline checkout, they are given the option to pay for their purchase with PIN debit. Consumers enter their card number and associated information as they normally would, but the PIN is entered on Acculynk’s graphical, scrambling PIN-pad. The PIN is encrypted, never passes through the airline checkout, and is processed securely, along with the card information, across existing payment channels.

PIN debit is a preferred consumer payment option at the brick and mortar point of sale because it is safe, convenient and easy to use. Acculynk brings the same convenience and security to the Internet, and allows consumers to leverage a debit card they already have and a PIN they already know, right at the airline checkout. Internet PIN Debit provides airlines reduced interchange fees and charge-backs, guaranteed funds with 1-2 day settlement and new transactions from security-conscious consumers and those that cannot use their debit card without a PIN.

Acculynk is partnering with several EFT networks to process online PIN debit transactions and merchant acquirers to deploy the service.