Travel & Hospitality
Hotels, boutique properties, chains, and travel agencies — high-complexity, high-reward vertical.
"Hey—I'm not here to sell anything to the front desk. Who handles your payment processing or finance side?"
They'll usually direct you to GM or controller. Go back at that time.
"I'll keep this quick—I work with hotels and travel businesses to review their processing fees, especially where international and card-not-present transactions drive costs up."
"Most properties we look at aren't overpaying on their base rate—it's usually how transactions are categorized and routed."
"We take one statement and break down exactly where costs are coming from—especially international cards, rewards, and pre-auth structures."
"If I reviewed one statement and showed you where you stand—good or bad—would that be worth a look?"
"Hi, quick question—who oversees payment processing or merchant services for your location?"
"We work with hotels and travel operators to review processing costs—specifically around international cards, virtual cards, and card-not-present transactions."
"A lot of properties are paying more than they think on cross-border and premium cards, even when their base rate looks competitive."
"If I could review a statement and show you exactly where your costs are coming from—would it be worth a quick comparison?"
Quick question about your payment costs
Hi [Name], I work with hotels and travel businesses to analyze payment processing costs—particularly where international cards, virtual cards, and CNP transactions increase fees. We're not looking to replace providers outright—just to break down one statement and identify whether costs are optimized or if anything is being overpaid. In many cases, businesses are paying more due to structure rather than rate. If you're open to it, I'd be happy to review a recent statement and share a quick summary—no obligation. Best, [Name]
"I'll keep it brief—we help hotels identify where processing costs are higher than they should be, especially with international and card-not-present transactions. If you send one statement, I'll tell you if everything's optimized or if there's an opportunity."
👉 Then stop talking.
"Totally understand—this isn't about changing anything right now. It's just about understanding where you stand within that structure."
"That makes sense—would it be helpful if I provided a breakdown you could pass along to them?"
"That's usually the case—the opportunity we find is more around transaction mix and how costs are applied."
"Exactly—that's typically where the biggest cost differences show up. That's what we focus on."
- →Never pitch front desk.
- →Say: "Who handles finance or merchant services?"
- →Ask for their name, best time, and whether they're on-site.
- →Return at that time.
- →Target: General Manager, Director of Finance, Regional Manager, VP Operations
- →Keep messages short, insight-driven, and not salesy.
- →Leave a note: "We analyze hotel processing costs—especially international and virtual card transactions. If you'd like a quick review of your current setup, feel free to reach out."
- →Simple. No fluff.
- →Chains require: call → LinkedIn → email → follow-up
- →3–5 touches minimum
- →Say: "We recently reviewed a hotel where over 30% of their fees were tied to international and virtual card processing."
- →That gets attention.
The Power Line
USE SPARINGLY"Most hotels don't overpay on their rate—they overpay on international and card-not-present transactions."
Positioning Strategy
WHAT MAKES YOU DANGEROUSWhat matters most in this vertical:
- → International cards (huge)
- → Cross-border fees
- → Virtual cards (travel agencies)
- → Pre-authorizations
- → CNP transactions
- → Premium rewards cards
Your angle:
"Your cost isn't driven by your rate—it's driven by your guest profile and booking channels."
Final Strategic Edge
You're not selling:
- Lower rates
- Better machines
You're selling:
"Understanding complex payment cost structures in a high-complexity industry."
That's how you win here.
The Simple Frame
REMEMBER THIS1
Disarm
"not replacing your provider"
2
Specialize
"hospitality-specific costs"
3
Educate
"international + CNP drive fees"
4
Close
"send one statement"