Citi Launches Installment Payment Option on Its Travel Booking Platform | PYMNTS.com

Citi has launched its buy now, pay later (BNPL) offering, Citi Flex Pay, on its travel booking platform, Citi Travel.

The combination of these offerings allows Citi cardmembers to book a getaway and pay for it, without having to pay fees or interest for 12 months, the bank said in a Thursday (Sept. 12) email to PYMNTS.

The Citi Travel platform allows cardmembers to book flights, hotels, car rentals and experiences like private museum tours and guided food experiences, according to the email.

Now, with the addition of Citi Flex Pay to the platform, they can pay for these purchases with the bank’s installment payment product, the email said.

When checking out on Citi Travel, cardmembers can opt to use Citi Flex Pay and split up their purchases of $75 or more into 12 equal payments, per the email. No additional application is required to use this payment option.

Citi has found that 90% of consumers want their merchants of choice to offer multiple payment options at checkout, Terry O’Neil, head of connected commerce and strategic growth for Citi Retail Services at Citi, told PYMNTS in an interview posted in December.

Citi Flex Pay is a post-purchase option for all existing Citi cardmembers and is noted as an important component of Citi’s overall lending suite, O’Neil added.

In an earlier deployment of this BNPL option, it was announced in April 2023 that Amazon Pay will allow Citi cardmembers to pay over time using Citi Flex Pay. This marked the first time members could use Citi Flex Pay through a digital wallet.

In October, Citi said that Costco Anywhere Visa cardmembers can access Citi Flex Pay to pay for purchases. In addition, these cardmembers can pay no fees or interest when selecting a three-month Citi Flex Pay payment plan on eligible purchases made in-warehouse or on Costco.com.

Citi announced the launch of its travel booking platform in March 2023, saying it created Citi Travel in partnership with Booking.com. The bank said the travel portal provides Citi cardmembers with access to 24/7 customer support and the flexibility to book using their eligible Citi credit card, ThankYou points or a combination of the two.

The addition of Citi Flex Pay announced Thursday provides another option for cardmembers.