Conferma, the experts in Virtual Card Number (VCN) technology for the corporate travel sector, today announced the launch of WebPay Mobile, its first mobile app. WebPay, the online portal used to generate 16-digit VCNs for any online purchase, will be available on all iOS and Windows Phone devices. The iOS mobile application is also optimised for Apple iPad users.

Capable of generating a VCN in under a second, the WebPay Mobile app will prove especially useful for travellers or corporates needing to quickly communicate payment details to a supplier whilst out of the office. 

Corporate travellers will be able to generate VCNs to settle hotel stays, flights, car rentals and rail tickets. WebPay Mobile can also be used for B2B payments, just like its desktop equivalent. The VCNs are then processed by the supplier in the same manner as any Cardholder Not Present (CNP) transaction. The mobile app also incorporates WebPay’s robust approval functionality that allows corporations to apply tighter controls on employee spend as well as providing an audit trail and clear accountability for all corporate expenditure. Easily accessible, line managers need only log in to WebPay Mobile to review all requests pending their approval and then approve or reject the request for a VCN in line with corporate expenditure or travel policies.

The mobile and tablet apps further extend control over employee spend by incorporating all the usual benefits associated with Conferma VCNs generated in the desktop version of WebPay. VCNs automatically match a travel booking to a transaction to produce a completely accurate view of corporate expenditure to reduce exposure to fraudulent activity and maverick spend. This detailed and customised data enables customers to enhance strategic sourcing and supplier management. The fully automated process enables customers to replace time-consuming manual reconciliation practices to reduce processing costs and enhance operational efficiencies.

WebPay Mobile and tablet apps will be available to download from the Apple App Store and Windows Phone Marketplace free of charge from early 2014. Users require a WebPay account to access WebPay Mobile.

“At Conferma, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation in payments technology,” said Simon Barker, CEO of Conferma. “Given the growth in corporate travellers using portable devices such as mobiles and tablets to perform everyday business functions, developing a mobile app that allows our customers to pay for travel reservations on the move using VCNs was a natural extension of this innovation.”

Last October Conferma announced an agreement to make their VCN technology available to all Visa-issuing banks in Europe, bringing their network of global payment partners to eight.