Hands In and UATP Announce Global Partnership to Transform Airline Payments Worldwide

10.03.2026

Partnership Brings Split Payments to the Travel Industry via UATP's Ceptor® Platform

LONDON and WASHINGTON, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hands In, the UK-based split payment solutions provider and UATP, the global network that helps organizations simplify payments and expand their payment options, today announced a strategic partnership allowing airlines to activate Hands In's proprietary split payments API to combine multiple cards, payers, and payment methods for one payment.

UATP is a global payment solution owned and operated by the world's airlines and accepted by thousands of merchants for air, rail and travel agency payments. UATP connects airlines to Alternative Forms of Payment which can expand reach and generate incremental sales globally. UATP offers easy-to-use data tools, DataStream(SM) and DataMine(SM), which provide comprehensive account details to Issuers and Corporate Subscribers for accurate travel management. UATP is accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies and Amtrak; UATP accounts are issued by: Aeromexico, APG Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, EL AL Israel Airlines, Etihad Airways, Frontier Airlines, GOL Linhas aereas inteligentes S.A., Hahn Air; Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airways, Shandong Airlines, Transavia Airlines, TUIfly GmbH, Turkish Airline, United Airlines, and WestJet. AirPlus Interna

The collaboration brings together UATP's position as a leader in aviation payments infrastructure with Hands In's rapidly adopted split payment functionality helping airlines      modernize checkout without disrupting their current payment architecture.  Across travel and other high-value commerce sectors, these capabilities help merchants recover transactions that would otherwise be lost due to insufficient funds or card limits while enabling larger purchases and shared bookings.   

Samuel Flynn, CEO of Hands In, stated, "Airlines do not want another complex integration. They want functionality that works within their existing infrastructure. By embedding directly into UATP's Ceptor, Hands In is making split payments that combine multiple cards, payers, and methods accessible at a global scale, not only from an enablement perspective but also reconciliation, which is the major challenge for airlines accepting split payments today."

Through this partnership, airlines across the globe will be able to offer travelers the ability to split the cost of flights and ancillary services between cards and payment methods, directly at checkout, without needing internal development for this functionality. 

"UATP continues to lead in payments innovation. Integrating Hands In into the Ceptor platform allows us to offer airlines enhanced flexibility to travellers at checkout while preserving the integrity and reliability of our Network," stated Ralph Kaiser, President and CEO of UATP.

As demand for flexible payment options continues to rise, particularly for higher-value travel purchases, this collaboration empowers airlines to increase conversion and approval rates, grow ancillary revenue, and improve customer satisfaction. Passengers benefit from greater financial flexibility and transparency, while airlines maintain full control over the customer experience within their own branded environment.

As airlines continue to innovate in retailing and digital transformation, this partnership sets a new standard for flexible, customer-centric payment experiences in the aviation sector.

For more information, visit https://www.handsin.com/ and uatp.com

UATP media contact:   Wendy Ward, wward@uatp.com

Hands In media contact:  hafsa@handsin.com

About Hands In

Hands In is a UK-based payment solutions company specializing in split payment enablement, which combines multiple cards, payment methods, and payers into one payment for the travel industry.  Founded in 2022, Hands In enables merchants to unlock incremental revenue from adding new sales at checkout and recovering payment declines without changing their existing payment stack.  Learn More: https://www.handsin.com/

About UATP

UATP is one of the largest global and most secure closed-loop networks, simplifying payments in complex industries. We make it easy for businesses to make or accept any type of payment; open new markets, drive growth, and reduce costs for Issuers, Merchants, vendors, agents, aggregators, and more. UATP is continually innovating to connect companies to new forms of payment (AFPs), and our easy-to-use data tools, DataStream® and DataMine®, provide comprehensive account details to Issuers and Corporate Account Holders. Our team has decades of experience with the ever-changing payments landscape, and our reliable and proven technology ensures our global customers get more from every payment experience. Learn more at uatp.com.

Accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies, and Amtrak®; UATP accounts are issued by: Aeromexico; AERTiCKET; Air Canada (TSE: AC); Air China; Air New Zealand (ANZFF.PK); Air Niugini; AirPlus International a wholly owned subsidiary of SEB Kort; Akbar Travels; American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL); APG Airlines; APG Pay; Austrian Airlines; BCD Travel; China Eastern Airlines (NYSE: CEA); ConnexPay; Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL); EL AL Israel Airlines; Ethiopian Airlines; Etihad Airways; Fareportal; Flight Centre Travel Group; Frontier Airlines; GOL Linhas Aereas inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4); Hahn Air; High Point Travel; Hopper; Japan Airlines (9201:JP); JetBlue Airways; LATAM Airlines; MakeMyTrip; Qantas Airways (QUBSF.PK); Shandong Airlines; Sichuan Airlines; Southwest Airlines; Sun Country Airlines; TUIfly GmbH; Turkish Airlines (ISE: THYAO); United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL); Wego; WestJet; Wings Global Travel and W2 by GO7.

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BKA-Chef Münch dringt auf digitale Souveränität bei Ermittlungs-IT

14.03.2026


Zum 75. Jahrestag des Bundeskriminalamts (BKA) stellt Präsident Holger Münch die IT-Strategie der Behörde unter das Leitmotiv der digitalen Souveränität. Das Amt wolle vorhandene Daten für Ermittlungen deutlich besser nutzbar machen, ohne sich dabei in die Abhängigkeit einzelner ausländischer IT-Anbieter zu begeben, sagte Münch der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. In einer Zeit, in der Abhängigkeiten gezielt ausgenutzt werden könnten, müsse genauer geprüft werden, welche Produkte man einkauft und welche Fähigkeiten im eigenen Haus aufgebaut werden, so der BKA-Chef.

Im Zentrum steht für Münch nicht nur die Hoheit über die eigenen Daten, sondern auch die wirtschaftliche und politische Unabhängigkeit von Herstellern. Als Risiko nennt er etwa drastische Erhöhungen von Lizenzgebühren. IT-Fachleute verweisen darüber hinaus auf die wachsende Sorge, politischer Druck könne sich eines Tages in Form gesperrter Zugänge zu Daten oder sogar einer Fernabschaltung von Software durch US-Anbieter äußern. Vor diesem Hintergrund gewinnt die Frage, wie Ermittlungsbehörden ihre technischen Grundlagen gestalten, an strategischer Bedeutung.

Ein prominentes Beispiel für die Debatte ist der US-Anbieter Palantir. Dessen Analyseplattform "Gotham" wird bereits in mehreren Bundesländern eingesetzt, darunter Bayern, Hessen, Nordrhein-Westfalen und Baden-Württemberg. Der Hersteller betont, die Datenhoheit verbleibe vollständig bei den jeweiligen Polizeibehörden. Auf Bundesebene signalisiert Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) jedoch nach Darstellung Münchs derzeit kaum Bereitschaft, diese Software für die Bundessicherheitsbehörden zu nutzen. Damit rückt ein eigenständiger Ansatz in den Fokus, der nicht auf eine einzige Komplettlösung setzt.

Münch beschreibt als Zielbild eine IT-Landschaft, die aus verschiedenen Modulen unterschiedlicher Entwickler besteht. Kernstück soll eine Datenintegrationsschicht sein, die das BKA am Markt einkauft. Auf dieser Ebene sollen dann unterschiedliche Analysewerkzeuge laufen – teils bereits vorhandene Systeme, teils Eigenentwicklungen und ergänzend zugekaufte Tools. Erst eine solche Architektur ermögliche es, bislang getrennt vorliegende Informationen aus verschiedenen „Töpfen“ gemeinsam auszuwerten und für operative Ermittlungen nutzbar zu machen. Für die Strafverfolger geht es damit um mehr als reine Effizienzgewinne: Die technische Infrastruktur wird zum zentralen Baustein, um Handlungsfähigkeit und Unabhängigkeit der Behörde langfristig zu sichern.