How to grow your payments app with safari and wildlife tour operators
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
Small safari and wildlife tour operators run game drives, bird-watching trips, boat safaris and multi-day tours. Most of their guests book from other countries, paying a deposit months ahead and the balance before they arrive, and many also pay for extras such as park fees, drinks and tips on the day. Waiting on international bank transfers and paying high card fees eats into their margin. A payments app that sends payment links for deposits and balances, takes cards from abroad and takes payments on the day can win these operators, and every guest who pays sees your app.
Talk to safari and wildlife tour operators
Ask local safari and wildlife tour operators:
- How do guests from abroad pay deposits and balances, and how long does the money take to arrive?
- How much do you lose to bank transfer and card fees?
- Do guests pay for extras, park fees or tips on the day?
- Do you work with lodges, guides, drivers or travel agents?
Send payment links for deposits and balances
A payment link sent when a guest books, and another before the trip, gets money in on time without long waits for international transfers.
Take payments and tips on the day
Phone and card payments for extras and tips mean guests do not need to carry cash on a trip, and guides and drivers get their share quickly.
Grow through lodges, guides and drivers
Safari operators work closely with lodges, guides, drivers and travel agents. One operator on your app can bring the businesses around it.
Build it
Create your own financial platform.
Pick a template, name it, brand it, preview every page before you pay. Your brand, your users, your fees.
Build my platform →Questions people ask
What about tour guides?
The tour guides guide covers taking bookings from visitors from many countries and taking deposits, payments and tips.
Tour guides →What about travel agents?
The travel agents guide covers taking deposits for trips, selling tickets and collecting balances before travel.
Travel agents →Can I call it a bank?
In most countries "bank" is a protected word you can only use with a banking licence. Call it an account, a wallet, an app or a platform. The accounts and payments behind a SendPay Business platform are powered by licensed partners.
Is there a step-by-step plan I can follow?
Yes. The free launch checklist takes you from picking your people and naming your app to setting fees, going live and winning your first ten customers.
Digital bank app launch checklist →How do I start?
Pick a template, name it and preview every page before you pay. Your platform can be live on your own domain within 24 hours of confirmation.
Build my platform →Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. PayPal, Patreon and Substack are named as reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.