Katanox Enters the UK with Regulatory Backing
Katanox, the Dutch fintech focused on hospitality, has received FCA approval to offer payment services under the UK’s PSD2 regulations.
This regulatory green light allows the company to expand its bank-based payment platform to the UK market—marking a bold step in its payments transformation strategy.
With its FCA license, Katanox aims to ease reconciliation issues and reduce virtual card failures across UK hotels and travel agencies.
Hospitality Faces Fragmentation and Payment Friction
For years, the UK hospitality sector has grappled with fragmented systems, often relying on outdated tools that increase operational friction.
Many hotels still depend on virtual credit cards (VCCs)—yet these cards frequently fail, especially during guest check-ins, causing major service disruptions.
According to Poppink TRVL Projects, nearly 25% of VCC transactions fail at check-in, creating unnecessary costs and poor guest experiences.
Katanox Offers a Simpler Payments Path
To address these problems, Katanox promotes a bank-based payout model that reduces dependency on single-use cards and manual reconciliation.
By offering a consolidated platform, it helps hotels streamline payments, automate accounting, and improve partner interactions through payments transformation.
This shift not only reduces failure rates but also lowers costs and boosts operational efficiency for travel businesses of all sizes.
Administrative Tasks Are Slowing Hotel Growth
Recent findings by Adyen reveal that 31% of hotels report payments reconciliation as a major blocker to business expansion.
Worse still, hotels report that five employees per location spend seven hours weekly managing manual accounting tasks.
Katanox’s integrated approach aims to cut this overhead dramatically—freeing teams to focus more on guests and growth, not spreadsheets.
Unified Financial Infrastructure as the New Standard
Katanox does more than process transactions—it offers a multi-function platform that unifies contracting, rate integration, connectivity, and automated payments.
Instead of introducing isolated digital tools, it simplifies the entire financial workflow, making operations more transparent and compliant.
This form of payments transformation reflects where the hospitality sector is heading—towards end-to-end platforms, not disconnected processes.
The Power of FCA Approval for Trust and Growth
Securing an FCA license boosts Katanox’s credibility in the UK, providing regulated safeguards for partners handling sensitive financial operations.
The approval allows Katanox to hold funds, manage transactions, and offer custody-like services, fully compliant with UK law.
In a high-risk, high-regulation environment like hospitality finance, such clarity is not just a legal asset—it’s a strategic differentiator.
A New Phase for UK Hospitality Finance
The UK remains a critical hub in the global travel economy, but it struggles with legacy systems and payment complexity.
Katanox’s entry brings a fresh approach—one focused on integrating systems, enhancing compliance, and embracing automation at scale.
As hotels face increasing digital expectations post-pandemic, payments transformation will define how they remain competitive and guest-friendly.
Katanox Leads, But Industry Change Takes Time
While Katanox’s impact won’t be immediate, its approach directly tackles some of the industry’s most stubborn inefficiencies.
Its entry reflects a wider fintech trend: solving real-world problems by connecting operations, compliance, and automation under one roof.
With payments transformation gaining momentum, firms like Katanox are leading a quiet but crucial shift in hospitality’s financial backbone.