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Direct Ferries is the world's largest ferry ticket booking platforms, helping travellers compare fares, schedules, and routes across more than 4,000 routes and over 300 ferry operators worldwide.
It’s a fact that businesses in the travel industry operate across borders by nature. For Direct Ferries, serving customers across multiple markets means navigating different currencies, payment preferences, and regulatory environments, all while maintaining a smooth booking experience.
As the company continued to grow and integrate newly acquired businesses, payment performance became an increasingly important consideration. Recognizing this need, Direct Ferries partnered with Checkout.com to build a more flexible and scalable payment infrastructure.
Preparing payments for a more international business
Before the partnership, Direct Ferries was navigating a period of expansion that brought new demands for its payment operations.
One priority was improving authorization rates, particularly for cross-border transactions where issuer behaviour and local payment requirements can differ significantly from one market to another. At the same time, the acquisition of Openferry introduced a new technology stack that needed to be integrated quickly and efficiently.
The company's international footprint also added another layer of complexity. For Direct Ferries, operating across the UK, Europe, North Africa, Oceania, and North America meant accommodating a wide range of payment preferences while maintaining a consistent booking experience. On top of this, Direct Ferries was also looking to reduce its reliance on a single payment provider and build a more resilient setup that could support future growth.
A rapid path from acquisition to go-live
The acquisition of Openferry quickly became one of the first major tests of the new partnership. Using Checkout.com's Flow integration, Openferry was able to bring the new entity live in less than 48 hours. This allowed the business to incorporate payment processing without a lengthy implementation project.
The rollout was supported by close collaboration between the Openferry technical team and Checkout.com's Solutions Engineering specialists. Regular communication throughout the project helped reduce implementation complexity and allowed both teams to move efficiently through the process.
This approach also helped limit the internal resources typically required during payment migrations and onboarding projects. Beyond the technical implementation, Direct Ferries gained access to payment expertise relevant to the travel sector and its specific cross-border transaction requirements.
“The speed of implementation exceeded our expectations. The communication between our team and Checkout.com's specialists was straightforward and efficient, allowing us to move quickly while maintaining confidence throughout the process.” - Jack Smart, Chief of Staff at Direct Ferries
Other solutions deployed across key markets
The integration of Openferry was only one part of the rollout. As the partnership evolved, Direct Ferries expanded its use of Checkout.com across several key markets, deploying a number of solutions designed to address different aspects of its payment strategy.
These included:
- Flow, providing a unified checkout experience
- Intelligent Acceptance, helping improve payment performance
- Network Tokens, helping reduce failures caused by outdated card details
- Alternative payment methods, tailored to local customer preferences
What changed after implementation?
The impact of these changes became visible quickly. After activating Intelligent Acceptance, Direct Ferries recorded an initial margin improvement of 0.60%. The solution automatically adapts transaction processing based on issuer behavior and transaction characteristics, helping improve authorization outcomes.
Direct Ferries also activated synchronous network tokens alongside Intelligent Acceptance. Preliminary data indicates an increase of approximately 2% in acceptance rates following deployment.
For a business processing large volumes of international transactions, even seemingly minor improvements in authorization performance can contribute to a smoother payment experience for customers while helping reduce avoidable transaction failures. At scale, these gains often have a meaningful impact on revenue.
Looking ahead
The partnership between Direct Ferries and Checkout.com continues to evolve as the company expands its international footprint.
Future initiatives include bringing payment insights closer to the advanced tracking and booking capabilities. This will help create a more connected view of customer interactions across the booking process.
Direct Ferries is also continuing to strengthen its presence in North Africa and North America, where localized payment methods and acquiring capabilities can help address the specific requirements of each market.
“Our business operates across a wide range of markets, each with its own payment characteristics. We needed a partner that could help us maintain consistency while adapting to local requirements. Checkout.com provides the flexibility and expertise needed to support that ambition.” - Jack Smart, Chief of Staff at Direct Ferries
Why speed mattered
For Direct Ferries, the significance of the project went beyond payment performance. Integrating a newly acquired business often involves bringing together different systems, providers, and operational processes. In many organizations, that work can take weeks or even months.
In this case, Openferry was brought live in less than two days. Rather than spending months managing a payment migration, Direct Ferries was able to focus on integrating the business itself and realizing value from the acquisition.
While the project took place in the travel sector, the underlying challenge is one faced by growing businesses across many industries. New entities, systems, and operational processes need to be brought together without disrupting day-to-day operations. The experience of Direct Ferries suggests that the value of a payment infrastructure is not limited to transaction performance alone. Its ability to adapt quickly can also influence how smoothly a business absorbs change.
