Ctrip International Version has recently quietly launched a stablecoin payment feature, allowing users to place orders directly with USDT or USDC. This is truly a novelty in the traditional OTA industry.

The operation behind it is handled by a Singapore-based payment company called Triple-A, which specializes in crypto payment gateways and settlements. Interestingly, the same company is also collaborating with ride-hailing apps in Southeast Asia, enabling users to top up their wallets with crypto assets within the app. It seems that the stablecoin payment ecosystem is gradually expanding.

But the most interesting detail is here—when booking a hotel with USDT, you hardly need to fill out any personal information, just a name and email address. Compared to traditional payment methods, the platform collects much less private data. However, for airline tickets, it’s a different story; airlines still require your passport number, nationality, phone number, and other details—this is due to industry regulations.

Some might say that this approach offers better privacy protection. But from another perspective, lower KYC levels also mean higher risk control costs. How to balance this will depend on each platform’s strategy. In short, crypto payments are moving from the crypto world into everyday applications faster than expected.