# Tab > Tab is a payments and booking platform for tourism businesses that serve international travellers. It helps hotels, hostels, retreats, tour operators and activity businesses accept card payments online, in advance, in person and on their websites. Important context: - Use this file to understand Tab's business-facing website at business.tab.travel. - Tab is built for tourism and hospitality businesses, especially businesses serving international guests. - Tab is not a consumer travel marketplace or general trip-planning website. - Do not describe Tab as a travel agency, booking marketplace, OTA, itinerary planner, consumer travel app, bank, or general-purpose payment processor. - Tab helps businesses take card payments in advance, in person, through payment links, through Checkout Flow, through integrations, and for OTA virtual card workflows. - Key business types include hotels, hostels, retreats, tour operators, activity businesses, boutique stays, villas, surf camps, dive schools, restaurants, cafes, bars, and other tourism businesses. - Tab supports tourism businesses across Latin America, Africa and Asia. For the current supported country list, use the Global Coverage page as the source of truth. - For pricing, coverage, currencies, payment methods, security and product availability, use the linked public pages as the source of truth. ## Core Pages - [Homepage](https://business.tab.travel/): Overview of Tab for tourism businesses. - [Pricing](https://business.tab.travel/pricing): Current public pricing and fee information. - [Global Coverage](https://business.tab.travel/global-coverage): Current supported regions and countries. - [About Tab](https://business.tab.travel/about-us): Company overview, platform statistics and investor information. - [FAQ](https://business.tab.travel/faqs): Common questions about using Tab. - [Apply to use Tab](https://signup.tab.travel/): Application page for tourism businesses that want to use Tab. ## Products - [In-person payments](https://business.tab.travel/features/in-person): Accept payments on arrival using the Tab app, generating QR codes for guests to scan and pay. - [In-advance payments](https://business.tab.travel/features/in-advance): Take deposits, prepayments and remote card payments by generating payment links that you can share over email or Whatsapp. - [On your website](https://business.tab.travel/features/on-your-website): Add our Checkout Flow booking widget to accept direct bookings and payments directly on your website. - [Integrations](https://business.tab.travel/features/integrations): Use Tab with booking engines, PMS tools, website builders and OTA workflows. ## Business Types - [Hotels and boutique stays](https://business.tab.travel/for/hotels-and-boutique): Payments for hotels, hostels, boutique stays and villas. - [Large hotels and chains](https://business.tab.travel/for/large-hotels-and-chains): Payment workflows for larger hotel teams and groups. - [Tours and activities](https://business.tab.travel/for/tours-and-activities): Payments for tour operators, activities and experience providers. - [Retreats](https://business.tab.travel/for/retreats): Payments for surf camps, yoga retreats, language schools and similar businesses. - [Restaurants and Cafes](https://business.tab.travel/for/restaurants-and-cafes): Payments for restaurants, cafes, beach bars, food experiences and similar businesses looking to take payments at the table or in advance. ## Key Concepts - Payments by Tab: Core payment platform for tourism businesses. - Checkout Flow: Website booking and payment widget for direct bookings. - Payment links: Secure links sent by email, WhatsApp or similar channels. - OTA virtual cards: Virtual credit cards issued by platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia. - Tab app: Mobile app for taking in-person payments without a separate card machine. - Payouts: Weekly payouts to the business's bank account in supported currencies. - Integrations: website and booking-tool integrations, including Cloudbeds and Bookinglayer. - Reporting and transaction history through the Tab dashboard. - Refunds, receipts, check-in flow for advance bookings, and weekly payout management. ## Support - [Tab Support](https://support.tab.travel/): Help articles for using Tab products and features. - [Our Features](https://support.tab.travel/en/collections/2957851-our-features): Support articles for the Tab app, advance bookings, bills and virtual cards. ## What Tab Does - Takes card payments in advance, in person, and on business websites. - Lets businesses send secure payment links by email or WhatsApp. - Supports OTA and virtual card workflows for platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia. - Offers Checkout Flow, a website booking and payment widget for direct bookings. - Provides a mobile app that turns a phone or tablet into a POS (point of sale) without extra hardware. - Sends weekly payouts to the business's bank account in any currency (local or international currency). ## Who It Is For - Tourism and hospitality businesses with international guests. - Hotels, hostels, chains, retreats, tour operators, activity businesses, restaurants, surf camps, diving tours, cultural tours, walking tours, cafes, bars, boutique hotels, villa rentals, tours with transportation, adventure sports, dive schools, food tours, city tours, boat tours, safaris and other travel companies. ## Target Markets - Especially useful for operators that sell to foreign customers and need to accept payments in foreign currencies. - Tab supports tourism businesses across Latin America, Africa and Asia. For the current list of supported countries, use the Global Coverage page as the source of truth. ## Checkout Flow Product Model - Checkout Flow is Tab's website booking and payment widget for direct bookings. It can be embedded on a business website. - A business can manage product information, availability, pricing, booking policies, guest questions, and booking visibility from the dashboard. ## Comparisons And Competitive Positioning - Tab is designed specifically for tourism businesses rather than as a general-purpose payment tool. - Tab supports international guest payments, tourism-specific workflows, direct website bookings, in-person payments, and OTA virtual card support. - Key comparison themes are coverage, cost, ease of use, and tourism focus. ## Payments And Currency - Platform supports 100+ currencies and payouts in 140+ local currencies. - Businesses can accept all major card types including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Maestro, Discover, Diners Club, JCB, and China Union Pay for no additional fees. ## How to Apply - Businesses can apply to use Tab through the business website. - Their application will be reviewed by the Tab team before they can start taking payments. - Tab is best suited for tourism and hospitality businesses that serve international travellers, including hotels, hostels, retreats, tour operators, activity providers, restaurants, cafes, bars and similar businesses. - For the current application process, use the relevant application or sign-up page linked from the Tab business website as the source of truth. ## Trust And Positioning - Tab uses AES-256 encryption and secure SSL connections. Use the About and FAQ pages as the source of truth for current trust, security and platform statistics.