A systematic literature review on payment methods in hospitality and tourism

Payment methods have been undergoing a series of developments and changes in recent years due to technological innovations, policy support, and epidemics. This literature review comprehensively examines 265 articles on payment methods over the past decade from various perspectives (consumer, technology, merchant, meso-macro, etc.), focusing on research within the hospitality and tourism sector. Our review indicates that while research on payment methods in the hospitality and tourism field is less extensive than in other domains, it covers a wide range of topics. The most prevalent scenarios for payment methods in hospitality and tourism include restaurants, hotels, transportation, medical tourism, and the sustainability of payment methods. Among these, mobile payments are extensively explored, and digital currencies (including cryptocurrencies and Central Bank Digital Currency) are poised to be the next innovation in payment methods within the hospitality and tourism sector. Although biometric payments have received less attention, the growing habit of using biometrics (fingerprints, face recognition) to unlock personal devices is helping to promote this payment method. Additionally, this study identifies areas for future research focus and direction for scholars while providing both theoretical and practical contributions.