You book a flight or a stay on Opodo and the total amount exceeds your monthly budget. The instinct is to look for an installment payment option directly on the site. The problem: Opodo no longer offers an integrated installment payment solution since the end of its old program linked to the Opodo card, which has been replaced by the Opodo Prime subscription.
This guide details concrete alternatives for spreading the expense, the pitfalls to avoid, and the regulatory framework that now governs these practices.
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Installment payment via your bank: the method that works with any merchant
Since Opodo does not include a “pay in 3 or 4 times” button at checkout, the most direct solution is through your own bank card or neobank. Several French institutions allow you to split a purchase afterward, without the merchant needing to offer anything.
Lydia, Revolut, and Floa Bank offer installment payment in 3 or 4 times via card, which can be activated from their app at the time of the transaction or just after. The principle: the bank pays Opodo in one go, then reimburses you according to a monthly schedule. Fees apply, usually a percentage of the total amount.
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Before choosing this option, it is useful to pay in installments on Opodo by checking the exact conditions of your bank: splitting limit, applied rate, and any interest-free period. Some neobanks offer a first split for free for new customers.
Have you already noticed that your banking app offers a “spread this payment” button after an online purchase? That’s exactly how it works. It operates at Opodo just like with any e-merchant, since the transaction on the merchant side remains a standard card payment.
Opodo Prime and discounts on flights: an alternative to installment payments
If installment payment is not natively available on Opodo, the Opodo Prime program plays an indirect role. By reducing the price of each booking, it decreases the amount that would need to be split.
Opodo Prime is a paid annual subscription that provides access to discounted rates on flights, hotels, trains, and car rentals. According to data published by Opodo, on a Paris-Lisbon trip including flight, hotel, and car, the displayed savings exceed a hundred euros compared to prices without a subscription.
This is not installment payment, but it is a complementary lever. A discounted ticket is easier to split via your bank than a ticket at the standard rate. The combination of “Prime subscription + bank splitting” is the most effective strategy for a regular traveler on Opodo.
When Opodo Prime is not worth the cost
The subscription only makes sense if you book several trips per year. For a single round trip, the cost of the subscription can negate the savings made. Do the math before subscribing: compare the displayed Prime price plus the annual subscription cost with the standard price.
European Directive CCD2: what changes for installment payments
The European directive 2023/2225, known as CCD2, adopted at the end of 2023, directly targets “Buy Now Pay Later” offers and installment payments. Member states must transpose these rules by 2025-2026.
In concrete terms, arrangements that previously escaped the status of consumer credit will have to comply with strengthened obligations:
- Mandatory creditworthiness assessment before granting an installment, even for small amounts
- Clearer pre-contractual information on the total cost, rate, and repayment conditions
- Marketing restrictions to prevent installment payments from being presented as a “free” or consequence-free purchase
For you as a consumer, this means that installment payment offers become more regulated and transparent. If Opodo or a third-party provider reintroduces an integrated installment option one day, it will have to comply with this strict framework.
Holiday vouchers and other payment methods accepted by Opodo
Opodo accepts major bank cards (Visa, Mastercard) and PayPal. However, ANCV holiday vouchers cannot be used directly on the platform. This is a notable difference from some physical travel agencies or other online sites.
If you have holiday vouchers and want to use them, there are two approaches:
- Book with an agency or site that accepts holiday vouchers, then compare the final price with that of Opodo
- Convert your holiday vouchers into credit on the ANCV Connect platform, which lists certain online partners (check if Opodo is included at the time of your booking)
- Use your holiday vouchers for other aspects of the trip (accommodation, on-site dining) and book the flight on Opodo by splitting via your bank
Combining multiple levers for a controlled budget trip
The best strategy combines Prime discounts, bank splitting, and holiday vouchers spread across different aspects. Book the flight on Opodo with your card by activating the splitting, then use your holiday vouchers for accommodation booked elsewhere.
This approach requires a bit of organization, but it avoids resorting to traditional consumer credit, which has rates that remain significantly higher than those of a simple split in 3 or 4 times.
Installment payment on Opodo is not found in a button on the site, but in your bank wallet. With the generalization of splitting by French banks and neobanks, any online purchase becomes potentially splittable, provided you check the fees and do not exceed your monthly repayment capacity.