Folio Allied with M3 to Deliver a Connected Procure-to-Pay Experience for Hotel Finance Framework

On September 17, 2026, Folio and M3 have joined forces in order to simplify the procure-to-pay process for the finance teams of hotels. It helps to ensure that the records relating to purchasing and accounting remain consistent. For hotel operators who have a number of properties, the integration provides a more straightforward method of managing vendors, invoices, approvals, and financial information at all their properties.

By linking together procurement, invoice automation, inventory management, and accounting, the systems enable financial data to flow smoothly in interlinking infrastructure. This strategy cuts down on the requirement for repetitive data entry and manual reconciliation, allowing finance professionals to perform precise analysis and planning.

Impact on the Duty-Free and Travel Retail Sector

The global duty-free and travel retail market size accounted for USD 95.76 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 118.83 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 780.41 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 23.34% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, Hotels can gain from a better link between purchasing and finance operations. This trend shows how the industry is turning to technology to make back-office work simpler, duty-free, and let finance teams focus more on cost control and business results. Hotel groups and travel retail with several properties may see even more benefits from consistent financial workflows.

Procurement teams agree on many supplier invoices, inventory details, and purchase transactions, while accounting teams rely on accurate data for reports and reconciliation. Connecting these duty-free and travel retail sectors cuts down on delays and helps information move more easily between departments.

Impact on the Alternative Accommodation Sector

The global alternative accommodation market size is predicted to surpass around USD 1,043.15 billion in 2035 from USD 272.07 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 16.15% between 2026 and 2035.

According to Precedence Research, many hotel operators now use different platforms for procurement, alternative accommodation, payments, inventory, and property management. This partnership shows how important integration is becoming in alternative accommodation and hospitality technology.

As hotels update their technology, being able to share data easily and keep financial information in one place will become even more important when choosing new solutions. Combining these functions lets technology providers offer more value by making their platforms work together.

Impact on the Accounting Software Sector

The global accounting software market size was calculated at USD 21.16 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 23.1 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 50.79 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 9.15% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, this development shows that financial technology is moving past simple accounting automation and toward more connected financial systems. Automating how invoice, vendor, and accounting data moves can cut down on repetitive tasks and lower the risk of data-entry errors.

Better connectivity supports finance teams in reconciling accounts faster and getting financial information more quickly. As companies move towards efficiency, these kinds of integrations may become more common in industries with lots of procurement, accounts payable, and financial reporting. Hotels are a good example of how specialized financial technology can work with well-established accounting platforms.

Expert Opinion

From an expert point of view,the joint effort between the Folio company and Shift represents a practical shift in hotel finance technology, from separate systems to adopting connected workflows. The main advantage lies in joining procurement and accounting functions, which lowers the number of manual tasks that hinder invoice processing and reconciliation.

The actual benefits for hotel finance managers will vary according to the quality of the integration, the quality of the data, the strength of internal controls, and the way employees use the system. The integration should be regarded as an operational improvement rather than a solution to all finance problems. Yet it is an important step for hospitality businesses that wish to achieve greater efficiency, better visibility, and more reliable financial processes.