Fact Sheet - IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP)

  • IATA’s BSP is a system designed to facilitate and simplify the selling, reporting and remitting procedures of IATA Accredited Passenger Sales Agents, as well as improve financial control and cash flow participating airline.
  • A worldwide system operates in some 160 countries and territories. 
  • In 2008 IATA’s BSP processed US$ 240 billion

Year Agents Sales
US$ bn		 Bad debt
US$ m		 Bad debt
% sales
2001 55 770 121 56 0.46
2002 58 000 126 45 0.35
2003 58 900 132 43 0.32
2004 59 500 158 55 0.35
2005 60 400 171 62 0.36
2006 60 557 187 31 0.17
2007 60 600 220 53 0.24
2008 58 636 240 85 0.35

  • IATA’s financial systems processed someUS$350 billion during 2008
    • IATA Clearing House—US$50 billion
    • IATA Currency Clearing Service — US$30.5 billion
    • Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) — US$240 billion
    • Cargo Account Settlement Systems (CASS) — US$28 billion 
    • Other – US$1.5 billion

Agency Program

  • The IATA Passenger Agency Program provides a system for the accreditation of travel agents that meet specific industry standards and financial and security criteria. 
  • Currently there are some 58,636 IATA Travel Agents
    • operating in over 200 countries
    • selling US$240 billion of airline tickets
  • The Passenger Agency Program provides a standard method for agents to be recognized by both the travel industry and consumers.

Benefits - IATA Airline Members

  • Access to a global distribution network of IATA Travel agents who have signed a single standard Sales Agency Agreement with IATA
  • Outsourced agent verification services including legal and financial evaluation and monitoring
  • Reliable credit management with a collection rate of 99.96%
  • Access to IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), and BSPlink that together provide a single standard interface for invoicing and payment between the agents and the airline
  • Protects the IATA member in case of violation of the Passenger Sales Agency Agreement or fraudulent practices

IATA Travel Agents

  • Access to approximately 225 IATA airline members using a single standard Sales Agency Agreement.
  • Authorization to sell international and/or domestic tickets on behalf of the airlines.
  • Access to IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), and BSPlink that together provide a single standard interface for invoicing and payment between the agent and multiple airlines and transport providers.  
  • Global travel industry recognition through an “IATA Numeric Code” that provides a unique identifier for the agent.
  • Global consumer confidence due to IATA Travel Agents meeting industry standards identifiable by the IATA logo and branding displayed on Travel Agents premises and websites
  • Provides standard procedures which ensure fair and uniform standards in all dealings with the airlines

Consumers

  • Confidence that IATA Travel Agents meet industry standards and set financial and security criteria
  • Unbiased advice and the option to purchase tickets on a wide range of airlines

Updated July 2009