You are here: 
Home » Pressroom » Facts & Figures » Fact Sheets » IATA Billing and Settlement Plan
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 of participating airlines
- A worldwide system that operates in some 176 countries and territories
- In 2010 IATA’s BSP processed $221 billion
| Year |
Agents |
Sales
$ bn |
Bad debt
$ m |
Bad debt
% sales |
| 2001 |
55,770 |
121 |
56 |
0.046 |
| 2002 |
58,000 |
126 |
45 |
0.035 |
| 2003 |
58,900 |
132 |
43 |
0.032 |
| 2004 |
59,500 |
158 |
55 |
0.035 |
| 2005 |
60,400 |
171 |
62 |
0.036 |
| 2006 |
60,557 |
187 |
31 |
0.017 |
| 2007 |
60,600 |
220 |
53 |
0.024 |
| 2008 |
58,636 |
240 |
85 |
0.035 |
| 2009 |
54,848 |
191 |
128 |
0.067 |
| 2010 |
51,951 |
221 |
54 |
0.024 |
IATA Airline Member Benefits
- Access to a global distribution network of IATA accredited travel agents who have signed a single standard Sales Agency Agreement with IATA
- Outsourced agent verification services including financial evaluation and monitoring
- Reliable credit management with a collection rate of 99.9%
- Access to IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), and BSPlink that together provide a single standard interface for invoicing and payment between agents and airlines
- Protects the IATA member in case of violation of the Passenger Sales Agency Agreement or fraudulent practices
IATA Accredited Travel Agent Benefits
- Access to approximately 240 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 confidence due to IATA accredited 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
Consumer Benefits
- Confidence that IATA accredited 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: December 2011
IATAContentBox1