GENERAL INFORMATION
Office hours for TPI support 8:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME.
Monday- Friday
Phone: (813) 933-8222
FAX: (208) 246-4688
Support Email: support@tpitravel.com
Address:
TPI Travel Services
2901 W Busch Blvd, Suite 205
Tampa, FL 33618
USA
VERY IMPORTANT: Whenever you communicate with TPI, please provide your full name and agent ID. Email communication is preferred.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
If you are a new or existing agent with TPI Travel Services, the following documents must be provided and they must be current in order for you to be considered an “active” agent. Failure to comply may result in termination of your membership regardless of the original term of the membership you purchased.
- A completed, fully executed W-9 form including your social security or Tax ID number for all U.S. citizens or legal residents of the United States with a social security number. An updated form will be required every 3 years.
- A copy of your current, valid and legible government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport.
- If you are not a resident of the U.S., please provide a copy of your current/valid passport or a current/valid driver’s license.
- Fully executed Terms and Conditions form.
- Fully executed Acknowledgment Letter.
All documents should be sent to support@tpitravel.com or TPI’s physical office address included in this manual.
TPI FEE SCHEDULE
The following fees apply to specific services rendered by TPI.
- TPI issues a company check for any reason other than commission checks to one of our agents. (i.e., FAM trip payments, vendor payments for your client’s travel, etc.) – $45
- Re-issue TPI commission check – $50. NOTE – all commission checks must be cashed within 90 days of issue date
- Invoice issued for a vendor in order for TPI to receive commission on your behalf. (May occur on international travel or with small independent vendors) – $25 per invoice
All fees are paid in U.S. dollars
COMMISSION INFORMATION
You can earn money by booking cruises, tours, hotels, car rentals, rail passes, conventions, groups, theme park packages and other services. Your primary income is derived from commissions received from travel suppliers and service fees charged to your clients. Additional income may be earned by charging consulting fees for trip preparation.
The MOST profitable items are tours and cruises. A typical tour or cruise sale is more than $3,000. Commissions are usually 10-16%. You will receive 60% of the commission.
The following commission split with agents is in effect at this time:
You will receive 60% of commission earned without additional service fees. If it is commissionable to TPI, it is commissionable to you!
When providing a supplier with payment, do not deduct the commission from your payment, even if the supplier allows the option. You must pay the gross amount (full amount including commission). Remember, all commissions are TPI’s. As one of our independent agents, TPI will split the commission with you.
Commissions will be paid to you by TPI on the 15th of each month. You will receive your commission the month following TPI’s receipt of the commission payment from the travel vendor. Commissions are paid by check in U.S. funds. Payments will include any commissions received by TPI on your behalf. Commissions will accrue until you have a minimum of $25.00 in payments before a check will be issued. In order for TPI to send any commission checks to you, your file must be complete with all updated versions of the required documents listed above, including but not limited to a current copy of your passport or drivers license, a current, completed W-9 IRS tax form, etc.
PREFERRED VENDOR
Receive higher commission when booking through preferred tour operators, cruise lines, and other suppliers. TPI is a member of TRAVELSAVERS – click for more information on details, suppliers, and commission rates.
AGENT CONDUCT
THE FOLLOWING CONDUCT IS NOT PERMITTED. VIOLATIONS OR INFRACTIONS MAY RESULT IN IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF YOUR AGENT STATUS:
As a part of exercising good business practices, the following is prohibited:
DO NOT SHARE TPI’S IATA NUMBER WITH ANYONE. DOING SO WILL RESULT IN TERMINATION OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP.
If you provide a supplier with a direct payment, do not deduct the commission from that payment. You must pay the gross amount (full amount including commission). Credit card payments may be used for suppliers provided the commission is sent to TPI. Remember, all commissions are TPI’s. As one of our independent agents, TPI will share our commission with you.
Do not accept a commission directly from a supplier. This does not apply if you have your own account with the supplier, and do not use TPI’s IATA/CLIA (Industry number) in any way.
Do not give a supplier your home phone or home address when referencing TPI’s IATA/CLIA (Industry number). When representing TPI as one of our Independent Agents, do not change information residing in a supplier’s database that relates to TPI’s industry number. If the information in their database is incorrect, please notify TPI immediately.
Do not represent yourself as a manager, owner, or administrator of TPI. You are an independent contractor or outside sales agent with TPI and should always represent yourself as such.
Do not register TPI for anything. Any registrations for the agency must be done by members of TPI management. Any registrations for individual agents that require processing by an administrator must be done by TPI’s management.
Do not involve TPI in any airline bookings. Do not use TPI’s IATA/CLIA (Industry number). Make the reservation as an individual consumer.
Without exception, do not engage in false or misleading advertisements or promotions. .
All payments received by clients must be forwarded to suppliers to pay for travel services. Payments are not to be utilized for any other purpose.
As a matter of exercising good business practices, please do the following:
Ask suppliers to list both your first and last name as the agent on your client’s reservations. TPI has many agents. Some agents have the same or similar name. If you have a common name, please ask the supplier to include your unique TPI AGENT ID code in reservations.
Conduct yourself in a polite and professional manner at all times when representing yourself as an agent with TPI Travel Services.
Agents violating any of these practices or rules may be terminated.
ONLINE AND PHONE BOOKING PROCEDURES
You can book directly on some sites offering commissions for travel agents. However, you must meet earnings and production requirements for access to many reservation systems. There are some you can access without meeting requirements. If you cannot have online access, you can book by telephone by speaking with a reservation specialist. See information for Phone Booking Procedures below. This is recommended for agents with little or no experience to ensure everything is done properly. Please remember you cannot register as an agency. You can only register if the site allows you to register as an agent or an advisor without agency authorization. Otherwise, you will need authorization from us first. You can find contact information for any supplier through a quick Google search.
Once you have made the reservations, you must provide the agency booking confirmations and report the booking(s) in the following format:
- Your Agent ID
- Your Name
- Name of Travelers
- Name of Travel Supplier
- Booking or confirmation number
- Dates of travel
Email the information to: support@tpitravel.com at the time the booking/reservation is made. When TPI receives a commission from the sale, you will receive a credit for your portion of the commission.
ACCESS TO RESERVATION SYSTEMS IS AVAILABLE AT AN EXTRA COST IF EARNINGS AND PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET ( OPTIONAL SERVICE)
PHONE BOOKING PROCEDURES
Hotels, cars rentals, tours, packages, and cruises should be fully commissionable when booked by phone. Please follow the procedures below:
Make sure to always use TPI’s IATA/CLIA (industry number) when making a reservation. This number is listed on your confirmation email. If you are unsure of the number, please contact TPI Travel Services.
1. When you receive a travel request from a client, find a supplier, such as a cruise line, and call them directly on their published phone number. For some suppliers, you may need to search for the appropriate contact number.
2. When calling a supplier, please identify yourself as an agent with TPI Travel Services and provide any additional information that is requested.
3. Do not use your address or phone number in conjunction with TPI’s industry number. The TPI corporate office should be on file with the supplier. If this is not the case, give the supplier TPI’s address and contact the office in order for someone to follow-up with the supplier.
4. Finalize the booking.
5. Record the booking number or confirmation number and any other relevant information.
6. Make note of when payments are due and keep a calendar of these dates.
7. Request a credit card or cashier’s check from your client.
8. Send the following information to TPI for commission tracking purposes along with a copy of agency booking confirmation:
- Your Agent ID
- Your Name
- Names of Travelers
- Name of Travel Supplier
- Booking or confirmation number
- Dates of travel
- Any other related information about the booking
E-mail this information to: support@tpitravel.com at the time the booking is made.
When a commission is received from the sale, TPI will credit you with your portion of the commission.
Hotel and car rental payments are typically not made in advance. They are made directly to the supplier at the time of use. Commission is sent to TPI after completion of the rental. Tours and cruises must be paid in full before travel (example: 90 days prior to departure). Commissions are often sent to TPI as soon as the supplier receives the full payment, but the commission payment schedule varies by supplier at their discretion. Your portion of the commission will be sent to you the month after TPI receives the commission from the supplier.
BROCHURES
If you’d like to order brochures, please contact suppliers directly via email, phone, or website to request brochures or other sales material they may offer. Brochures should always be free of charge.
When ASKING FOR BROCHURES, advise them that you are an independent agent with TPI Travel Services and that you would like the brochures sent to your home address. Make sure they are fully aware that this is a home address. Do not use your company name. If the supplier will only send brochures to TPI’s address, you would only be responsible for mailing fees from TPI to your address. Please let TPI know if you have requested brochures so we can forward them to the appropriate individual.
Important Notice to all agents located in an area where U.S. currency is not normally used: Fares and other services are priced in U. S. Dollars when originating from the U.S. or countries in which fares are based in USD. Fares in other countries are based on the currency used in that country. If you book a fare based on a currency other than USD, the amount will be converted to USD based on the official bank rate and the ticket will be issued in USD. If you pay by bank draft or transfer, you will need to transfer the USD amount to our bank. If you use a credit card, the local currency is converted into USD. Then the USD amount is converted back into your local currency for billing. Amounts may vary by a small fraction if there has been a fluctuation in the currency values from the time the ticket was issued to the time the amount was converted back for billing.
You will receive your commission the month following TPI’s receipt of the commission payment from the travel vendor. Commissions are paid by check in U.S. funds.
AIRLINE RESERVATIONS
As a general rule, commissions are not offered for airline reservations.
Ask your clients to contact the airlines on their own. If they prefer for you make the reservation on their behalf, you are able to charge your client a service fee. You may determine the amount you’d like to asses as a service fee. There is no need to report any non-commissionable airline tickets to TPI.
Do not involve TPI in any airline reservations.
HOW TO JUMP START YOUR AGENCY
Write down names, email addresses, and phone numbers in the categories listed below. This is a vital step to building a successful marketing program. Plan to contact each of these people and ask them to do business with you and your new TPI Travel Agency. For great ideas on who to sell to and how to get started, review each section of the below marketing information and follow through.
An In-home travel agency needs clients just like any retail on online business. Your ongoing task as a business owner is to find people who will purchase the services you have to offer.
Where are these people? Your prospects for clients are everywhere!
Who to Contact ASAP:
- Families in your neighborhood
- Your immediate family
- Your postman
- Your hairstylist / barber
- Sisters, Brothers
- Your banker
- Your dentist
- Grandparents
- Your pharmacist
- Your children’s teachers
- People you send cards to
- Co-workers of your spouse
- Your insurance agent
- Your accountant/attorney
- Aunts, Uncles, Cousins
- Members of your PTA
- Members of your civic club
- Your florist
- Members of your health club
- Your favorite waiter/waitress
- Your doctor
- Your plumber
- Your mechanic
- Your veterinarian
- Members of your church
- People you or your family play sports with
These are just a few suggestions and a great place to start. Think of additional people you can contact to add to your list. As you can see, once you have a list to work from, marketing your new travel agency becomes much easier. Just like a garden, your business will grow fast with proper care. Plant the seed with everyone you come in contact with that you are now in the travel business and you would be happy to handle their travel requirements. Ask people to recommend you to people they know who need travel arrangements. Whenever you go out of your home, remind yourself that most everyone you encounter will need travel arrangements at some point in time. Distribute your business cards and your home agency brochures every chance you get. The recipients may not need travel arrangements today, but they will maintain your business cards and brochures as reminders of the agency to call when they do.
TOP 10 EXCUSES FOR AVOIDING MARKETING ACTIVITIES:
1. I don’t know enough about the travel business.
2. I don’t know whom to call.
3. I’m not well known in my community.
4. They (prospects) probably already have a travel agency.
5. I’m still assembling my list of prospects.
6. I need more time to study the market.
7. I don’t have time.
8. I’m afraid they might say no.
9. I’m waiting for the right moment.
10. Marketing isn’t that important. I just know people will hear about me somehow and they will call.
Do any of these sound familiar? Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to these excuses. Develop a habit of handing out your business cards and asking people if they will call you next time they are going to travel. You will find that it really is easy and fun to do.
Marketing Tools That Help Get Results
You have within your reach a kit of marketing tools to bring in clients and profits. The purpose of using a marketing tool is to get attention. We cannot over emphasize the importance of utilizing the right tools that will actually grow your business and help you to earn more money. TPI recommends using a marketing package consisting of envelopes and business cards with the TPI logo. In addition, business reply cards, prospect cards, and client profile cards are a vital part of your marketing kit. This helps assure your new clients that you’re a professional travel agent who will work hard to handle any travel arrangements they may have.
Quick tip….. Always carry a large supply of business cards…and hand them out to everyone you meet!
Use web-based marketing. Establish a web and social media presence and promote it. Customers will come to you from everywhere. Search the web for the best type of promotion, and appeal to people who share your interest and specialty. Consider paid ads for key search terms.
Promotional Items
Did you ever stop to think that a key chain, luggage tag or a wall calendar with your agency name and address on it? Promotional items that you give to clients and prospects perform an ongoing, yet inexpensive means of reminding consumers of your name, day after day.
Here are a few inexpensive items that are really great for promoting your travel business:
Calendars, luggage tags, key chains, passport cases, paperweights, pens, mugs, hats and shirts.
Let your imagination stay busy constantly. Create more opportunities to get your agency’s name and contact information out to the public as often as possible and watch your profits grow!
LOGOS AND OTHER AD MATERIALS
You may use our logo in your advertising and on your business cards, etc. You may NOT display TPI’s IATA number on any material.
Please include a remark under the logo referencing your status: Independent Agent.
Here is a copy of our logo for you to use
In order to upload the logo, simply right-click and save the image to any directory you would like. You can then insert the logo into your materials. You may also use the logo on your website.
FAQ
Becoming a travel consultant and using your credentials:
Do I need a bond?
One of the benefits of being a TPI agent is that there is no need to obtain a bond to meet financial operating standards. TPI arranges the necessary industry bond.
Do I need a computer?
In order to efficiently work with TPI, access to a computer, internet and email is required.
Will I receive commissions from my personal travel?
If you book any type of personal travel at standard rates you are entitled to the same commission you would receive if you sold the trip to a client. However, rates specifically for travel industry personnel are typically non-commissionable. Travel agent rates are non-commissionable.
How much money can I make?
As with any business, your potential earnings are based upon the amount of time and effort you invest in building a client base. Some people are content with a small income and potential for travel benefits. Others work full time and earn a substantial income.
Can I advertise with tours and cruises promoted online and earn commissions?
Yes. This is a good way to see what’s being offered in you area. Tour operators and cruise lines all advertise heavily. Make sure you contact the tour operator or cruise line you wish to partner with directly. Do not contact the other travel agencies that have paid to be included in the suppliers advertisement.
How do I pay for cruises and tours?
A credit card is the best way to pay for any travel service. Many credit cards include free travel insurance, and they are a more efficient way to do business. If a client pays you using cash, you will need to send a cashier’s check or money order the same day. TPI advises against taking personal checks because of the risk of bad checks. A bad check leaves you personally responsible for the costs of your clients’ travel.
Are my travel and other business expenses tax deductible?
As an independent contractor, you are responsible for all of your own taxes. Many expenses are tax deductible as a legitimate business expense. However, we recommend you check with a licensed CPA or tax accountant to ensure you receive every deduction you can and avoid deducting something you shouldn’t.
What discounts can I qualify for?
As a travel consultant, you may qualify for numerous industry discounts on hotels, car rentals, cruises, attractions and more. You must meet TPI’s strict earnings requirements to be eligible for most travel agent rates and TPI will not facilitate travel agent rates unless the most stringent earnings requirements have been met. Additionally, travel agent rates and discounts are given at the sole discretion of each individual supplier and are a privilege that is earned.
Will I receive commission for air travel purchases?
No. Do not involve TPI in any air travel purchases unless the air travel is included in a cruise or tour purchase, or some other all inclusive trip.
What requirements are needed to receive an actual IATAN card?
The IATAN card is issued by the International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN), upon request by TPI. This is the most widely recognized Travel Agent ID card. Some suppliers may require an IATAN card in order to receive a travel industry discount. If an IATAN card is required, you will not be eligible for discounts until you have reached the minimum IATAN commission requirements and have applied for your card. The following requirements are set by IATAN in order to obtain a card:
- $5,000 in commissions paid to you by TPI within a 12 consecutive month period
- You must work at least 20 hours per week as an independent travel agent
Upon reaching these requirements, you can request for TPI to apply for your IATAN card. There are additional fees for the IATAN card that are not included with the TPI membership.
How do I book hotels?
There are many ways to book hotels. One way is to call the hotel directly. Ask if they have any rooms available for the particular nights in question. They will then quote a price. Most hotels will need a credit card guarantee to hold the room for you or your client. Make sure you are aware of their cancellation policy prior to booking. Always give the hotel TPI’s IATA (industry number). You will be asked to provide your travel agent credentials and possibly the phone number and address of this agency (TPI Travel Services). Please do not give your home phone number or address. Remember you are an active outside sales agent/independent contractor and in that capacity you must give TPI’s information.
How do I get the best rates?
The reason you receive services and a commission split from commissions paid to TPI is that YOU do the research yourself as an independent home-based travel agent. When a travel agency researches a trip, they earn every penny. Our procedure is simple. You make the calls to the travel suppliers and notify TPI of any bookings you have made. You are now getting professional pricing, so in turn you must expect to do a little more in return. Many travel suppliers offer sales and/or special commissions. Sign up for their emails so that you will be aware of current offers. TPI does not plan trips for you or your clients, but if you have any questions, please email us for assistance.
How do I book a cruise?
Call the cruise company directly. You will be able to locate any direct phone number with a simple Google search. In most cases, agent information must be provided. Always provide the cruise company with TPI’s IATA/CLIA (industry number). You will be asked to provide your travel agent credentials and possibly the phone number and address of TPI Travel Services. Please do not give your home phone number or address. Remember you are an active outside sales agent/independent contractor and in that capacity you must give TPI’s information.