If an ARC accredited agent wants to charge an agency service fee to a client's credit card, how should the fee be collected?

If an ARC accredited agent wants to charge an agency service fee to a client's credit card, how should the fee be collected?

• A. Cash only.
• B. By issuing a TASF automated MCO via your Global Distribution System (GDS) or use Agent's Choice.
• C. Personal credit card charge directly to the client.
• D. Bank transfer.

Answer: (B)

Agency service fees must be collected through ARC-approved MCO processes to ensure proper accounting, settlement, and an auditable trail. The recommended method is to issue a Travel Agency Service Fee (TASF) automated MCO through your Global Distribution System (GDS) or via the Agent’s Choice option. This creates a dedicated Miscellaneous Charge Order for the fee and processes it within ARC’s framework, so the fee is clearly identified, posted correctly, and reconciled in your agency’s books. Using this approach avoids money being handled outside ARC’s systems (as with cash), bypassing ARC reconciliation (as with a personal credit card charge), or relying on transfers that don’t flow through the ARC process. The TASF/MCO path provides the compliant, traceable method needed for charging the client’s card for an agency service fee.

Agency service fees must be collected through ARC-approved MCO processes to ensure proper accounting, settlement, and an auditable trail. The recommended method is to issue a Travel Agency Service Fee (TASF) automated MCO through your Global Distribution System (GDS) or via the Agent’s Choice option. This creates a dedicated Miscellaneous Charge Order for the fee and processes it within ARC’s framework, so the fee is clearly identified, posted correctly, and reconciled in your agency’s books.

Using this approach avoids money being handled outside ARC’s systems (as with cash), bypassing ARC reconciliation (as with a personal credit card charge), or relying on transfers that don’t flow through the ARC process. The TASF/MCO path provides the compliant, traceable method needed for charging the client’s card for an agency service fee.