You need your own IATA accreditation, or ARC accreditation in the USA, only to issue airline tickets and settle with airlines in your own name. Otherwise a partner that holds those links issues the ticket. Tripgic is a unified travel API that delivers Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport content, NDC and 67 low-cost carriers without a direct GDS contract or certification.

This guide is for the people who decide how a travel business will sell flights: founders of online travel agencies, agency owners, product leads at travel startups, and teams at banks, fintechs and loyalty programmes adding flights to an app. It explains what IATA accreditation is, what it actually gives you, how to get it, how the US works with ARC and IATAN, why a TIDS code is not a ticketing licence, and how a flight API changes what you need. The accreditation facts come from IATA’s and ARC’s own pages, listed in the sources at the end, and were checked against those pages in November 2026. This is not legal advice: rules differ by country, so confirm your own case with IATA, ARC and your local authority.

Do You Need an IATA Number to Sell Flights Through an API?

Most buyers ask one question: “Do I need an IATA number before I can sell flights through an API?” The honest answer depends on what you want to hold yourself. Selling a flight involves three separate things — access to the content, the authority to issue the ticket, and the money flow with the airline — and accreditation only covers the last two.

What you want to do Do you need your own IATA or ARC accreditation?
Show flight fares in your app or website No. Content access comes from a GDS contract, an airline or an API provider
Take bookings and have a partner issue the ticket Usually no. The partner’s accreditation or connection covers the ticket
Issue tickets in your own name, on your own numeric code Yes — IATA in BSP markets, ARC in the USA
Settle directly with airlines through the BSP or ARC Yes
Earn commission from suppliers without ticketing No ticketing licence needed; IATA’s TIDS code exists for this (not in the USA)
Sign your own contract with Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport Each GDS sets its own eligibility terms, so check with it directly — or skip the contract and use an API

The rest of this guide explains each row, and where a flight API fits in.

What Is IATA Accreditation?

IATA accreditation is IATA’s approval of a travel agency to sell airline tickets. The accredited agency gets a unique code that airlines recognise, one Sales Agency Agreement covering many airlines, and invoicing and payment through the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP).

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association of the world’s airlines. Its Travel Agency Program approves travel agencies to sell tickets for its member airlines. That approval is what people mean by “IATA accreditation”, “an IATA licence” or “an IATA number”.

According to IATA’s accreditation page, an accredited agent receives:

  • A unique code that identifies the agency as accredited and as a member of the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP). Airlines and the industry call it the IATA numeric code.
  • A single Sales Agency Agreement that authorises the agency to sell international and/or domestic tickets for many airlines, instead of a separate agreement with each one.
  • Invoicing and payment through the BSP, with access to BSPlink services.
  • Standardised procedures for dealing with airlines, and the right to use the “IATA Accredited Agent” logo.
  • Payment options that include IATA Easy Pay and customer credit cards.
  • Supplier concessions through the IATA/IATAN ID Card.
  • PCI certification, which IATA lists as part of the package to protect customer data.

On its Travel Agency Program page, IATA says it has three levels of accreditation and that “it only takes 25 days to become accredited”. Country rules then add their own requirements, which we cover below.

What Does IATA Accreditation Actually Give You?

IATA accreditation gives an agency ticketing authority: the right to turn a booking into a paid, issued ticket on behalf of an airline, under the agency’s own numeric code, with the money settled through the BSP. Everything else in the package supports that one right, and the financial checks exist because the airline extends credit to the agency between the ticket and the payment.

A booking (a reservation, or PNR) only holds the seat. The ticket is the document that says the fare has been paid and the passenger may fly. Our guide to the airline ticketing API walks through that difference step by step.

When an accredited agency issues a ticket, three things happen under its own name:

  1. The ticket carries the agency’s numeric code. The airline knows which agency sold it.
  2. The sale is reported to the BSP. IATA’s BSP page describes “one sales report and one remittance per agent” and “one consolidated settlement to airlines”.
  3. The agency owes the airline the money. The agency collects from its customer and remits through the settlement system on a fixed cycle.

That third point is why accreditation comes with financial checks. An airline is extending credit to the agency between the ticket and the remittance, and the guarantee protects the airline if the agency cannot pay. So accreditation is not just a badge. It is a financial relationship with every participating airline at once, and it carries the obligations that come with that.

What Are the IATA Accreditation Models?

IATA offers accreditation in several models. The differences are mostly about payment methods and financial security, not about which airlines you can sell. This table is built from IATA’s own description.

Model Who it is for What IATA says about it
GoLite Agencies that want a simple start “Simplified process and requirements” and “no minimum financial guarantee required to issue air tickets”
GoStandard Agencies that want every payment option “Access to all IATA standard payment solutions” for air tickets
GoEurozone Agencies with locations in several Eurozone countries One set of financial criteria, an annual review, a single financial guarantee
GoGlobal Agencies operating in many countries The same single guarantee, with a quarterly review
TIDS Travel sellers that do not issue tickets Identification only — covered below

For a new seller, the practical difference is cash. GoLite asks for no minimum financial guarantee to issue tickets, while GoStandard gives access to all IATA standard payment solutions but applies the financial criteria that IATA’s Travel Agent’s Handbook sets for each country.

IATA charges a single annual fee for accreditation and states that “there are no additional transaction costs”. The amount depends on the country, so check the checklist for yours.

How Do You Get IATA Accreditation? The Steps

To get IATA accreditation, you choose a model, follow IATA’s checklist for your country, gather the documents it lists, meet the financial criteria for your model and apply to IATA, which says the process takes 25 days. In the USA the route is different: IATA sends agencies to IATAN, and ticketing runs through ARC.

  1. Confirm IATA is the right body. If your agency is located in the USA, IATA’s accreditation page points you to the IATAN Accreditation Program, and ticketing authority comes from ARC. The US section below covers that route.
  2. Choose a model. GoLite for a simple start, GoStandard for every payment option, GoEurozone or GoGlobal for several countries — or TIDS if you will not issue tickets at all.
  3. Read your country checklist. IATA publishes accreditation country checklists that list exactly what each market asks for.
  4. Gather the documents. Typical items are the application form, proof of company registration, the IDs of the owners or shareholders and bank account details, plus financial statements where your model asks for them.
  5. Meet the financial criteria. These depend on the model and the country. GoLite needs no minimum financial guarantee to issue tickets.
  6. Apply and pay the annual fee. IATA says “it only takes 25 days to become accredited” once you apply.
  7. Choose your technology route. An IATA number gives you the right to ticket, not content or a booking engine. You still need a GDS contract or a flight API to search and book fares.

The last step is the one buyers most often leave until too late. Accreditation and technology are two separate projects, and each one has its own timeline.

Can a TIDS Code Issue Airline Tickets?

No. A TIDS code identifies a travel seller to suppliers so they can recognise its bookings and pay commission, but IATA states that TIDS agents cannot issue airline tickets through the BSP. Only IATA Accredited Agents can. TIDS is free, it is not available in the USA, and it does not replace accreditation for anyone who wants to issue tickets.

Many buyers see “IATA code” and assume any IATA code lets them issue tickets. It does not. The Travel Industry Designator Service, or TIDS, is a separate IATA programme.

IATA describes TIDS as “the agency identification program that allows the bookings of travel sales intermediaries to be recognized” by suppliers such as airlines, hotel chains, cruise lines, car rental companies and rail companies. It gives you a TIDS code that suppliers use to identify your bookings and pay you commission. IATA says TIDS is now free of charge.

The limit is stated plainly in the TIDS FAQ: “TIDS agents however cannot issue airline tickets through IATA’s BSP”, while “IATA Accredited Agents are able to do so”. The same FAQ says TIDS is “available globally except in the USA”, and points US agencies to a non-ticketing programme run by IATAN.

So TIDS is useful for a tour operator, an event planner or an online booking service that wants to be recognised and paid commission. If your plan is to sell flights through an API provider that issues the ticket, a TIDS code may still help with supplier recognition, but it is not what makes the ticket valid.

How Does Accreditation Work in the United States?

The United States works differently. IATA’s accreditation page tells agencies located in the USA to visit the IATAN Accreditation Program instead, and ticketing in the US runs through the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). Three names come up, and they do different jobs.

Programme What it is for Does it give ticketing authority?
ARC accreditation US agencies that want to issue air tickets and settle with airlines through ARC Yes. ARC’s 2020 accreditation datasheet said accredited agencies could issue air tickets on ARC’s participating airlines, directly through GDSs, aggregators and airlines
ARC Verified Travel Consultant (VTC) Agencies not yet ready to ticket through ARC No. ARC’s datasheet describes VTC as a way to brand the agency as a travel agent with an ARC Number, and apply for full accreditation later when it is ready to add ticketing
IATAN Recognition of US travel professionals IATAN presents itself as “the only internationally recognized accreditation for U.S. travel professionals since 1977”, with listing on IATA CheckACode and the IATA Agency List. It is a recognition credential; ticketing runs through ARC

ARC accreditation is open to agencies “located in and authorized to do business in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico or American Samoa”, according to ARC’s information page for airlines. A company based elsewhere that wants to sell to US travellers does not simply sign up for ARC from abroad. It either sets up a qualifying US entity or sells through a partner that already holds the ticketing relationship.

What Does ARC Accreditation Require?

ARC accreditation requires a bond, letter of credit or cash deposit of at least $20,000, or $150,000 when the parent company is domiciled outside the United States. ARC also asks for a full-time designated manager, a staff member who has passed the ARC Specialist exam, entity papers, a non-refundable application fee, background checks on owners and managers, an interview with the owners, and notice to every participating airline. These come from ARC’s information page for airlines and its accreditation datasheet, and they are worth reading before you assume an API can or cannot replace them.

  • ARC asks for a financial instrument. The page asks for “a bond, letter of credit or cash deposit in the initial minimum amount of $20,000”. If the parent entity is domiciled outside the United States, the minimum is not less than $150,000.
  • ARC charges an application fee. Applicants pay a non-refundable application fee, which ARC says includes the annual fee for the calendar year in which they are approved. Check the current amount with ARC.
  • ARC asks for named staff. Every agency needs a designated manager, who is a full-time employee, and a person who has passed the ARC Specialist exam. One person can hold both roles.
  • ARC asks for documents. ARC’s 2020 datasheet lists entity papers for the corporation, LLC or partnership, an Employer Identification Number from the IRS, and any licences required by the local jurisdiction. ARC reviews the application kit for completeness, and the whole kit must be complete before it is submitted.
  • ARC asks for compliance with its agreements. Agencies follow the Agent Reporting Agreement and the Industry Agents’ Handbook. ARC notes that an on-site inspection may be required for a new agency.
  • ARC checks the people. ARC runs a background check on the agency’s owners, officers and designated manager, and interviews the owners once the application is complete.
  • The airlines review the application. ARC sends every participating airline a notice of the application, and says some airlines may apply a second approval of their own.

For a startup, the $20,000 floor is often less painful than what sits behind it: a named, examined ARC Specialist, reporting duties every settlement cycle, and the liability for every ticket issued on your number. That is the work a consolidator, or an API provider whose side issues the ticket, takes on when you sell through it.

What Does IATA Accreditation Require Outside the US?

Outside the USA, the requirements are set country by country. IATA publishes accreditation country checklists that list exactly what each market asks for.

The UAE travel agent checklist is a useful example of what to expect. Its requirements include the IATA application form, a certificate of company registration, a copy of the passport or ID card of every shareholder or owner, beneficiary bank account details, and — for GoStandard — financial statements. Separately, check whether your market asks for a local travel-agency licence; that rule sits with the local authority, not with IATA.

Three points matter for an API buyer:

  1. A trading licence and IATA accreditation are different things. In many markets you need a local licence to operate as a travel agency at all, whether or not you hold an IATA number. An API does not change local licensing.
  2. The financial test depends on the model. GoLite needs no minimum financial guarantee; GoStandard and the multi-country models apply financial criteria from the Travel Agent’s Handbook.
  3. IATA’s “25 days” is the processing promise, not the whole project. Gathering documents, opening bank accounts and meeting local licence rules come first.

If you sell in several markets, you will meet several checklists. That is one reason many multi-market sellers start with a provider that already holds the ticketing relationships.

How Can You Sell Airline Tickets Without Your Own IATA Number?

You can sell airline tickets without your own IATA number through four partner models: a host agency, a consolidator, a flight API provider or an airline’s own direct channel. They differ in who issues the ticket, who settles with the airline and who handles changes after the sale.

Model Who issues the ticket Who settles with the airline Who services changes Suits
Host agency The host, on its accreditation The host The host, often with you Independent agents and home-based advisors
Consolidator The consolidator, on its accreditation The consolidator Shared; depends on the contract Agencies selling international air, often at net fares
Flight API provider The provider’s ticketing connection Per the provider’s contract Through the API, per the contract OTAs, apps, startups, fintechs, loyalty programmes
Airline direct (NDC portal or API) The airline Per the airline’s programme The airline Agencies focused on a few carriers

Example of a flight API provider: Tripgic, one REST API with settlement from a prepaid wallet.

A host agency is an accredited agency that independent agents join; you book under its accreditation and it takes a share of commission or a fee. A consolidator holds airline agreements, sells fares to other agencies and tickets under its own number — our guide to the flight consolidator explains the model and how to check one. Both are built around agents who book by hand.

A flight API provider is built for software. Your website or app calls the API to search, book and ticket, and the provider’s connections do the ticketing. For the four routes compared from the GDS side, see GDS for travel agents, and for what the software around the API involves, see our guide to the flight booking system.

What Does a Flight API Change About Accreditation?

A flight API removes the need for your own GDS contracts, because the provider’s single agreement gives you the content. With many providers it also covers ticketing authority and settlement, because the provider’s side issues the ticket and you fund tickets under its payment model. It does not remove your company registration, any local licence to sell travel, your customer terms or your customer service.

The cleanest way to see this is to split the job into its three layers and ask who holds each one.

Layer Direct route Through a flight API
Content access A contract with each GDS, an office ID (PCC) and a certification of your booking flow, repeated per GDS One agreement and one integration with the provider
Ticketing authority Your own IATA or ARC accreditation The provider’s ticketing connection issues the ticket
Settlement and servicing BSP or ARC reporting and remittance on your numeric code The provider’s payment model, for example a prepaid balance

Tripgic’s GDS page describes the direct route the same way: a commercial contract, then an agency or office ID (PCC), then developer onboarding and certification of your booking flow, repeated for each GDS. The usual path takes 6–12 months per GDS before you sell a ticket. Our comparison of a travel API vs a GDS sets the two routes side by side.

An API removes the first layer from your to-do list completely. It can also remove the second and third, depending on the provider’s model. What it does not remove is your business’s own obligations: your company registration, any local licence to trade as a travel seller, your terms with customers, and your customer service. Keep those on your own list whichever route you choose.

This is also the honest answer to the US question. You need your own ARC accreditation to issue tickets and settle with airlines in your own name. Selling flights through an API does not require it when the provider’s side issues the ticket under its own ticketing authority. It does require a lawful business that may sell travel in the states where you operate.

Who Is the Seller When You Use a Flight API?

When you sell through a flight API, you are still the seller to your customer. You take the traveller’s money, put your brand on the booking and answer when the trip changes. You then pay the provider for the ticket under your contract, and the airline is paid through the provider’s connections. The provider’s terms decide how you fund tickets, how voids and refunds work and who carries which risk.

With your own IATA or ARC number, the answer is you on every count. You collect from the traveller, report the sale and remit to the airline through the settlement system.

Through an API provider, the money usually moves in two steps: your customer pays you, and you pay the provider. That means:

  • You still own the customer relationship. Your brand is on the booking, and your customer service handles the traveller.
  • You need a payment flow. Card acquiring, refunds to your customer and any local consumer rules are yours.
  • The provider’s terms decide the rest — how you fund tickets, how voids and refunds work, and who carries which risk.

Tripgic’s pricing page states this split directly: your customers never pay Tripgic, you collect from your own customers and agencies in the methods that suit your market, and you remain responsible for support to your own end customers. Read the equivalent section of any provider’s terms before you sign. It tells you more about your real obligations than any accreditation label.

How Tripgic Does This

If you are asking which API gives you Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport flight content without your own GDS contract, Tripgic is one direct answer: one REST API, one commercial relationship, all three GDS networks. It is built for the buyer who wants to sell flights without running a GDS contract programme first. Its main site calls Tripgic “a technical intermediary and aggregator, not a direct travel operator”: it provides the infrastructure layer. Here is what that means for each layer.

  • Tripgic gives you content without a GDS contract. The GDS FAQ says a single commercial relationship with Tripgic covers all GDS networks — no separate contracts and no individual GDS certification. The Flight API returns Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport content, airline-direct NDC offers and 67 low-cost carriers in one normalized JSON response, with 700+ airline and LCC connections in total.
  • Tripgic puts ticketing in the API. The API documentation lists a /flight/issue-ticket call that issues tickets for a validated booking, alongside search, validation, booking details and /flight/cancel-booking, among 73 endpoints in 8 product families. Ticketing is one more call in the same booking flow your code already runs.
  • Tripgic settles from a prepaid wallet. The pricing page explains that you keep funds in a Tripgic wallet and the cost of each ticket is deducted from it as the ticket is processed, with a flat fee per transaction, never a percentage. Detailed settlement terms sit in your commercial agreement.
  • Tripgic services tickets through the same integration. The solutions page lists post-ticketing APIs for changes, cancellations and servicing, so voids, refunds, reissues and name changes run through the same integration. The pricing page explains how these services are charged.
  • Tripgic gives you a short path to test. The contact page offers a free sandbox, with no commitment to start. Most activations take 3–5 business days.

The API documentation describes one booking lifecycle across products: search, validate, update travellers, create the booking, then issue the ticket, with booking details and cancellation after that. For a flight, those steps map to these calls:

POST /flight/search             Search flights
POST /flight/validate           Validate selected itinerary and pricing
POST /flight/update-travellers  Update passenger details in a booking
POST /flight/create-booking     Create a flight booking
POST /flight/issue-ticket       Issue tickets for a validated booking
POST /flight/cancel-booking     Cancel a flight booking

Every one is a POST with a JSON body and returns the same response envelope, so ticketing needs no second integration. Which entity issues the ticket in the markets you sell in, and what your own local rules ask of you, are the questions to raise with Tripgic before you launch.

Worked Example: How Would a US Fintech Add Flights?

This example is illustrative, not a customer case. Take a US fintech that wants to embed flight booking in its app for its card customers. It has engineers, a payments licence and customers, but no travel history. Here is what each route asks of it.

Route A — get ARC accreditation first. The company forms or uses a US entity, appoints an agency manager and an ARC Specialist who passes the ARC exam, posts a financial instrument of at least $20,000, files its entity papers and EIN, and checks any state licensing. Only then does it negotiate GDS contracts and certify its booking flow with each GDS. Content, ticketing and settlement are all its own, and so is every reporting cycle.

Route B — sell through a flight API. The company signs one API agreement, receives sandbox credentials and builds search, booking and ticketing against one schema. Tickets are issued through the provider’s connections. The fintech funds tickets under the provider’s payment model, charges its own customers, and runs customer service in its app. It still checks state and federal rules for selling travel — that does not move to the provider.

What changes over time. If flight volume grows large and the company wants its own settlement and ticketing control, it can apply for ARC later and ask its API provider how its own accreditation would fit. Starting with Route B does not close Route A. It moves the decision to the point where the company has the sales data to make it.

Worked Example: Does an Accredited Agency Still Need an API?

This example is also illustrative. Take the opposite case: a travel agency in the UAE that has held IATA accreditation for years. It issues tickets on its own numeric code through one GDS and settles through the BSP. Its owners want to launch a website and a B2B booking tool for sub-agents.

Accreditation is not its problem. Content and technology are. The agency’s single GDS connection does not show the low-cost carriers its customers fly around the region, and some airlines now keep their richest offers for NDC channels; our guide to Gulf airlines’ NDC channels goes carrier by carrier through the ones a UAE agency sells most. Building a website on a GDS terminal connection means certifying a new booking flow and paying for the engineering. Our guide to NDC vs GDS explains why the two content sources differ, and the low-cost carrier API guide covers the carriers outside the GDS.

For this agency, a flight API is a content and technology decision, not a licensing one. Its questions to a provider are different:

  • Which content arrives in one search: GDS, NDC and low-cost carriers together?
  • Can our own accreditation be used for any of the ticketing?
  • How do our existing BSP sales and the API’s sales reconcile in our back office?
  • How are voids, refunds and reissues handled over the API?

The point of the example is that accreditation and an API are not either-or. An accredited agency can use an API to reach content it cannot reach today.

When Is Your Own IATA Accreditation Worth It?

Your own accreditation is worth it when you sell enough air every month to justify the fees and guarantee, want to issue and reissue on your own timetable, and can staff reporting and compliance. It is usually not worth it yet while you are still testing demand or flights are one product inside a wider app. These signals point towards applying.

Signs you are ready:

  • Steady air volume. You sell enough tickets every month that settlement on your own code, and the fees and guarantee that come with it, are justified by the control you gain.
  • You want ticketing control. You need to issue, void and reissue on your own timetable, without depending on a partner’s queue.
  • Your clients ask for it. Some corporate clients and airlines expect to deal with an accredited agency.
  • You want direct GDS or airline contracts. Some airline programmes and GDS agreements are set up around accredited agencies; check the terms of each one you want.
  • You can staff it. You have, or can hire, people who will own reporting, remittance and compliance.

Signs to wait:

  • You are still testing whether customers will buy flights from you at all.
  • Flights are one product inside a wider app, not your core business.
  • You sell in several countries, each of which would need its own checklist.
  • Your team is engineers, not ticketing specialists.

There is no universal sales figure at which accreditation becomes worth it. The fees, guarantees and staffing differ by country and by model. Price both routes for your own market using the current figures from IATA or ARC, and compare them with a provider’s model on its pricing page.

Questions to Ask Any Flight API Provider About Ticketing

Whichever provider you evaluate, these questions turn a vague “we handle ticketing” into facts you can plan on. Ask them on the first call and ask for the answers in writing.

  1. Which entity issues the ticket for each market I plan to sell in?
  2. Do I need my own IATA, ARC or local licence to sell through you in those markets, and what does your contract assume?
  3. Which content arrives in one search — which GDS networks, which NDC airlines, which low-cost carriers?
  4. Is ticketing automatic over the API, or does a person issue tickets from a queue?
  5. How do I pay for tickets — prepaid balance, credit line or card — and when is the amount deducted?
  6. What is the fee model — a flat amount per transaction, a percentage, or a subscription?
  7. How are voids, refunds, reissues and name changes handled, and are they available over the API?
  8. Who handles the traveller when a flight is cancelled or rescheduled by the airline?
  9. Can I test the full flow, including ticketing, in a sandbox before I pay?
  10. If I get my own accreditation later, how does that change our setup?

A provider that answers all ten clearly is one you can plan a launch around. If you are early in the build, our guide on the travel API for startups covers the wider evaluation, and GDS API cost breaks down what the direct route costs.

What Mistakes Do Buyers Make With Accreditation?

Three mistakes cost buyers the most time, and none of them is covered by the TIDS and IATAN points above.

  • Applying for accreditation before choosing a technology route. An IATA number does not give you a website, a booking engine or content. You still need a GDS contract or an API, and that project has its own timeline.
  • Mixing up content contracts and ticketing authority. A GDS contract gives you access to fares. Accreditation gives you the right to issue tickets. They are separate agreements with separate parties.
  • Copying another country’s rules. Requirements are set per country. A checklist that worked for a partner in another market may not match yours.

Final Thoughts

IATA accreditation, and ARC in the USA, gives an agency the authority to issue airline tickets and settle with airlines in its own name. It is valuable, and it comes with fees, financial security, named staff and reporting duties. You need it when you want to hold ticketing and settlement yourself. You do not need it simply to show fares or to sell through a partner that issues the ticket.

A flight API separates the layers. It gives you content without your own GDS contract, and with many providers it handles ticketing and settlement too, leaving you to run the business, the customer and the brand. Many sellers start that way and apply for accreditation once their volume and team justify it.

To see it in practice, book a call with Tripgic and validate your integration in the free sandbox.