ACM (agency credit memo): A credit raised by an airline that reduces what an agency owes, for example a refund adjustment or commission correction. Settled through the BSP statement. ADM vs ACM →
ADM (agency debit memo): A charge raised by an airline that increases what an agency owes, for example for an undercollected fare or overclaimed commission. Settled through the BSP statement and open to dispute within a set period. ADM vs ACM →
Aging: A report that groups customer or supplier balances by how long they have been outstanding, used to prioritise collections and payments.
AIR file: The accounting interface record Amadeus produces for each ticketed booking, carrying the ticket, passenger, fare, taxes and commission to the agency back office. AIR, MIR and IUR files →
B2B and B2CS: GSTR-1 sections for supplies to registered businesses (B2B) and small supplies to unregistered customers (B2CS).
Bank reconciliation: Matching the transactions on a bank statement with the receipts and payments in the books, so the bank balance and the ledger agree.
Bill-wise profitability: The margin on each individual sale or invoice, after the related purchase costs, memos and fees.
BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan): IATA’s system for settling ticket sales between accredited agents and participating airlines through one billing statement and one remittance per period. BSP reconciliation →
BSPlink: IATA’s web portal where agents view billing statements, refunds, ADMs and ACMs, and raise disputes.
CDNR: The GSTR-1 section for credit and debit notes issued to registered recipients.
Consolidator: A travel business that issues tickets on behalf of sub-agents, combining their volume with airlines. Accounting for consolidators →
Cost centre: A tag on a transaction, such as a department, branch or client project, used to report income and cost by that dimension.
Credit note: A document that reduces what a customer owes, for example after a refund or cancellation. It should reference the original invoice. Accounting for airline refunds →
E-invoice: A B2B invoice reported to the GST invoice registration portal, which returns an invoice reference number and QR code, for businesses above the notified turnover threshold.
GDS (global distribution system): A reservation network, such as Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport, that agencies use to book and ticket airline inventory. Amadeus integration →
GSTR-1: The GST return in which a registered business reports its outward supplies, including B2B, B2CS, HSN summary and credit and debit notes. GST on air tickets →
HSN and SAC: Classification codes used under GST: HSN for goods and SAC for services. Travel services are reported under SAC codes.
IATA: The International Air Transport Association, the airline trade body that accredits agents and runs BSP.
Inter-branch posting: An entry that records a sale or cost one branch makes on behalf of another, so each branch’s books stay correct. Multi-branch accounting →
ITC (input tax credit): GST paid on purchases that a registered business can set off against the GST it owes on its sales, subject to conditions.
IUR file: The interface user record Sabre sends to the agency back office for each ticketed booking. AIR, MIR and IUR files →
MIR file: The machine interface record produced by Travelport systems, including Galileo, for each ticketed booking. AIR, MIR and IUR files →
PLB (productivity linked bonus): An incentive an airline pays an agency for reaching sales targets over a defined period. PLB accounting →
PNR (passenger name record): The booking record in a GDS or airline system that holds the passenger, itinerary and ticketing details.
Pro forma invoice: A preliminary invoice sent before a booking is confirmed, showing the expected price. It is not a tax invoice.
PSR: An airline-wise sales report showing what an agency has sold on each carrier, often used to track progress against incentive targets.
Service fee: The charge an agency adds for its own booking service. It is the agency’s taxable supply under GST.
Sub-agent: A smaller agency that issues tickets through a consolidator instead of holding its own airline accreditation.
Supplier reconciliation: Matching a supplier’s statement with the supplier ledger in the books, so both sides agree on what is owed.
TCS (tax collected at source): Income tax the seller collects from the buyer at the time of sale, such as on overseas tour packages, and deposits with the government. TCS on overseas tour packages →
TDS (tax deducted at source): Income tax the payer deducts from a payment, such as commission or incentives, and deposits with the government. The recipient claims credit for it.
Trial balance: A list of every ledger balance at a date, used to confirm that debits equal credits before preparing the P&L and balance sheet.

The terms behind travel agency books.

See BSP, memos and incentives handled in one ledger.