Using the Four Cornerstones approach we can see that each cornerstone should be considered with fees.

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1 This program has been sponsored by In this, our fifth and final webinar on the subject of fees, we will put the spotlight on the nuts and bolts operational issues. While not the most exiting part of the journey toward fees and freedom, it is an important part of making a smooth transition. Using the Four Cornerstones approach we can see that each cornerstone should be considered with fees. Finance o Fees can increase bottom line profits, but decrease top line sales o Calculating fees to cover costs and generate profit o Fee-specific costs: processing, training, marketing, technology o Updated budget forecasts and cash flows o Credit card merchant account (bank, PayPal, etc.) Sales & Marketing o Marketing material focused on consulting and value o Incorporate the value of a consultant on website, blogs, Facebook o Slogans and phrases for cards, website, etc. Example: travel agents make reservations travel consultants create dreams. Technology o GDS accounting lines and interface issues o Set up or modify accounting system for fees o Online fee payment fill-in form (PayPal, Google Checkout, Merchant) o Card swipe device o Steps needed for ClientBase or other CRM Operations o Scripts, policies and procedures and fee training o Procedures for fee processing, refunds, objections and questions o Determine how fees will appear on invoices o Waivers, disclaimers, insurance, taxes and regulations Yikes! All of this can make fees seem overwhelming. Don t worry. As with all new strategies, preparation is important but slow and steady implementation is the key. It won t happen overnight. Anything this important rarely does. Page 1 of 8

2 Fee Processing Credit Cards In some cases, you may be able to collect your fees via cash or check. In most cases however, you will probably need to find some method of accepting credit cards for your fees. Luckily, there have never been more options to choose from than we see today. Some are almost free and many are very simple. Some carry monthly charges but may offer more sophisticated services. Increasingly, travel agents charging fees utilize more than one option depending on the individual circumstances. Below are the come common options for accepting and processing credit cards for professional fees. Note: many, if not most third party credit card processing services such as PayPal do not allow payment for actual travel using their services. Professional consulting fees however are acceptable by most. It is very important to fully understand what is and is not allowed rather than risking an unfortunate experience. PayPal.com Once primarily used for online auction purchases, PayPal has grown into one of the largest and most respected online payment networks on earth. It can process in multiple currencies, multiple languages, is extremely secure and has a good track record of stability and success. Most people know PayPal as a personal payment service. They also offer several business programs that can work well for professional fees. PayPal business programs do NOT require that your customers have a PayPal account. Website Payments Standard this program requires no credit application and has no setup or monthly fees. As the name implies, this service is for use on your website or via . It creates Buy Now buttons or Add to Cart buttons for you that are already encoded with your PayPal ID and the amount you want to charge. You can also simply a Payment Request from within PayPal for your professional fees, or even create a Professional Fees Payment form on your website. Travel agents have used all of these methods for fees. Cost: 2.2% to 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction, based on volume. No monthly fees or setup costs. Additional cost for foreign currency. Page 2 of 8

3 Website Payments Pro same as above, but more for high-volume websites with shopping carts. The primary advantage of this program is that the user never leaves your site during the payment process. For most travel agents looking to simply process their fees, this program may not be appropriate. Cost: 2.2% to 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction, based on volume, plus $30 per month no setup costs. Online Invoicing this has become a very popular method for collecting professional fees using PayPal. Using your existing PayPal account, such as Website Payments Standard above, you can easily generate an invoice for your fees directly in PayPal, which is then sent to your clients via . As with all PayPal business programs, your client does not need a PayPal account to pay using their credit card. Cost: 2.2% to 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction, based on volume. No monthly fees or setup costs. Virtual Terminal this service works in concert with the above allowing you to accept credit cards in person, by phone or fax, or using an optional card swipe device that plugs into your computer. Regardless of the PayPal method you choose (and there are more than listed above), they all function very much like a bank account. As you collect payments for your fees, they build up in your PayPal account. As often as you like, you can transfer any amount in your PayPal balance to your actual bank account. There is no fee charged by PayPal to transfer (withdraw) money to your local bank account however, some banks may charge to receive such electronic transfers. For a charge of $1.50 you can request an actual check from PayPal. The cost of this plus any charges mentioned above should be part of your total fee calculations. Page 3 of 8

4 Google Checkout: checkout.google.com Everyone knows Google, but not everyone knows they have an online credit card payment service! While not as full-featured or as familiar as PayPal, the process is very similar. There is essentially ONE program with multiple solutions. Google offers invoice, buy it now buttons, and more. Like PayPal, Google does not allow the sale of actual travel products. Cost: starts lower than PayPal: 1.9% - 3.0% plus $0.30 per transaction. No monthly or set up fees. Square: squareup.com accept credit cards using your iphone One of the newest entrants to credit card processing is Square, yet they are already generating a lot of interest and investment from big names. The idea is super-simple. Square will send you a free gadget that plugs into your iphone. You can either swipe a physical credit card, or manually enter the details on the screen. There is no setup or monthly fee. The cost is 2.75% for swiped transactions, or 3.5% + $0.15 for manually entered ones. That s it. They also deposit payments collected into your bank account daily. If you have an iphone in the office, this one is worth considering. ARC: arccorp.com ARC offers a very simple and flexible solution called TASF that is tailor-made for the travel industry. It is available to both fully accredited locations and VTCs (Verified Travel Consultants). There is a $25 sign up fee (waived for VTCs), a flat-rate transaction fee of 3.5%, and a quarterly fee of $ The quarterly fee is waived if you have no charges. The ARC program handles ALL travel transactions, including professional fees, and is seamlessly integrated into the way you may already do things today. They also offer a web-based processing tool called Agent s Choice that allows you to process fees outside of a GDS environment. Page 4 of 8

5 TRAMS Credit Card Merchant - trams.com If your agency uses the TRAMS back office accounting system, it is possible to use the it for processing your fees. The system is limited to working with a small number of credit card processing providers, and requires that you sign up with those providers before the system will function. Participating providers include Pinnacle Payment Solutions and National Transaction Corp (NTC). Detailed information on setup fees, monthly and transaction fees are available from TRAMS. Your own credit card merchant account usually obtained through your bank Most banks offer their business clients both credit and debit card services. The services offered and the costs associated with them vary widely. There are advantages and disadvantages to setting up your own merchant account rather than using one of the third-party services above. Chief among the advantages are next-day funding, lower per-transaction costs, wide range of cards you can accept (including debit), a wide range or products and services you can charge for (usually including actual travel) and perhaps the most important advantage: local service and support if needed. The disadvantages most often cited by agents include: higher setup costs, higher monthly costs, minimum balance requirements, and difficulty getting approved. Procedures matter! Simple usually works best No matter which method you select for processing your fees, one very important part of the decision should be the steps and procedures required. Any fee processing method that is too time-consuming, difficult to understand, or disruptive customer interactions is less likely to succeed. Whichever solution you select, take the time to document, in simple terms, each step of the process for each type of transaction. Conduct staff training more than once, and take advantage of the test transactions that some systems offer, which allow you to practice and learn. Page 5 of 8

6 Professional Liability and Professional Fee Disclaimers In most states, courts have ruled that travel agents are liable for their professional advice and services regardless of whether or not a fee was charged. Most have ruled that fees neither increase nor decrease your liability as an intermediary provider of travel information, advice, and reservations. This does not mean that liability and legal considerations should be taken lightly or ignored. Many fee-charging agencies have adopted a preventative approach similar to that of requiring signed waivers for denial of travel insurance. While most lawyers would agree that signed waivers, disclaimers, and disclosures would not eliminate the threat of lawsuit or complaints, they can discourage them. All the signed waivers and posted disclaimers in the world do not prevent an unhappy customer from filing a lawsuit, which could be costly even if it didn t stand up in court. Below is a sample disclaimer that has been used by some fee-charging travel agencies. It appears on their invoices as well as on their website. Some require a signature. If such a disclaimer is important to you, you are encouraged to seek the advice of a legal professional familiar with your local laws and regulations. Note: some agencies use a similar disclaimer whether fees are applied or not! Any advice or recommendations received from ABC TRAVEL and/or its travel consultants is offered for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as the only or most appropriate options available to you. Any advice or recommendations you receive are offered in goodwill and with beneficial intent although no assurance can be given that the advice or recommendations will always include the most recent findings or developments with respect to the particular situation. As we have no control over third party travel suppliers, their products or services, the quality of their products or services, or their financial circumstances we are unable to accept any liability for their performance in these or other areas. Page 6 of 8

7 Professional Liability Insurance Insurance regulations and requirements vary by state and in some cases by city. Insurance coverage also varies by provider and policy. At a minimum, it is generally considered wise (and may be required) that your business carries Errors and Omissions Insurance. You should be aware that sometimes this form of coverage might not protect you from professional advice liability - sometimes called malpractice. The most common term used for this protection is Professional Liability, which is often quite distinct from General Liability. It is possible that General Liability coverage may protect you from all forms of liability except those related to professional advice (malpractice). This is usually regardless of any fees charged. Consult your local insurance provider to be sure that you are fully protected in the event of a lawsuit as a result of your professional advice whether you charge fees or not! Accounting Issues In our program focused on the financial issues related to fees, we offered you a spreadsheet for determining your costs per transaction by product. In that spreadsheet there is a section for entering your EXISTING fee revenue, which is broken down by travel product. You may recall that we recommended accounting for your fees in as detailed a manner as possible. In the spreadsheet example above, fees are broken down by air, car, cruise, hotel, tour, etc. When fees represent a small portion of overall revenue, it is very common to have a single account called FEES, or to simply combine it with commission. This approach can result in a very distorted financial picture as fee revenues increase. It is strongly suggested that as you move into a fees environment that you take the steps needed to account for your fees just as you now account for all other travel products. Some agencies even have sub-fee categories such as Consulting Fees, Page 7 of 8

8 Gold Package Fee, or Exchange Fees in order to more accurately track where the agency revenue is actually coming from. The challenge with such detailed revenue tracking is that it can often place an extra burden on front-line travel agents. Generally, those agencies with back office accounting systems must establish specific accounting lines or entries for each revenue category included in a transaction. Agencies without automated accounting might manually enter the information from printed invoices into a spreadsheet or accounting software. Some might hand it all over to an accountant, and some do virtually no accounting at all. Be aware that agencies with the most detailed tracking of revenue in each category are those that are seen in the most positive light should they ever decide to sell, apply for financing, or take on a partner. Notes Page 8 of 8