The International Air Transport Association submitted the following letter in response to an article last week on Resolution 890 and an upcoming airline member vote on whether to allow agents to pay using their own payment cards.
Dear Editor,
Your recent article "IATA Airlines Will Vote On Lifting Ban On Agency Card Payments" contained erroneous assertions regarding IATA EasyPay, a pillar of IATA's NewGen ISS program to modernize the BSP. Contrary to the statements made by two of the sources quoted in the article, IATA EasyPay is not a pre-paid card and it does not contradict Resolution 890.
IATA EasyPay is a voluntary pay-as-you-go solution based on the e-wallet model. It can only be used by IATA accredited agents for payment of tickets issued through the BSP, and IATA is responsible for the collection and settlement of funds directly to airlines through the BSP. This is unlike card sales, which are made on the merchant agreement of the airlines.
As a secure form of payment, IATA EasyPay transactions will not be part of an Agent's cash sales at risk. This will offer agents a means to lower their financial security amounts and issue transactions that are not included against an agent's Remittance Holding Capacity.
Sincerely,
Perry Flint
IATA head of corporate communications for the Americas