ARC Accreditation
ARC Accreditation and Airline Settlement in the USA
How the Airlines Reporting Corporation works for US travel agencies
By Project OTA | 10 Aug, 2026 | 8 min read
A US-focused guide to ARC accreditation and airline settlement for travel agencies and corporate booking platforms.
What ARC does in the United States
The Airlines Reporting Corporation supports airline and travel agency settlement in the United States. ARC-accredited agencies follow reporting and financial procedures for eligible air transactions and participating carriers.
ARC is not a global replacement for BSP. Agencies operating in other countries may need local IATA or market-specific arrangements.
How an ARC agency works
The agency sells or services eligible air transactions, records ticket and document data, submits reports and settles amounts according to its schedule. Strong controls are needed for refunds, exchanges, voids, chargebacks and debit memos.
A booking platform should connect the customer order, PNR, ticket number, payment, commission, tax and accounting record for every transaction.
US eligibility and preparation
US agencies should confirm their legal entity, business model, financial readiness, security requirements, reporting process and airline relationships before applying. ARC and airline rules can change, so current official guidance should control the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ARC used outside the USA?
ARC is primarily associated with US travel agency airline reporting and settlement. Other countries commonly use BSP or local settlement arrangements.
Does ARC accreditation allow every airline booking?
No. Ticketing authority depends on airline participation, agency permissions and the applicable commercial agreement.
Key Takeaways
- ARC is the principal US airline reporting and settlement framework for eligible agencies.
- Agency reporting must reconcile tickets, refunds, exchanges and voids.
- ARC requirements and airline permissions must be confirmed for the agency model.
Project OTA develops US travel platforms with ARC-aware ticket, payment, reporting and reconciliation workflows.
Talk to Project OTA