BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan)

BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan) is the IATA managed financial clearing system that handles the payment settlement between travel agents and airlines. When a travel agency issues an airline ticket through Amadeus, the BSP processes the financial transaction collecting money from the agency and distributing it to the airline through a centralised, weekly settlement cycle.

BSP operates in over 180 countries and processes trillions of dollars in airline ticket settlements annually. For any IATA-accredited travel agency using Amadeus, BSP is not optional; it is the mandatory financial backbone of airline ticket sales.

• Agent books and issues a ticket via Amadeus :  ticket is recorded in BSP reporting

• At end of BSP reporting period (typically weekly) IATA generates a billing statement

• The agency's bank account is debited for the net amount owed to airlines

• Airlines receive consolidated settlement from IATA  not individual payments from agencies

• Refunds, debit memos, and ADMs from airlines are also processed through BSP

Multi-PCC platforms must manage BSP separately per PCC and per market. BSP defaults (failed payments) can result in agency deaccreditation and GDS access suspension. Tech teams building on Amadeus must ensure BSP data feeds into back-office and accounting systems accurately.