Case Study: Travel Trust Association

Protecting customer funds across 450 travel trust accounts

The Travel Trust Association (TTA), part of The Travel Network Group, provides financial protection and trust-account services for independent travel agents.

TTA safeguards customer money through a ring-fenced trust-account model. Each member holds its own British pound account, with TTA acting as trustee across approximately 450 accounts.

Before funds can be released to pay a supplier, TTA checks that customer money has been collected and cleared, the requested amount is correct, and sufficient funds are available. Payments made before travel may also require Supplier Failure Insurance.

Any FX and payments provider supporting TTA therefore needed to operate within these established controls.

Managing currency risk over long booking cycles

Travel businesses may collect customer funds long before the corresponding supplier payment is due. The case study identifies periods of up to 18 months between booking and supplier payment.

That creates a lengthy currency-risk window when suppliers are paid in another currency. Approximately 75% of TTA members use forward FX contracts to manage this exposure.

TTA needed to preserve access to forward-contract credit and hedging without creating a service gap for its members.

Maintaining service during a large-scale transition

TTA required a provider capable of managing significant FX activity, extending meaningful forward credit as members came on board, and adapting to its existing payment controls.

Corpay Cross-Border processed roughly ten member onboarding cases per day for four to five weeks. This enabled the group to complete its migration without disrupting trading.

The transition gave TTA a practical way to establish B2B travel payments and FX services across its member base within weeks rather than months.

Building an approval workflow around TTA’s controls

Corpay Cross-Border developed a payment approval model tailored to TTA’s existing structure.

Each member is connected through a multi-enterprise solution form to TTA’s top-tier account. When a member submits a payment request through TTA’s internal system, the request remains in a queue while the Trustees team verifies the booking details, supplier invoice, and Supplier Failure Cover Insurance.

Funds are released through Corpay Cross-Border only after TTA completes the required checks.

The resulting workflow allows international payments to operate alongside TTA’s trust-account rules without removing control from its Trustees team.

Providing flexible forward-contract credit

Traditional credit relationships may require an established financial history or significant collateral deposits. That can create a barrier for independent agencies seeking access to forward contracts.

According to the case study, TTA members have obtained forward-contract credit lines ranging from £200,000 to £15 million through Corpay Cross-Border. The case study also highlights one £15 million line approved within two days of onboarding.

This flexible approach helped TTA maintain forward-FX access across a member base with different payment profiles and credit requirements.

Supporting international supplier payments

Once TTA’s checks are complete, member funds can be released through Corpay Cross-Border to pay suppliers.

The partnership supports international supplier payments, payment tracing, foreign exchange, and a credit approach aligned with each member’s requirements.

For travel agencies paying overseas suppliers, reliable payment tracing and direct access to the supporting team are important parts of the process.

The migration was completed without disrupting onward supplier payments.

Supporting new members from onboarding onward

Corpay Cross-Border is now involved when new independent agencies join TTA or another relevant Travel Network Group proposition.

By participating in onboarding calls with TTA’s membership team, Corpay Cross-Border can learn about each agency’s FX and payment requirements from the beginning.

New members can discuss their needs directly with the team that will support their account, alongside the introduction to TTA’s trust-account processes.

An embedded B2B travel payments partnership

The relationship has developed into an embedded partnership covering flexible credit, international payments, forward FX contracts, payment tracing, and a workflow built around TTA’s rules.

TTA was able to make FX services available to its entire member base within weeks, with no disruption to onward supplier payments. The same model now supports continued member onboarding and the group’s ongoing development.

Learn more about Corpay Cross-Border’s global payment solutions and currency risk management solutions.

Download the full case study to see how the Travel Trust Association combines B2B travel payments, forward FX credit, and trust-account controls.

Cross-Border

Global payments

Risk management