Travel Client Agreement

The moment a client decides to work with you is the moment your legal exposure begins. Before you make a single phone call to a supplier, before you spend an hour researching options, before any money changes hands — you need a signed agreement. The travel client agreement is that agreement: a clean, professional document that your clients can review and sign quickly, without feeling like they’re entering into a legal proceeding, while still giving your agency the legal foundation it needs.

What Is a Travel Client Agreement?

A Travel Client Agreement is the client-facing contract that formally begins the travel agency relationship. It is intentionally designed to be shorter and more accessible than your full Terms and Conditions — because the reality is that most clients will not read a multi-page legal document at the start of a booking relationship. Instead, this agreement presents the essential acknowledgments your clients need to make, in language they can understand, and links directly to your full terms for clients who want to review the complete details.

Think of it as the handshake that starts a legally protected relationship. The travel client agreement is where clients confirm who they are, what trip they are planning, what fees they are agreeing to pay, and that they have been given access to and accept your full terms and conditions.

What This Agreement Covers

Client Identification and Trip Details

The agreement captures the client’s name, contact information, and basic trip details — destination, travel dates, number of travelers, and any special requirements. This creates a documented record of the scope of services requested, which is important both for managing the engagement and for resolving any disputes about what was agreed.

Planning Fee Authorization and Payment Terms

If you charge planning fees, this is where that fee is disclosed, agreed to, and authorized for collection. The agreement specifies the fee amount, what it covers, when it will be charged, and your refund policy for the planning fee. Collecting planning fee authorization in a signed document — rather than just verbally or via a separate invoice — creates a much stronger record that the client understood and agreed to the fee.

Travel Insurance Recommendation Acknowledgment

This agreement documents that you recommended travel insurance to your client and that the client has acknowledged that recommendation. If the client subsequently declines insurance and suffers a loss, this acknowledgment is your protection against claims that you did not inform them of their options.

Acceptance of Full Terms and Conditions

The travel client agreement includes a direct link to your full Travel Agency Terms and Conditions and a signed acknowledgment from the client that they have had access to and accept those terms. This is the mechanism that makes your full terms legally binding on your clients without requiring them to initial every page of a lengthy legal document.

E-Signature and Payment Collection Integration

The TIS platform integrates e-signature and payment collection directly into the travel client agreement workflow. When you send the agreement to a client, they can review it, sign it electronically, and authorize the planning fee payment in a single seamless process — from any device. No separate tools required. No chasing signatures on printed documents. No manual payment collection outside of your agreement workflow.

This integration is especially valuable for home-based and independent travel advisors who need a professional, efficient client onboarding experience without the overhead of enterprise-grade business systems.

How This Agreement Works With Your Terms and Conditions

The Travel Client Agreement is designed to work in tandem with your Travel Agency Terms and Conditions. The client agreement is short and accessible — it handles the acknowledgments and authorizations your clients need to make at the start of the relationship. The full terms document provides the detailed legal framework that governs every aspect of your service. Together, they create a complete, enforceable legal foundation for every client relationship.

Who Should Use This Agreement

Every travel agent — independent advisor, home-based agent, or agency owner — should send a Travel Client Agreement to every new client before starting any planning work. This agreement is especially important for agents who charge planning fees, work with high-value bookings, or operate in Sellers of Travel states where client disclosure requirements apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as my Terms and Conditions?

No. This is a shorter, client-facing document that captures key acknowledgments and links to your full Terms and Conditions. The full Terms and Conditions document is the comprehensive legal framework — this agreement is the accessible entry point that gets clients signed and onboarded quickly.

Can I use this agreement for repeat clients?

Yes — and you should. Even for clients you have worked with many times before, having a signed agreement for each new trip creates a documented record specific to that booking. Trip details, planning fees, and terms can change between bookings, so a new signed agreement for each trip is best practice.

What if a client refuses to sign?

A client who refuses to sign a client agreement before booking is a significant risk. Without a signed agreement, you have no enforceable record of the terms your client agreed to, the fees they authorized, or the acknowledgments they made. Professional travel agents treat a signed client agreement as a non-negotiable starting point for every engagement.

Does this replace the need for a planning fee agreement?

The Travel Client Agreement includes planning fee authorization for straightforward fee arrangements. If your planning fee structure is more complex — different fees for different service tiers, refundable vs. non-refundable elements, or fee structures that vary by trip type — a standalone Planning Fee Agreement provides more detail and flexibility.