Getting Started Migrating To PTS With Your Business

If you are an existing or trading travel business, Protected Trust Services (PTS) can still help you with migrating to PTS. We offer a more affordable solution than our competitors, with better pricing and rates, a more flexible system, and industry leading software. All this amounts to increased profits and a lot of time saved! If this sounds good to you, read on to find out more about how we can help you.

PTS offers a trust account solution to meet the Package Travel Regulations. We also offer merchant services between 1% – 1.3% for credit cards and 0.25% – 0.35% for debit cards. PTS is also an ATOL franchise, and therefore, once you are a PTS member, you can apply for an ATOL for £851 (£942 as of April 1^st 2025) without a need for bonding or additional insurance. The PTS trust account solution is fully compliant with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, allowing you to either operate as a travel agent or a tour operator simultaneously.

The PTS solution focuses on a trust model. We operate by charging per transaction, this ranges from £0.45 – £0.75 for a credit to the trust account and £1.00 – £1.75 for a debit from the trust account. Included in these costs is the reconciliation on each booking allowing you to see not just the total value received, but the supplier costs, admin costs, and overall profit on a per booking basis. In essence the PTS solution operates on a cost per transaction and not on a percentage of your profit, therefore allowing you to retain 100% of the profit made on each booking whilst only paying for the transaction charges/ admin that you require. You are able to release the profit from the trust account to your company once all suppliers have been paid, even if this is prior to the consumer starting their booking or trip.

Included in membership when you are migrating to PTS is a complete travel and tour operator system allowing members to manage funds in trust, manage new enquiries, manage and book suppliers (either through live API feeds or your own database of suppliers). The PTS system also includes an online client itinerary for your clients to securely log into and monitor payments made into trust and attendee details on their bookings. We can also offer a small business ATOL for £851 (£942 as of April 1^st 2025), payable directly to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). This is an ATOL in your company name that is secured against the trust account administered by PTS on your behalf.

The merchant services (the ability to take debit and credit card payments from your clients either over the telephone or via a payment page on your website deposited directly into your trust account) that PTS offers are in your company name meaning you have a direct relationship with the merchant provider. Rates range from 1% – 1.5% for credit cards and 0.25% – 0.5% for debit cards. All card payments are deposited in full within 1-3 working days into the trust accounts. PTS also offer multiple currency trust accounts and merchant services allowing you to take card payments in other currencies and retain these payments in those currencies (Euro, USD, CAD, CHF etc).

PTS operates independent trustees who are a firm of Chartered Accountants. This means that PTS are purely the administrators of the account on the behalf of you, the PTS member. We are a franchise of the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). All of this is for your confidence, and the confidence of the consumer when placing a booking with you, knowing that they are both 100% financially protected.

PTS charge a one-off application fee of just £999.00 + VAT and then £99.00 + VAT per month thereafter. PTS makes its money through charging on a per transaction basis and not on the percentage of your profit, making it a much more cost-effective solution for members.

If you’d like to discuss migrating to PTS further, please get in contact with one of Protected Trust Services’ (PTS) lovely staff members by calling 0207 190 9988. Or, you can visit our member support and travel trust account pages to learn more about how we protect you.