The travel industry is evolving rapidly, and so are the tools and accreditations that power it.
For small and medium-sized travel agencies, joining the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has often been a complex and financially demanding process.

Enter IATA GoLite,

 a simplified, digital-first accreditation model designed to open doors, not create barriers.

But GoLite also introduces a new operational workflow: a “pay-as-you-go” model. This shift makes a travel agency’s choice of payment provider more critical than ever.

For Qashio’s travel customers, this new model isn’t a challenge but a massive opportunity for cost savings, security, and efficiency.

What is IATA GoLite?

IATA GoLite is a streamlined accreditation for travel agencies that want the benefits of IATA recognition without the high costs and complex financial reviews of the traditional GoStandard model.

Think of it as the perfect entry point for agile, modern, or niche travel agencies.

Key features of GoLite include:

• Lower Costs: Significantly reduced setup and annual fees.
  
  
• No Annual Financial Review: Travel agencies are spared complex and costly audits.
  
  
• Prepaid Model: GoLite agencies do not have a BSP credit facility. All ticket settlements must be paid for at the time of issuance.
  
  

Learn more on IATA’s official GoLite overview:

How GoLite Travel Agencies Handle Payments

Without access to the traditional BSP credit line, GoLite agencies have two primary methods for issuing tickets:

• IATA EasyPay: A secure, pay-as-you-go e-wallet. The agency tops up the wallet with its own funds, and ticket costs are deducted automatically.
  
  
• Credit Card: The agency can use its own credit card to pay for ticket issuance.
  
  

In both cases, payment happens immediately, making it essential to have a robust, secure, and cost-efficient way to manage daily B2B payments to airlines.

Setting Up GoLite on Your GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport)

You don’t “enable” GoLite on your GDS the way you flip a switch.
Here’s how the process works:

1. Get Accredited: Apply for and receive your IATA GoLite accreditation via the IATA customer portal.
   
   
2. Gain Authority: Once approved, your IATA number becomes authorised for GoLite ticketing.
   
   
3. Configure Your GDS: Add your new IATA number to your GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, or Travelport).
   
   
4. Ticket and Pay: When you issue a ticket, the GDS prompts for payment. As a GoLite agency, your options are limited to your prepaid methods — IATA EasyPay or credit card.
   
   

Your IATA status dictates how your GDS processes payments.

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The Qashio Advantage for IATA GoLite Agencies

GoLite’s prepaid model creates two major challenges for travel agencies:

1. FX Costs: Paying for tickets in USD, EUR, or GBP can cost up to 3% or more in FX markups.
   
   
2. Security & Reconciliation: Managing hundreds of daily credit card payments manually is inefficient and risky.
   
   

Qashio for Travel was built to solve these problems.

1. Eliminate Hidden FX Fees

A GoLite agency paying for a USD 5,000 ticket with a standard AED credit card instantly loses about USD 150 (3%) to FX markups.

The Qashio Solution:
Qashio provides multi-currency wallets (AED, USD, EUR, GBP, and more).
You fund your wallets at mid-market rates conversion fees on every ticket.
Then use Qashio virtual cards in the same currency as the ticket to pay zero FX fees.

Explore Qashio’s multi-currency cards

2. Strengthen Payment Security

Using one shared corporate card for hundreds of transactions exposes agencies to fraud.

The Qashio Solution:
Create unlimited Virtual Corporate Cards (VCCs), each unique to a transaction.

Cards can be:

• Single-use: Expires after one purchase.
  
  
• Amount-locked: Fixed to the exact ticket price.
  
  
• Merchant-locked: Restricted to a specific airline.
  
  

Fraud becomes virtually impossible, critical for prepaid models like GoLite.

3. Simplify Reconciliation

Finance teams must match every payment to its booking, which is a tedious manual process.

The Qashio Solution:
Tag each Qashio VCC with the PNR, consultant name, or department before purchase.
When exporting statements, all reconciliation data appears automatically, cutting manual work from hours to minutes.

4. Turn Ticket Spend into Cashback

Every GoLite ticket payment is a spend opportunity.

The Qashio Solution:
Qashio offers the highest corporate cashback rebates in the UAE.
By routing ticket payments through Qashio, agencies turn a cost centre into a profit stream.

Learn more about Qashio for Travel

Why GoLite and Qashio Are a Perfect Match

IATA GoLite modernises travel accreditation.
Qashio modernises travel payments.

Together, they create a seamless, digital, and profitable payment experience for travel agencies, reducing FX losses, improving cash flow visibility, and simplifying operations.

Get Started with Qashio for Travel

If you’re a GoLite-accredited travel agency, your payment platform is one of your most important financial decisions.

Qashio for Travel gives you:

• Multi-currency wallets with 0% FX markup
  
  
• Unlimited virtual corporate cards
  
  
• Real-time tracking and reconciliation
  
  
• Cashback on every transaction
  
  

Ready to see how it works?
Book a demo today and start transforming how your GoLite agency pays, saves, and scales.

FAQs

What is IATA GoLite accreditation?
IATA GoLite is a simplified accreditation model for travel agencies that replaces traditional credit facilities with a prepaid model, lowering setup costs and removing annual audits.

How can UAE travel agencies save on FX fees under GoLite?
By using Qashio’s multi-currency wallets and USD/EUR/GBP virtual cards, agencies can fund accounts at mid-market rates and avoid markups.

Does Qashio integrate with IATA EasyPay or GDS systems?
Yes. Qashio cards can be used for IATA EasyPay top-ups and direct GDS payments (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) with full transaction tracking.

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