You negotiated your hotel rates down to the last penny. You optimised your packages, adjusted your margins, compared every supplier. And yet, every time you pay a safari lodge in Kenya, an incoming agency in Thailand or a camp operator in Tanzania, your bank quietly takes a share of your margin — without ever stating it clearly. For travel agencies handling dozens, or even hundreds, of foreign-currency payments each year, these discreet charges add up quickly. On an annual volume of €500,000 in international payments, a 2% bank margin represents €10,000 that simply evaporates — with no dedicated line on any statement. This guide breaks down the real costs of international bank transfers for travel agencies, and explains how to control them without sacrificing either time or security.
The fees your bank does not show you
When your bank processes a transfer in foreign currency, it does not simply move funds. In addition to any fixed transfer fees, it applies an exchange rate margin — the gap between the real interbank rate and the rate it applies to you.
This margin, known as the spread, is rarely shown as such. It is built directly into the conversion rate. Result: on your statement, you see the amount debited in euros, but you never see what you would have paid at the real market rate.
For a travel agency making regular payments to Thailand, Morocco, the Emirates or East Africa, this spread can represent between 1.5% and 2.5% of the amount transferred per transaction.
A concrete example: you pay €60,000 for services in Kenyan shillings (KES) for a safari season in the Maasai Mara. With a 2% spread, that is €1,200 of invisible margin taken — which appears nowhere in your profit and loss account, yet still reduces your profitability. Multiply that by several African destinations (Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa) and the bill rises quickly.
FX risk: the silent enemy of margins
Travel agencies have a feature that few other sectors share: they often sell trips in euros, but pay their suppliers in foreign currencies, sometimes several weeks or months after booking.
Between the moment you confirm a price to your client and the moment you pay your hotel partner abroad, the exchange rate may have moved. And in an environment marked by currency volatility — the euro against the dollar, dirham or baht can fluctuate by several percentage points in a few weeks — this unhedged exposure can turn a healthy margin into a direct loss.
A telling example: an agency sells a Kenya safari in January for €5,000 per person. It pays its lodge partner in Kenyan shillings in March. If the shilling has appreciated by 4% in the meantime, the tour margin has shrunk by the same amount — without anyone making a commercial mistake. On a group of 10 travellers, that is €2,000 of margin evaporating in just a few weeks.
This risk is systematic, but it can be managed. FX hedging — which means locking in the rate today for a future payment — allows you to secure your margins at the time of sale, regardless of subsequent market moves.
SWIFT payments: slow, costly, and opaque
For transfers to suppliers outside the euro area, banks generally use the SWIFT network. This network often involves several intermediary banks between sender and recipient — and each may charge processing fees.
Direct consequence: your supplier sometimes receives less than what you sent. This is particularly common in transfers to East Africa — Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana — where local banking chains often involve several correspondents. Result: your lodge partner requests a balance, you chase your bank, the booking is put on hold. A real operational obstacle, especially during peak safari season.
Added to this is the slowness of traditional SWIFT transfers: 2 to 5 business days on average, compared with much shorter timelines via specialist channels. For agencies that must confirm bookings within tight deadlines, this latency can have a real operational cost.
What the most profitable agencies are (already) doing
Professional travel agencies that have optimised their international payment chain have all adopted a similar approach: they have separated their main bank from their international payment tool.
In practice, they use a specialised payment intermediary to:
Obtain competitive exchange rates close to the real interbank rate
Benefit from fixed and transparent fees on each transaction
Access FX hedging tools to secure their margins in advance
Execute transfers faster, with real-time tracking
This change does not require modifying their main bank or their accounting. It simply means adding a dedicated tool for foreign-currency flows — where value is easiest to recover.
OSolto: the regulated payment intermediary for travel professionals
OSolto is a crowdfunding and payment intermediary, registered with ORIAS (no. 26004337) and operating under ACPR supervision. We support travel agencies in optimising their international payments — without replacing their bank, and without administrative complexity.
What we concretely offer travel agencies:
Transparent exchange rates. You know exactly which rate is applied before validating each transfer. No hidden margin in the rate.
Clear fixed fees. A clear pricing structure, with no surprises at the end of the transaction.
FX hedging. The ability to lock in a rate today for an upcoming payment — ideal for securing your margins from the moment the trip is sold.
Fast transfers in more than 35 currencies. With execution times often under 24 hours for major currencies.
Human support. A team available to answer your questions, analyse your flows and advise you on your FX strategy.
Our travel agency clients achieve significant average savings compared with their previous banking costs — with no additional complexity in their day-to-day operations.
Conclusion
Foreign-currency payments are one of the least visible yet most impactful cost items for a travel agency’s profitability. Bank margins, SWIFT fees and exposure to FX risk can represent thousands of euros lost each year — without you being fully aware of it.
The good news: this cost item is one of the simplest to optimise. It requires neither restructuring nor heavy investment. Just the right partner.
Would you like to know what your foreign-currency payments are really costing you? Book an appointment with an OSolto expert for a free analysis of your flows — with no obligation.
→ Book an appointment with OSolto
FAQ — International payments for travel agencies
Can travel agencies use a payment intermediary in addition to their bank? Yes, absolutely. A payment intermediary like OSolto is a complementary tool to your main bank. You keep your usual bank account and use OSolto only for your foreign-currency payments, where savings are most significant.
What is FX hedging and how can it help my agency? FX hedging (or a forward contract) allows you to lock in the exchange rate today for a payment that will take place in a few weeks or months. This enables you to calculate your margins accurately at the time of sale, without depending on subsequent market fluctuations.
Which currencies can be supported? OSolto operates in more than 35 currencies, covering major tourist destinations: US dollar (USD), Moroccan dirham (MAD), Thai baht (THB), Japanese yen (JPY), pound sterling (GBP), UAE dirham (AED), Kenyan shilling (KES), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), South African rand (ZAR), and many more.
How long does an international transfer via OSolto take? For most currencies, transfers are executed within 24 to 48 hours. This is significantly faster than traditional banks’ standard SWIFT timelines (2 to 5 business days).
Is OSolto regulated? Yes. OSolto is registered with ORIAS under number 26004337 and operates under ACPR supervision. Your funds are managed within a strict regulatory framework, with segregation of client assets in accordance with applicable European rules.
