A work from home travel agent in Australia is almost always a self-employed advisor who sells travel under a host agency’s accreditation, supplier agreements and client account, and earns commission when their clients travel. You don’t need a licence, a shopfront or your own GDS. You need an ABN, some experience or training, and a host whose costs and terms suit the way you sell.
I’ve run a host agency since 2013 and now run Niftrip, so keep that in mind as you read. Every competitor fee below comes from that network’s own website, checked on 20 October 2026.
What is a work from home travel agent?
You’ll see a few names for the same job. Work from home travel agent, home-based travel agent, mobile travel agent and independent travel agent all describe someone who looks after their own clients from home and books through a network behind them. “Mobile” comes from MTA (Mobile Travel Agents), which has been around since 2000, and itravel and Travel Crafters call their advisors mobile agents too.
Nearly all of these advisors are contractors with their own ABN. You find your clients, set your hours and handle your own tax and super. Remote jobs as an employee exist, but they’re rare, and they usually ask for two or more years and GDS skills.
Who does it suit?
It suits an experienced consultant who already has people coming back to them, someone who wants work that fits around family, and someone who wants a second income. Selling travel works well part-time.
It’s harder if you need a steady wage from the first month. There’s no base wage, you’re paid when your clients travel, and TravelManagers says it takes 12 to 24 months to build healthy revenue. How fast you get there depends on how many people already know you as their travel person.
If you’re new to travel, most networks want two or three years’ experience first, though a few take newcomers. I cover those in host agencies for beginners. We run a program for advisors new to travel. We’ll talk you through it when we meet.
How do you get paid?
Suppliers pay at-source commission on each booking you make. It comes in to your host, which passes it on to you less its cut. Hosts take that cut in one of two ways.
Most Australian networks use a split plus a monthly fee. You keep a percentage of your commission, usually 80% or 90%, and pay a fee each month. Niftrip charges a monthly fee and 1% of turnover instead, and you keep all of your at-source commission. Hosts generally keep the supplier overrides too, which are incentive payments suppliers make to the agency in arrears, based on performance against targets.
| Network | You keep | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|
| Niftrip | 100% of at-source commission, less 1% + GST of turnover | $99 + GST |
| TravelManagers Business Pro | 90% of commission and service fees | $370 + GST |
| TravelManagers Lifestyle Plus | 80% of commission and service fees | $170 + GST |
| Global Travel Network | 90% or 85% | $200 + GST or $150 + GST |
| Your Travel Centre | 80% of commission and service fees | $100 or $200 incl GST |
| Go Tours | 72% | $75 (GST not stated) |
| MTA | Not published | $150 + GST, waived above $61,000 gross commission a year |
Say you sell $500,000 a year at a 10% average commission. After the split and monthly fees you’d keep $43,812 with Niftrip, $42,600 on Global Travel Network’s 90% package and $40,560 on TravelManagers Business Pro. If your book is air-heavy and averages 8%, Global Travel Network’s 90% package overtakes Niftrip above about $606,000 of sales. You can run your own numbers in the take-home calculator, and the full maths is in 100% commission vs a split.
What do you need?
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You don’t need your own GDS. Your host issues airline tickets under its IATA accreditation, and several networks give you a choice of GDS if you want one. At Niftrip our ticketing desk issues tickets and there are no GDS or ticketing fees.
On insurance, ask each host whether its policy covers you or whether you need your own. MTA, Your Travel Centre and Global Travel Network include professional indemnity insurance, and TravelManagers can arrange it for $260 + GST a year if you don’t have your own.
What are the main ways to do it in Australia?
| Route | How it works | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Host agency | You sell under the host’s accreditation and pay a split, fees or both. Some let you trade under your own brand | Niftrip, Your Travel Centre, Global Travel Network |
| Mobile network | The same model under the network’s brand, usually with a bigger head office | MTA, TravelManagers, itravel |
| Franchise | A network agreement that falls under the Franchising Code of Conduct, with disclosure documents and a cooling-off period | MTA describes its agreement this way |
| Your own agency | Your own ATIA accreditation, client account and insurance, and IATA if you want to ticket | Co-ops such as Travellers Choice support owners |
Most people start with a host or a mobile network, because the host carries the accreditation, supplier agreements and client account for you. A franchise suits someone who wants a well-known brand and is comfortable with a longer agreement. MTA’s FAQ says its term is five years, with one month’s notice allowed after the first twelve months.
Your own agency makes sense once you have a steady book and want to own the business outright. The costs and requirements are in the details below.
What is a host agency? explains how hosts, networks and franchises differ in more detail, and best host agencies in Australia has every network’s published fees in one table.
What should you check before you join?
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How to choose a host agency has the full list of 16 questions I’d ask.
How does Niftrip work?
Niftrip is the host agency I run, built for experienced consultants who are comfortable with technology, and open to newcomers who think the same way. You pay $99 + GST a month for the platform, your own email address and support, plus 1% + GST of what you invoice clients, and you keep 100% of your at-source commission. There’s no joining fee and no GDS or ticketing fees. You get full accreditation, preferred supplier rates, a ticketing desk and 24/7 backup.
The first 3 months ($297 + GST) are paid up front, then it’s monthly with 30 days’ notice and no restraint of trade. Your clients, contacts and domain stay yours. If most of what you sell is low-commission air, a low-fee 90% split can work out cheaper, so run your numbers first.
The full breakdown is on our pricing page, and the calculator shows what you’d keep at your sales.
The details
Commission timing
Commission on many bookings is only paid around or after travel, so your income lags your sales. At Niftrip, commission is paid on the 15th and last day of each month, once your client’s travel is complete and the commission has been received.
What the split applies to
This matters if you charge planning or air fees. On both TravelManagers plans the split applies to “all at-source commission and service fees charged”. Your Travel Centre’s 80% also applies to service fees. Niftrip’s 1% applies to the total you invoice your client, service fees included.
Take-home on published terms
A year’s at-source commission after the split and monthly fees, at a 10% average commission, ex GST. Joining fees, overrides and service fees are left out.
| Network and plan | $250,000 sales | $500,000 sales | $1,000,000 sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niftrip | $21,312 | $43,812 | $88,812 |
| Global Travel Network 90% | $20,100 | $42,600 | $87,600 |
| TravelManagers Business Pro 90% | $18,060 | $40,560 | $85,560 |
| Your Travel Centre Budget 80% | $18,909 | $38,909 | $78,909 |
| TravelManagers Lifestyle Plus 80% | $17,960 | $37,960 | $77,960 |
| Go Tours 72% | $17,100 | $35,100 | $71,100 |
Experience each network asks for
| Network | Experience asked for |
|---|---|
| TravelManagers | At least three years in the travel industry |
| itravel | 3+ years of retail travel experience |
| 1000 Mile Travel Group | At least three years of industry experience |
| MTA | Minimum 2 years on its application form |
| Your Travel Centre | Takes newcomers who have finished a Cert III, on a $1,495 incl GST joining fee |
| Connected Travel Academy | None; its Connect to Business program costs $4,990 + GST |
Joining fees
On the networks that publish them, joining fees run from $0 to $1,495 including GST. MTA charges $495 + GST, Global Travel Network $200 + GST and Go Tours $600.
Contractor or employee
Working under a host, you run your own business as a contractor. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s whole of relationship test is what decides whether someone is really a contractor, so the arrangement should match how you actually work.
Insurance
ATIA requires accredited businesses to hold professional indemnity insurance if they deal with customers only at a distance, and professional indemnity and public liability if they meet customers in person.
Your own agency
ATIA accreditation costs $750 + GST a year for businesses selling under $1 million, plus a $250 application fee. To be ATIA accredited a business needs an ABN, accountant-prepared financial statements, insurance, a complaints policy that meets the Australian Standard and trained staff, and most businesses must keep client money in a separate client account. Half of your consumer-facing staff need recognised industry training, and ATIA accepts at least two years in a front-line selling role instead. IATA accreditation, for issuing airline tickets, is separate and has its own requirements.
Co-ops
Co-ops such as Travellers Choice are built for people who own an accredited agency. Members must be approved by the board, buy shares and hold their own accreditation.
Next step
If you’re experienced and working from home with Niftrip sounds right, see pricing or apply here.
