Sources checked 28 October 2026.
IATA’s 27 October release puts airline payment-processing costs in focus. The association says airlines incurred $24.5 billion in payment costs on $1.05 trillion in sales during 2025. It is an industry cost report, not the announcement of a new universal passenger charge.
Keep the comparison period clear
IATA reports a 10.4% increase in total payment costs compared with 2023, while travel sales grew 7.7% over that interval. The comparison is therefore with 2023—not automatically a year-on-year change from 2024. The release also gives an average transaction cost of $5 per passenger.
What an average cannot tell you
A global average does not identify the fee on a particular booking or tell you that every airline pays the same amount. It also does not establish that switching payment methods will reduce your ticket price by that figure. Read your actual checkout breakdown rather than applying an industry average as a discount.
How to compare a booking
Our practical approach is to compare the total payable for the same itinerary, baggage and conditions. If the amount changes at the payment step, examine the displayed explanation before authorising the transaction. Keep the confirmation and receipt so the amount you agreed is clear.
For travel-industry readers
Separate an association’s account of costs from your own commercial agreement with a payment provider. The relevant questions include the charging basis, settlement arrangements and treatment of refunds. This article does not assess an individual provider’s contract or recommend a payment method for every passenger. The value of the report is identifying a cost pressure while preserving the limits of the data.
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