ARC number

An ARC number is a unique identifier assigned to a travel agency by the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) – a company that regulates and handles transactions between airlines and US-based travel agencies.

The ARC number is evidence that the travel agency went through the ARC accreditation process having met financial, personnel, and security requirements. It then serves as an identifier in transactions with suppliers. 

The three types of ARC accreditation programs are

• Full accreditation, 
• Verified Travel Consultant (VTC), and 
• Corporate Travel Department (CTD).

All certification programs assign the ARC number to the certified agency. A travel agency’s participation status within the ARC can be checked via the official ARC Check web resource.

Accredited agencies can issue airline tickets (except VTC), gain global industry recognition, and get access to ARC data resources, technological tools, and industry events.The ARC number is similar to the IATA number, the only difference being that the ARC accreditation is for US-based agencies only, while IATA serves travel companies worldwide.