Roave Agents vs. Travel Planners International (TPI): Which Is Better for Credentialed Travel Advisors?
Compare Roave Agents and Travel Planners International on cost, commission splits, contract terms, and hotel booking tools for credentialed advisors
At Travel Planners International, keeping more of your own commission is a paid upgrade. The base plan starts at a 70/30 split. Moving to 80/20 or 90/10 raises your monthly fee, and a startup fee applies before you book anything.
For an advisor who already holds credentials and books mostly hotels, that structure deserves a closer look. You pay more each month to reduce what the host keeps, and you pay it whether or not you book.
TPI is an established host agency with direct GDS access and a luxury consortium behind it. Roave Agents offers a different model, with direct hotel booking and margin you control.
This page compares the two on cost, commission, contract terms, booking tools, and fit, so you can judge which suits your business.
TPI is a host agency with direct GDS access and a pay-to-upgrade split. Roave Agents is a direct hotel booking platform for credentialed advisors who want to keep control of their margin.
Roave Agents and TPI side by side
| Roave Agents | Travel Planners International (TPI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Direct hotel booking platform | Host agency |
| First-year cost | Free first 12 months, then $199/year or $24.99/month | About $679 to $1,179 ($199 to $459 startup fee, plus $40 to $60/month) |
| Commission | Net rates or 8/10/12% tiers | 70/30 ($40/mo); 80/20 ($50/mo); 90/10 ($60/mo); 100% at custom pricing |
| Inventory | 3,000,000+ hotels, 200+ suppliers | Signature Travel Network (1,300+ hotels), 380+ suppliers |
| Travel types | Hotels | Hotels, cruises, groups, tours |
| Price drops | Automatic rebooking | [Verify before publishing] |
| GDS access | Not offered | Direct, with multiple GDS choices |
| Contract | [Confirm before publishing] | Exclusive annual, monthly opt-out |
| Payment timing | [Confirm before publishing] | Bi-weekly direct deposit |
| Access | IATA, CLIA, TIDS, or registered agency | [Verify before publishing] |
What you pay in year one
TPI charges a startup fee of $199 to $459, depending on the plan and contract term. A monthly fee of $40 to $60 follows, which comes to $480 to $720 per year. First-year cost therefore runs roughly $679 to $1,179.
Roave Agents includes the first 12 months free, with no card required. After that, the plan costs $24.99 per month or $199 per year, with no per-seat charge.
As a result, the first year at Roave costs nothing, and later years cost well below TPI's recurring fee. However, fees are only part of the picture. The split determines how much of each commission you receive.
Paying for your split
TPI sells commission splits as subscription tiers. The $40 plan keeps a 70/30 split. The $50 plan moves to 80/20, and the $60 plan moves to 90/10. A 100% split is available to high-volume advisors at custom pricing.
Roave Agents works differently. On net rates, the advisor sets the client price and keeps the difference. On commissionable rates, three tiers apply: Silver at 8%, Gold at 10%, and Platinum at 12%, based on production.
Therefore, the question is whether you want to pay monthly to reduce a host's share, or book on a platform where margin is yours to set.
A worked example
Take a $2,000 commissionable hotel stay at a 12% commission, which equals $240.
On TPI's 70/30 plan, the advisor keeps $168. On the 80/20 plan, the advisor keeps $192. On the 90/10 plan, the advisor keeps $216. On Roave Agents at the Platinum tier, the advisor keeps $240.
TPI's monthly fees apply on top of those splits, so the true gap is wider for lower-volume advisors. These figures are illustrative and assume the same commission rate on both platforms. Actual rates vary by supplier and property.
Contract and flexibility
TPI uses an exclusive annual contract with a monthly opt-out. Advisors cannot affiliate with another host agency while working with TPI.
Roave Agents is a booking platform, not a host agency. Access is open to credentialed advisors and registered agencies, and the first year carries no card requirement and allows cancellation at any time.
Consequently, advisors who keep a host for air or cruise business should check how their agreement addresses third-party booking platforms before adding one. The answer depends on the host, so it is worth confirming in writing.
Booking tools for hotel stays
TPI provides an Agent Portal for booking and email marketing, its own invoicing tool, and access to third-party CRM and itinerary builders, including Tern, Travefy, TravelJoy, and AXUS. It also offers a choice of GDS providers.
Roave Agents focuses on hotel booking. It searches 200+ suppliers at once, with bookings averaging under 90 seconds. It also re-prices every confirmed, fully refundable booking until check-in and automatically rebooks to a cheaper like-for-like refundable rate. If the cheaper rate is non-refundable, the advisor approves first.
In short, TPI assembles a toolkit from several tools, while Roave puts hotel search and price control in one dashboard. Both platforms let advisors market under their own brand.
Where TPI is stronger
TPI offers real advantages for the right advisor. Direct GDS access matters for air-heavy and corporate business, and Roave Agents does not cover that. TPI is also a Signature Travel Network member, which provides access to 1,300+ hotels with negotiated luxury amenities, along with preferred relationships with 380+ suppliers.
TPI has operated since 1988 and reports $650 million in annual sales. Commissions are paid by bi-weekly direct deposit, and high-volume advisors can negotiate a 100% split. Phone support, weekly webinars, and an annual conference round out the offer.
For advisors who sell air or want consortium perks, those strengths are significant. A credentialed advisor focused on hotels may need less of them.
Who each is best for
Choose TPI if you need direct GDS access, want Signature's negotiated luxury perks, or value a host agency's registration, support, and consortium relationships.
Choose Roave Agents if you already hold your credentials, book hotels regularly, and want direct control over margin, branding, and booking speed.
Some advisors will use each for what it does best. Those with an existing host should review their exclusivity terms first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Roave Agents a host agency? No. Roave Agents is a hotel booking platform for credentialed advisors and registered agencies. It does not provide seller of travel registration or a host agency's training programs.
Can I use Roave Agents and TPI together? Roave Agents is a booking platform, not a host agency, so using it alongside a host is generally possible. TPI's contract is exclusive with other host agencies, so review your agreement for any terms on outside booking platforms before you add one.
Which is cheaper, Roave Agents or TPI? Roave Agents is free for the first 12 months, then $199 per year or $24.99 per month. TPI's first year runs roughly $679 to $1,179, including the startup fee and monthly plan, and its commission split is tied to the plan you choose.
Does Roave Agents offer GDS access? No. Roave Agents is built for hotel booking and does not provide direct GDS access. Advisors who need it for air or corporate bookings should keep that capability through their host or another provider.
Do I need experience to join Roave Agents? Access requires an IATA, CLIA, or TIDS credential, or a registered agency. Advisors without credentials may prefer a host agency that provides them, then add Roave Agents later.
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