On October 9, 2017, ARC launched a new version of Memo Manager — its web-based debit memo processing and payment tool between airlines and travel agencies — with enhanced debit memo reason mapping for 23 airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

By adding a standard reason category to each debit memo, customers will receive consistent and specific information about why the debit memo was issued. This improved understanding will allow for quicker resolution of debit memos and the increased ability to prevent them in the future through improved processes and training.

“We are excited to see standard debit memo reason codes added to the ARC Memo Manager interface,” said Teresa Young, senior manager, global airline debit memos, Expedia. “The ability to know the specific reason carriers have issued a memo is a big win for the agency community. Not only will it result in a reduction of processing times for agencies but dispute dialogue between agencies and carriers is sure to improve with enhanced understanding of why a memo was issued. Perhaps more importantly, the industry as a whole will benefit from reliable data to reference in targeting opportunities for improvement.”

ARC Product Manager Sarah Sager commented, “This implementation is the culmination of the hard work done by the Debit Memo Working Group. Without the collaboration between travel agencies, airlines, and technology providers we wouldn’t be making this type of progress in combating debit memos. Standardized debit memo reasons have proven to significantly speed up the resolution process. ARC encourages airlines that have not yet mapped their reason codes to do so in an effort to increase performance.”

In August, ARC announced that 14 new airlines mapped their debit memos to the standard reason codes in Memo Analyzer, a business intelligence tool that provides insight into debit and credit memo performance. Those additional airlines have now been mapped in Memo Manager. There are now more than 130 unique memo reason codes in both tools which will allow for a higher level of analysis and more efficient processing. The codes include commissions, credit card chargebacks, fares, taxes, refunds, exchanges, fees, bookings and miscellaneous. ARC will map new airlines and new memo reason codes as they become available. Additional information about ARC’s Memo Manager, along with Memo Analyzer for agencies and for airlines, is available online.