Influencers Say You Can Get Paid to Be a Travel Agent, Here's What the Numbers Actually Show

The ‘get paid to travel’ side hustle costs most people money before it earns any. The Guardian reported that agents recruited through influencer videos pay about £150 to sign up and £30 to £40 a month, and several said they made almost nothing from selling holidays. One agent made three bookings in two years, roughly £1,000 in commission against £32 a month in fees plus a £100 sign-up.

The commission maths is thin

A booking has to be large before it pays. Suppliers pay roughly 10% commission, and the agent keeps about 70% of that, so £10,000 of bookings produces £1,000 of commission and £700 for the agent.

On those figures a first-year agent needs roughly £7,000 to £8,000 of bookings just to cover fees. Most people recruited through a friend or social media have no client base to sell to.

The money often comes from recruiting, not selling holidays

Several people the Guardian spoke to said recruiters pushed them to bring in new members rather than book trips. The recruitment commission reported was about $4 (£3) per new recruit, plus bonuses. Average annual earnings across the wider PlanNet Marketing representative base were reported at about $40. One agent said she made about $800 a month despite recruiting more than 150 people.

The guarantees have conditions

The 30-day money-back guarantee deducts any commission you earned in that first month from your refund. A first-year profit guarantee also exists, but it requires meeting several conditions, including quarterly hotel bookings. The Guardian reported that a minimum $1,000-a-month guarantee for one-star directors was not honoured in the cases it examined. The company's vice president told the paper that success requires personal effort and dedication.

The Guardian piece did not include comment from UK regulators, so we are not stating how these arrangements are classed. Check the legal basis yourself before paying anyone: if you plan to sell package holidays in the UK, ask whether the seller holds the licences and protections that apply.

How to test any side hustle before you pay

Ask for earnings data per member, not the best-case story. Ask what share of income comes from sales to the public and what share from recruitment. Work out your break-even bookings before you hand over a card number, and set a calendar reminder inside the refund window.

If you simply want cheaper trips, you do not need an agent badge. Booking direct with a licensed operator that guides the trip itself, with transparent pricing, removes the middleman. We have guided treks in Nepal since 1998 and quote the price up front.

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