If you run a travel agency or a visa service, you’ve probably thought about ways to squeeze more revenue out of your existing setup — without hiring anyone, expanding your office, or blowing money on ads that may or may not work.
This case study is about someone who found a way. A small visa and travel agency in Saudi Arabia added IDA documents to their services and, over four years, quietly racked up 555 successful orders — with zero cancellations. Here’s how they did it.
Why Travel Agencies and Visa Services Need an Additional Revenue Stream
Saudi Arabia’s outbound travel market doesn’t really have an off-season. Clients travel to Asia, Europe, the Gulf — year-round. And when they walk into a travel or visa office, they usually expect more than just a flight booking. They want:
- help sorting out their documents,
- someone who actually knows the process,
- fast turnaround,
- and a person they can trust with their paperwork.
That’s a real advantage for agencies. You already have the client relationship, the workflow, and the trust — all you need is one more service that fits naturally into what you’re already doing. That’s where stable, predictable extra income comes from.
Agent Case from Saudi Arabia: 555 Orders, Zero Cancellations, and Steady Extra Revenue
Let’s look at the numbers first:
- Agent ID: #125
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Business type: Small travel & visa services agency
- Registered: December 2021
- Sales method: A simple website form for KSA travelers
- Reselling price: $120 per document
His goal from day one was straightforward: build an additional income stream without touching his core business. No restructuring, no new hires — just plug something profitable into the existing operation.
The results: 555 issued documents and zero cancellations
Over four full years (December 2021 through December 2025), this agent has:
- submitted 555 paid orders,
- climbed to the 47% discount tier,
- and maintained zero cancellations.
That last part deserves a pause. A perfect cancellation rate across 555 orders is genuinely unusual. How does he pull it off? Three things:
- He collects detailed client data through his own website form — nothing slips through the cracks.
- He reviews and double-checks every application himself before submitting.
- He enters clean, verified data into the IDA dashboard manually.
No shortcuts, no bulk uploads full of typos. Just careful work — and the result speaks for itself.
A hybrid model: direct submissions + referral sales
Most of the time, he handles client applications personally — start to finish. But travel is unpredictable. Sometimes a client has already left Saudi Arabia before the paperwork gets done.
When that happens, he switches to a referral approach:
- he sends the client his personal referral link or QR code,
- the client completes the application online from wherever they are,
- the order still shows up in his dashboard,
- and he receives his commission automatically.
The IDA dashboard supports both modes seamlessly:
- Direct submissions — manual applications you handle for the client
- Referral-based sales — via links or QR codes
- Both types appear together in one order list — no confusion, no separate tracking
For travel and visa agencies, this flexibility is a big deal. Your clients move fast — sometimes literally across borders — and you don’t want to lose a sale just because someone’s already at the airport.
How Travel & Visa Agencies Earn Extra Revenue with This Model
His day-to-day workflow is dead simple:
- Charge the client $120 per document.
- Buy the digital-only IDA document at his discounted rate.
- Print it locally and hand it over.
Our average base price for digital-only documents over the past 4 years has been around $40 (prices were somewhat lower in 2021–2023).
At his current 47% discount, each document costs him roughly:
- $40 × (1 − 0.47) ≈ $21.20
Which means his profit margin per document is:
- $120 − $21.20 ≈ $98.80 — essentially $100 per sale
Both the direct model and the referral model generate income — the agent earns either way, whether he fills in the form himself or sends the client a link.
How Much Extra Income Did This Travel Agency Earn? (Real Numbers)
555 orders × ~$100 profit ≈ $55,500 over four years.
Nobody’s going to mistake that for a Fortune 500 revenue line. But for a small travel agency, $55,000 of additional income — earned without any extra staff, advertising spend, or operational complexity — is serious money. And it’s not lumpy or unpredictable: it came in steadily, month after month, built right into the agency’s daily routine.
Why This Additional Revenue Stream Works So Well for Travel and Visa Agencies
Think about what a travel agency already has in place:
- a constant flow of clients walking through the door (or filling out forms online),
- established trust — people already hand over their passports and personal details,
- systems for collecting data and handling documents,
- a need to stand out from competitors,
- clients who love the idea of getting everything done in one place.
IDA documents plug straight into all of that:
- no extra staff needed — it’s one more task in your existing workflow,
- clients are already asking you for help with paperwork — this is just another kind of paperwork,
- you control the quality, which is why zero cancellations are achievable,
- and your margins get better automatically as your discount tier grows.
It’s genuinely a win for everyone involved:
- We get new clients served by a trusted local agent.
- You earn consistent revenue and strengthen your reputation as a full-service agency.
- Your clients get a useful international document — even if they’ve already left the country.
That last point matters. Thanks to the hybrid model, a client who’s already boarding a flight isn’t a lost sale — it’s a referral link away from becoming one.
Is this a huge business? No.
Is it a reliable long-term income stream? Without question.
More than $55,000 over four years, zero cancellations, minimal risk. For a small travel or visa agency, that’s an excellent side revenue stream by any measure.
And here’s what makes it even more impressive: he did all of this with one office, a basic website form, no paid advertising, and the standard tools in his IDA dashboard. No secret sauce — just consistency.
How Your Travel or Visa Service Can Start Earning Extra Revenue
If you run any of the following:
- a travel agency,
- a visa assistance office,
- a travel consultancy,
- a travel desk inside a hotel or coworking space,
- a Hajj/Umrah travel service with international extensions,
…you can set up the exact same system today. It takes minutes, not weeks.
Here’s what you get right away:
- a full agent dashboard for managing orders,
- manual + referral tools — so you’re covered whether the client is sitting in front of you or halfway across the world,
- transparent order tracking,
- automatic discount levels that improve as you grow,
- payouts directly to your bank account.
Ready to get started? Register here: https://idaoffice.org/agent/register/
Screenshots
Other real cases of additional income for small business
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How a recruiting agency in Malta earned €72,000 in 5.5 years.
How notary, translation and multiservice offices can earn extra income.
FAQ: Additional Income for Travel Agencies & Visa Services
How can a travel agency earn extra revenue without adding staff?
By offering IDA documents alongside your existing services. The whole process takes a few minutes per client and doesn’t require hiring anyone new.
Is this revenue stream stable?
It is. The agent in this case earned over $55,000 across four years with zero cancellations — steady and predictable from start to finish.
Does this system work if my clients are already traveling abroad?
Yes — that’s exactly what the referral model is for. Send them a link, they complete the application from wherever they are, and the sale still counts as yours.
Do visa services benefit more than travel agencies?
Both do well with this. Visa services sometimes see slightly higher conversions because document preparation is already their bread and butter — but travel agencies have the client volume. Either way, it works.
Published December 06, 2025 • 7m to read
