Solving the Payments Mystery for Travel Managers

Travel management is often likened to navigating a complex mystery novel, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Adding payment processes to this mix only adds to the complexity. From managing travel arrangements, ensuring compliance with company policies, to overseeing travel budgets and expense claims, travel managers have a challenging task. The need for a streamlined payment solution becomes essential to unravel these complexities efficiently.

Pre-Trip Preparations: Setting the Scene

Before any trip, significant groundwork is required. Travel managers must handle booking and payments for hotels, flights, and event tickets, while considering sustainability, leisure opportunities, and budget constraints. A centralised payment solution can simplify this process by ensuring compliance with company travel policies.

By using a centralised payment system, companies can control expenses, set uniform limits, and permissions on outgoing payments. This system provides a real-time overview of travel spending, allowing for easier identification and follow-up on non-compliant expenses. For travellers, this clarity reduces ambiguity and enhances their payment experience. Centralisation aids in reporting and analysis, becoming invaluable as travel progresses.

On-Trip Expenses: Dealing with the Twists in the Tale

During the trip, travellers need a secure and convenient payment solution. Modern solutions like corporate credit cards, both physical and virtual, offer this balance. They provide convenience through contactless payments and reduced cash dependency, while ensuring security with standards like 3D Secure. Virtual cards add an extra layer of security by generating unique, single-use numbers for each transaction.

Corporate cards, when used with a real-time, centralised expense platform, allow tracking of payments and flagging of unauthorised expenses. They enable setting of spending categories, transaction limits, and restrictions on unauthorised purchases, acting as a safeguard while offering necessary flexibility to employees.

Post-Trip Reconciliation: Ensuring a Satisfying End to the Story

Once the trip concludes, administrative tasks like reconciling expenses commence. This traditionally tedious process can be streamlined by consolidating expenses through ERP and T&E systems, accessing detailed transaction data in one place. With the right integrations, this process can occur automatically, reducing manual effort.

Analysing payment data post-trip can identify savings opportunities and support negotiations with suppliers. In light of tougher supplier negotiations, having data-backed insights strengthens the company’s negotiating position.

AirPlus: The Hero in Your Payment Story

AirPlus offers comprehensive payment solutions for travel managers, simplifying processes before, during, and after trips. Their solutions enable cost control by allocating budgets before transactions and setting booking parameters in line with corporate policies. With centralised accounts, secure corporate and virtual credit cards, and integration into expensing systems, AirPlus equips travel managers to handle diverse payment scenarios effectively.

AirPlus makes corporate payments smart and seamless, allowing travel managers to focus more on strategic tasks and less on policy adherence. To explore how AirPlus can solve your payment mysteries, visit the AirPlus website.

In conclusion, a centralised and efficient corporate payment solution is key to managing the complex world of travel payments. By adopting such systems, travel managers can streamline processes, enhance security, and gain actionable insights, transforming potential challenges into opportunities for improvement.