Egencia | An Expedia, Inc. Company

At A Glance

Not every company needs a centralized credit card program. But there are some benefits for many organizations:

• Ensures all employees who need a card can have one.
• Helps new employees get up and running faster
• Easier reconciliation for you and them

Need help analyzing whether a centralized credit card is right for your company? Contact your corporate consulting manager today for personalized help.

One Card or Many?

Should you use a centralized billing card for your company or allow employees to use their own cards? It can be a tough decision and the answer isn't the same for all companies.

Naturally the biggest gain in moving to a central card is that your billing will be greatly simplified with one statement to reconcile and one bill to pay. That could be a huge win for you and your company if reconciliation is taking too much time and energy from managing your travel program.

Larger companies often find central billing a must-have while some companies frequently stick with individual cards. It all depends on the needs of your business.

There are a few other additional benefits to moving to a centralized card:

• If not all your travelers have credit cards (or sufficient credit limits) a centralized card can enable more efficient travel purchasing and a much smoother experience for that traveler. This happens most frequently in organizations where there are many younger employees, who may not have a great deal of credit experience or history.
• New employees can immediately start purchasing their travel without having to wait for a business card to be issued.
• Travelers don't have to reconcile these charges, nor send them through their expense reports, nor wait for reimbursement to pay their bills.
• Eliminates possible late fees or finance charges your travelers may be paying if they don't pay their bill on time.

Companies can also consider weighing corporate liability against individual liability, which can further reduce administrative expenses.