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4 Ways to Escape Expense Report Purgatory

Whether you’ve just finished a week-long trip, or if you’ve been stashing receipts all month, doing your expenses can become one of those monotonous tasks that ranks even below timesheets at the bottom of the to-do list. This means that they get put off, and off, and off, until you reach a point where a) you’re broke and need them to be reimbursed so you can put food on the table, b) your wallet is bulging more than your financial controller’s eyes will once they see how much you’re claiming for the past few months, or c) both of the above.

Landing Hassle-Free Flight Refunds May be in Corporate Travel Future

Airlines in Europe and the US have stipulations that entitle travelers to refunds or reimbursements under certain circumstances, but actually receiving those refunds has long been a challenge. All that may soon change, thanks to two organizations dedicated to ensuring airline customers get the compensation they deserve. 

Airfares Skyrocket for Multi-City Business Trips

One heck of a coincidence recently went down in the U.S. airline industry. Three of the largest airlines in the country have altered the way they price fares for multi-city trips, forcing multi-city travelers to shell out hundreds of dollars more if they continue to book multi-city flights. 

5 Benefits of Corporate Card Programs

Ah, here we are, the ever-popular debate on the pros vs the cons of corporate card programs! Why should businesses allow employees to have corporate cards? Some feel that they have the potential to increase the organization’s financial exposure, risk employees racking up large bills, and are potentially tricky for finance teams to both implement and manage on an ongoing basis. Done right, however, corporate credit and payment cards can offer wide-ranging financial, operational and security benefits. 

China Flying High in Biz Travel Spending, Topping U.S.

China already beats out the United States on exports and automobile market size, and now the country has done the same when it comes to business travel spending. Chinese corporate travelers spent more than $291 billion in 2015, roughly $1 billion more than U.S. corporate travelers during that same period. The Global Business Travel Association reports the gap is predicted to widen even further in 2016. 

5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Global Expense Management Solution

If you are a global organization looking to upgrade your expense management solution, there is a dizzying array of offerings on the market. Many of the vendors you speak to will tell you that they offer a global solution. However, there’s being able to process the occasional foreign hotel and restaurant bill, and then there’s a true global solution that will work for thousands of end users across dozens of different countries, supporting complex workflows, tax requirements and regional standards.

And the Winner Is: 2016 Business Travel Award Highlights

Companies that are scoping out good hotels, great airlines or phenomenal in-flight entertainment options can turn to annual lists that rank the winners in a legion of different categories. One set of winners comes from the UK’s Buying Business Travel Awards, which acknowledge and celebrate the successes of the British travel industry’s outstanding performers over the past 12 months. 

The other set of winners comes from Entrepreneur magazine, which also serves up an annual listing of top-performing companies that meet or exceed business travelers’ needs. 

6 Questions Expense Management Vendors Don’t Want You to Ask

When you’re looking at new expense management solutions, or looking to replace your existing system, every vendor will be more than happy to highlight the key selling points of their solution. “Look at this feature!” “See how we can make your life easier.” While shiny features are certainly great, they don’t always tell the full story, and sometimes you should be more focused on what the sales people don’t say.

If you want to get the skinny on which solution will best match your organization’s needs, you need to delve a little deeper and get beyond the sales pitch. 

Business Travel Packed with These Top Stressors

While more than one-third of corporate travelers typically feel positive about traveling for business, that doesn’t mean they all enjoy a stress-free experience. In fact, a massive 93 percent of business travelers heading to international destinations feel stressed-out at some point along their journey.

9 Signs it’s Time to Switch Expense Management Systems

It’s not too long ago that the panacea to everyone’s expense problems was “get expense management automation software.” Anything was a quantum leap from having to staple or tape your receipts to a spreadsheet, then hand it into your accounting team, and then wait a pay cycle (or two) for them to be reviewed, and then go up the approval chain, and then finally to the payroll team who would often cut you a paper check... that you often had to take to the bank or ATM to deposit.