OVERVIEW
will have to look at policy, and at which travellers are allowed plastic and who is only allowed the virtual card, but they may as well get the ball rolling as this is one trend which cannot be ignored. Bank of America’s Mason explains: “The biggest change we have seen is with single- account numbers. With the online booking trend, virtual accounts lend themselves very well to internet hotel bills and so on.” Smith, at Barclaycard, which has
offered virtual cards since 2009, says the key to their success is that of flexibility, as they can be used for one- off events or for infrequent travellers, while Mastercard’s Stynen believes virtual cards will now become more prevalent, given the nature of the mobile workforce. “From a pure travel perspective, virtual cards will become more mainstream. There now seems to be more of a collective belief that this [type of card] will be working well in the travel arena,” he adds. And as the workforce becomes more and more mobile, so do
8 • Buying Business Travel 2013
payment methods. Airplus is launching its mobile payment solution this year, and cardholders will be able to make contactless payments through their smartphones. The pilot begins this summer in Germany and the UK. Airplus managing director Yael Klein says: “This will change the way
As the workforce becomes more and more mobile, so do payment methods
people think about mobiles – it’s again about making life on the road easier.” However, Klein knows it may take some time for the rest of the world to catch up. “I don’t foresee plastic disappearing any time soon and being replaced by mobiles, especially if you are in a remote place and try to pay with your iPhone. It will be an add-on.” Barclaycard’s Smith agrees that
mobile will be making waves but also thinks advances in other mobile technology will change the way we pay across the globe. “We don’t see
these as just mobile payments but also digital,” he says. “Mobile is just one mechanism – there will be tablets and lots of different mechanisms for payment in the future”.
BUYER CONCERNS While there are clear benefits to having a corporate card programme, one travel buyer is keen to point out that “misuse of the card is one of the challenges” they face. Paul Spencer, a business travel consultant and former travel manager, thinks that to avoid misuse more companies are looking at centrally-lodged cards, rather than personal cards. “The theory is personal corporate cards – even if the user is personally liable – are subject to abuse,” he says. “We reduce this risk by using a lodge card for the main costs – flights and some hotel bill- backs, for example – and the employee can use their own card for incidentals.” But David Smith at Barclaycard doesn’t think buyers should be too concerned by travellers misusing their cards: “A few years ago maybe
In association with
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