forwarded automatically into their expense reporting tool (see expense management feature, p32). The app also displays the status of each expensed transaction – new, pending or settled.
away and remove a potential security risk of sending paper PINs to incorrect postal addresses. Another area of digital activity is sending transaction alerts. One example is Bank of America Merrill Lynch, whose alerts enable cardhold- ers and programme administrators to receive real-time account activity notifications via text (or by phone or email if they prefer). “Alerts provide increased visibility into account activity, strengthen security through proactive notifications and allow for access to account information in real time,” says head of EMEA commercial cards Melissa Gargagliano. “The capability has been launched in North America and will be available globally in the near future.” Citi and Airplus have launched similar services. Look out for a new app from Airplus
called Airplus Connect, which enables cardholders to decide whether they want payment transactions to be
In association with
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Barclaycard has been working on presenting clients with what product director Maria Parpou describes as “ac- tionable data”, including recommenda- tions on which currency cardholders should pay in. “If a UK traveller has lots of spend, it could make sense for them to have a US dollar card as well as a UK sterling card,” she says. American Express, meanwhile, has been improving the monthly online statements and data files for its centrally billed Business Travel Account. One example is providing ‘smart’ statements, which automatically select the best sup- plier data sources for every transaction. “Time is also saved as more of the data required for identifying transactions is visible on the statement, with fewer transactions having missing data,” says Amex vice-president Mike Larocque. Diners Club International has for the first time consolidated its Global Vision management information platform into one product across all 185 countries in which its 100 franchisees issue cards. Diners Club has also started making available enhanced data, such as cost codes and employee numbers, for customers that use centrally billed accounts not lodged with a TMC.
EASIER PAYMENT Diners Club has also introduced a companion Mastercard plastic card for users of all its payment products at establishments where Diners Club is not accepted. Why offer the original Diners Club card at all, in that case? “It’s predominantly a brand affinity issue,” says marketing director Adrian Steele. “We have loyal customers.” Airplus is making itself more accessible in a different way: making it possible to pay for bookings on Airbnb through the Airplus Company Account lodge card. The intention is to integrate Airbnb into managed travel processes more easily than is the case today. Yet another kind of accessibility is contactless payment – familiar enough
in consumer cards but still uncommon among commercial offerings. Amex has started issuing contactless cards to its UK corporate clients, and Citi intends to do likewise later this year. Citi’s head of commercial cards EMEA, Steve Robson, thinks contactless could prompt clients to relax their rules regarding expense reporting.“If contactless cards displace using cash for items like taxis and coffees, do they also displace the need for receipting for low-value transactions?” Robson asks. “You have to look at cost versus convenience. Do you need receipts for low levels of spend when you already have an electronic record of it?”●
EXTENDING MULTINATIONAL PROGRAMMES
Payment providers continue to expand the number of countries in which they issue commercial cards. This time last year, Citi was issuing in 97 currencies worldwide, 67 of them in local currency. Just recently it has switched Vietnam to local currency.
Citi is also poised to start issuing in Azerbaijan and Angola at the behest of a new oil sector client. “The company has several hundred people in Angola, so we are adding it as a condition of the client coming across from another provider,” says Citi head of commercial cards EMEA Steve Robson. Airplus International, meanwhile, has signed an agreement to buy the Belgian corporate card issuer BCC Corporate. At present, Airplus issues co-branded plastic cards in most markets other than Germany and the UK, in both of which it self-issues. The deal is expected to complete by the summer. “We are focusing on Europe again after big growth elsewhere,” says UK managing director Carrie Haywood. “We are also starting to look increasingly at corporate cards. Five years ago people were saying everything would be virtual by now but there is still life left in them.”
BBT CORPORATE CARDS SUPPLEMENT 2017 31
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