PAYMENTS


WORDS ROB GILL


CORPORATE CARDS PERSIST Virtual card payments are now accepted in most parts of the world – but


not all. In the Middle East, for example, properties are not yet comfortable taking virtual card payments and still insist on seeing a physical corporate card as well as issuing a traditional paper-based invoice, which a TMC will then have to obtain from the hotel.


their stay including any drinks from their room’s mini-bar. “Offshore workers typically would not


be issued with a card; instead they would be booking hotels with an allowance which gives clients the ability to closely monitor spending,” says Geall. “This also allows clients to impose conditions, such as not being allowed alcohol at the hotels or any ancillaries at the hotels before they travel to the asset. This can all be covered by virtual payments.” The way EMM firms manage their


payments and expenses can also vary depending on the locations of their installations – if crew members are travelling to a major oil hub in the western world, such as Aberdeen or Houston, they would generally be given an allowance to travel to the “jump point” where they would make the final part of their journey to their oil rig or vessel. This “final mile” of the trip, often using helicopters for offshore workers, is mostly handled by the EMM company itself rather than TMCs. In other more “risky” destinations,


travel and accommodation would be more tightly controlled by the energy or shipping company, which makes them less


22 BBT ENERGY, MARINE & MINING SUPPLEMENT 2019


of an issue from a payments and expenses standpoint. As for traditional corporate cards, companies in the EMM sectors tend to only issue them to full-time staff rather than crew members – typically more to senior managers within the organisation who may be travelling regularly between offices in major cities rather than to energy installations.


“Each customer and company has a different policy around issuing traditional corporate cards,” adds Geall. “Clients may still issue company cards for management based onshore where it makes sense.” Once crew have reached their final destination – whether it be a ship, oil rig or mine – everything is provided on board for them so they will no longer be racking up further expenses. Of course, automation and virtual cards are only a partial solution to dealing with payments and expenses within the EMM sectors – in industries where travel arrangements have be very fluid and flexible, it has to be backed up by a strong team of travel consultants to react to the kind of sudden changes that technology cannot easily deal with.


“THE PRESSURE ON COSTS WAS INTENSE WHEN OIL WAS DOWN AT US$30 A BARREL. THIS CREATED


AN ENORMOUS FOCUS ON DRIVING DOWN COSTS AT ALL LEVELS OF THE BUSINESS, INCLUDING TRAVEL”


In association with


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