The challenge
In collaboration with CWT, the company was looking for a way in which crew members, contractors and employees without corporate cards could bill back hotel reservations for all hotels worldwide. The aim was to give the company more control and better visibility of the payment process.
Through bill back, invoices for individual hotel stays booked by an agency are not settled on departure but are sent to the agency and presented to the client as a consolidated invoice at regular intervals.
The solution
CWT programme manager Connie Breen worked closely with the company’s travel manager to set up its CWT virtual payment solution powered by Conferma for hotels.
Virtual cards offer companies an alternative to issuing company cards or cash advances, and are a secure, accountable and cost-effective form of payment. Hotels across the globe accept virtual cards for corporate bookings. CWT virtual payment technology integrates virtual cards into a variety of booking systems.
CWT virtual payment solution powered by Conferma was implemented for the company in March 2017. To ensure it went smoothly, Connie worked with the travel manager to: Ensure hotels knew the process by sending information and FAQs to the top ten properties in the client’s programme Communicate the changes and benefits to travel bookers.
In addition to this, the company also negotiated a competitive rate at a hotel and closed its staff house. The vast majority of the company’s travellers coming to the area stay at this hotel, booking via CWT at the company’s rate.
The results
The oilfield services company has seen a monthly increase in hotel penetration rate (HPR) – the measure of hotel bookings against overnight air trips. HPR rose from 50.75 per cent in March 2017 to 61.57 per cent in September 2017.
Compliance improved as employees are more likely to book in programme if they can bill back. Previously, if a travel booker wanted to book a hotel with which they had a deal but no bill back agreement, and the traveller didn’t have a corporate card, the hotel would invoice the company directly. Now all bookings can go through CWT, and the company benefits from:
- Improved safety and security with traveller tracking
- More leverage with hotels as all expenditure is visible
- Bookers spending less time dealing with hotels directly
- Better cost control
- Savings in hotel bill back fees
- Ability to use virtual payment for all hotels worldwide
As a result of this success in the UK, the payment solution has been rolled out partially to the company in America.