TotalEnergies has just launched its Mobility Corporate card, a payment card designed not just for fuel and cars like the Fleet card, but for all travel expenses. Can you explain the reasons for this development?
Philippe Callejon - This launch is another step that will enable us to reach all those employees who travel for their company and use all modes of mobility. The Mobility Corporate Card is the latest addition to our portfolio of offers for business customers. by applying what we offer for company cars to the various areas of business travel with the Fleet card. The aim is to simplify the management of expense claims, but also to control spending. With the Mobility Corporate Card, employees can only pay for what their company has authorised them to do. For example, depending on the company's choice and the employee's profile, the areas of purchase can be limited, as can the countries where the card is used. The spending limit can also be set on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Are you counting on a number of users switching from the Fleet Card to the Mobility Coporate Card?
P. C. - The TotalEnergies Fleet card had already been gradually enhanced with a number of services - car parks and tolls in particular - until it recently evolved into a multi-energy card. With this new card, in addition to to a whole population that we didn't reach beforeWe estimate that we will convert between 15 % and 20 % of current Fleet cardholders. In other words, those who have a company vehicle and travel regularly, dine out and stay in hotels, take public transport or a train ticket from time to time.
The main difference between the Mobility Corporate Card and the Fleet Card is that it is debited from the company's account.
How is your offer positioned in the corporate card market in relation to the competition?
P. C. - Compared with the classic corporate cards issued by banks, we're already rather cheaper. But what really sets the Mobility Corporate Card apart is its debit to company accountThis is similar to the Fleet card. This means that companies don't have to fund the traveller's account in advance or ask their employees to advance expenses. What's more, we're the only card that allows you to control the type of expenditure. This is also a differentiating factor.
Who are the card's target users?
P. C. - Sales people, no doubt, but also all travellers who have to make expense claims, whatever the size of the company. The logic behind the Mobility Corporate Card is to Eliminate the use of expense accounts from the employee.
As far as the type of company is concerned, is this card aimed more at SMEs or large companies?
P. C. - The initial discussions we've had with our customers show that both SMEs and large companies are interested. And for different reasons. An SME will find a solution to simplify everyday lifeA corporate card is also the best tool for facilitating VAT recovery and for having the necessary documents for URSSAF declarations on travel. What's more, a corporate card is the best tool for facilitating VAT recovery, and having the necessary documents for URSSAF declarations on travel.
And what are the advantages for large companies?
P. C. - A large company is more with a view to saving on structural costsThe cost of processing expense claims is extremely high - around 50 euros according to various studies. Yet people tend to make an expense claim for every expense, which means that there is an accumulation of small expense claims made frequently. In the end, this cost is not at all neutral for the company.
Is your card designed to pay for the main expenses incurred when travelling on business, and does it complement other travel payment solutions such as debit cards or virtual cards?
P. C. - Of course. It's not intended to replace, in large companies, the log-in cards that will massively process air and rail travel. These are two different approaches. Ours is to do away with expense claims and advances made by employees.
The strength of your Fleet Card lies of course in the network of TotalEnergies stations in France and Europe, but also in a number of partners with whom you offer preferential rates to your customers. Will this partnership approach also apply to the Mobility Corporate Card?
P. C. - It's on our roadmap. Over time, the Mobility Corporate Card will be enhanced. On the one hand, it will allow you to visit all the retailers in the mobility sector who accept Mastecard. But within that, we will have a privileged network of attractive players for our customersIn each of the main areas of mobility, which will offer them advantages.
You have just announced a partnership with Uber to speed up the deployment of charging stations for electric vehicles. Could Uber be one of these partners in the future?
P. C. - Uber could well be on that list one day. That's the kind of trajectory and evolution we want to see. After that, partnerships always take a little time. We've decided to not focusing on that at the outset. This will come as we go along.
Isn't moving from a fuel card to a travel card also part of this move towards more global mobility management, with business travel on one side and vehicle fleets on the other?
P. C. - This trend is starting to emerge, with companies using car-sharing vehicles or giving their employees the opportunity to use modes of transport other than the car. We are at the start of an underlying trend which will transform the way we travel in the years to come.
Mobility, energy transition: your group recently materialised its evolution by changing its name to TotalEnergies. Could your Mobility Corporate card eventually follow suit and become a 'green' payment solution?
P. C. - It could be, but first we need to resolve a number of technical issues. Our selection of areas of expenditure is based on commercial codes. At the moment, however, there are no market codes linked to sustainable mobility or to the eco-responsible dimension of this or that mode of transport. This will involve an evolution at this level. There is some thinking going on, but it's not easy to implement, particularly in an international context. There are still many steps to be taken, but we can clearly see that things are moving in this direction. How long will it take? I'm not sure.
