Letting employees pay in advance... Not only does this practice lead to considerable dissatisfaction among employees, it can also lead to awkward situations:
- Financial risks for employees : according to theIFOP study30% of executives say they have already been in financial difficulties because of business expenses advanced from their personal money, and 18% of them have even been in a bank overdraft.
- Refusal to pay and reputation : if there are insufficient funds in the employee's bank account, the debit transaction is refused. This dependence on the employee's provision can damage the company's reputation, especially if the meal has been eaten and the hotel night spent...
- Complications due to non-acceptance of cards: for fear of collection difficulties, debit cards are generally not accepted, or even refused, by hoteliers and car hire companies, as well as for many expenses abroad.
There are now other ways of simplifying the expense management process, while maintaining control over the amount authorised. And which also allow you to negotiate more advantageous conditions with service providers.
First possible alternatives:
Business cards : corporate, business, entreprise... All these names refer to a range of bank cards that companies can make available to their employees. Expenses incurred with these cards are then either deducted :
- Directly to the company's account: no advance payment of expenses, no reimbursement, although the employee must justify each expense by submitting receipts (via their expense report solution, for example). This offer is generally reserved for managers and trusted employees.
- On the employee's account, but with a deferred debit. This allows the employee to declare expenses and gives the company time to reimburse these expenses before they are deducted. Once again, receipts must be provided to justify the expenses.
Have you ever heard of the "carte logée"?
This dematerialised card is a centralised payment solution. It enables companies to pay for transactions associated with business travel: tickets, hotels, etc., which are generally the biggest items of expenditure on travel. By booking these services through the company's own channels, it is the card operator who pays the supplier and then sends a global invoice to the company.
In this way, the lodged card simplifies the booking and payment process for business travel, eliminating the need to advance personal funds and process large expense claims. It's less stressful for the traveller, but also for the organisation that centralises travel expenses, reducing fraud and the time and effort needed to manage and process travel expenses.
This solution also makes it easier for the company to negotiate preferential rates with suppliers by consolidating expenditure, which can lead to significant cost reductions and better management of travel budgets.
Integrating your business cards or stored value cards into Cegid Notilus: simple, secure and effective
Preparing your trip to Cegid NotilusThe employee has access to the booking portal and can select the services (transport, accommodation, etc.) they require. As soon as the trip has been confirmed, the order is sent to the suppliers and paid for by credit card. The company then receives details of the invoices, which the solution automatically reconciles with each trip to check the amounts, alert to any discrepancies and feed into the accounts.
Business cardholders will be able to find all the expenses paid with their card in Cegid Notilus. All they have to do is attach their receipts to justify payment (company debit) or reimbursement (employee debit) of any other expenses incurred during the trip: meals, taxis, parking, etc.
There are therefore a number of solutions available to help travellers avoid the consequences of having to pay travel expenses in advance, including Cegid Notilus helps you make the most of the potential of each of them.
