Infographic - Paying Your Employees with Cards vs. Checks

As technology has advanced over the recent years, cutting-edge finance leaders have started focusing on optimizing their payments programs and turning it into a strategic asset, rather than a cost center. This is done by focusing on reducing expense processing costs and being deliberate about how and when to pay vendors, employees and reimbursements. 

Virtual credit cards are taking the finanical industry by storm. Discover how virtual credit cards work, their benefits, if they are good fit for your organization, what look for in a provider, how to implement a best-in-class program and more! 

As a business person, we know you constantly aim for improvement. It can be a challenge, but even the slightest changes can help your business run more smoothly and efficiently. Within the transportation industry, new technologies are constantly being developed and implemented to help bring perfection within an arm’s reach.

We’re sure you’re no stranger to the fact T&E is considered one of the largest expenses for most organizations and is littered with responsibilities. Not only do you have to mitigate fraud, address out of policy spending and accommodate non-cardholders; you’re also responsible for deciding which payment tools are best. Oy Vey! Consider this infographic your handy travel payments guide. 

As the payment industry continues to become more complex, the term payment itself has evolved.  In this new landscape of the payment industry, push payments (aka buyer-initiated payments or straight-through processing) have started to gain popularity over their more well-known friend, pull payments.

A virtual credit card number is a unique, 16-digit number tied to a single travel transaction and issued for a specific dollar amount. It can be used to pay travel vendors, such as hotels, car rentals and airlines. They are designed to be an alternative to T&E cards, ghost cards or central travel accounts, and can be used anywhere credit cards are accepted.

Historically, simply paying suppliers may have been the ultimate goal of AP departments and if they did that, they were considered successful. But times have changed and a highly effective payment process has become much more strategic and has working capital implications. Learn more about creating a highly effective payments program. 

Switching from paper checks to electronic payments can provide various benefits to your company such as reduced operational costs, incremental revenue, enhanced forecasting, better working capital management and increased security and control.  

Comdata is proud to be part of the FLEETCOR family of companies, which has once again been named to Forbes' and Fortunes magazine's prestigious lists for 2016.

The best petty cash process is no petty cash process. You read that correctly. It’s 2016 and it is time to say “hasta la vista, baby!” to the petty cash drawer at your restaurants. Purchasing cards, or P-cards, are a type of credit card that allow employees to make controlled purchases of goods and services on behalf of the company.

Purchasing cards can be setup to determine when, where and how much the card is used, greatly reducing the risk of fraud and theft.  Plus, you’ll get access to detailed expense reporting making it possible to code and allocate expenses. You’ll finally get better insight into where your spending happens and why.

Comdata is launching its new Habitat for Humanity Fuel Card, offering cardholders the opportunity to save money while raising funds for Habitat year round, as Comdata will donate 1 percent of all card expenses to the nonprofit.

The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) was originally designed to simplify the fuel tax system and eliminate the need for separate permits but it is a complex, time-consuming process. Now there’s a way to make IFTA reporting highly accurate and pain-free: Comdata’s Fuel Tax Services is now part of the Comdata Card. These services automate tax filing, lower the cost of fuel tax management, and improve the accuracy of mileage tax data.

For many fleets, truck weighing is a frustrating, time-consuming process. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that there are 177 million truck weight inspections each year. To help prevent long waits, the Federal Highway Administration is studying the feasibility of building unmanned “virtual weigh stations” across America.

Fleet fuel cards are powerful tools for organizations to save money, mitigate fraudulent transactions, and reduce driver misuse. Integrating telematics data with fleet fuel card statements can take that control to the next level by revealing exactly how driver behavior is impacting your bottom line. Maintaining awareness of this intelligence is incredibly impactful because a driver’s decisions behind the wheel can impact fuel efficiency by as much as 33%[1], which translates directly into dollars for your company.

Comdata is not the only one who sees the benefits of launching our new platform, The Hotel Network, which consists of approximately 12,000 trucker friendly hotel locations that now accept the Comdata card. 

Oil prices are currently in the lowest in over a decade and they are predicted to stay that way for the foreseeable future. This is great news for your bottom line, but markets fluctuate. Right now, the lows are probably making it simpler to control your total fleet fuel spending. There are a few things you can – and should – do now to make sure you are prepared to sustain the lowest possible fuel spending, even as the low price market rebounds.

Save money where the wheels meet the road. By understanding where and how your drivers are spending and communicating with them in real-time, you have the tools you need to influence smarter fuel purchasing decisions and strengthen the bottom line.

Fleet Advance is a total online and mobile solution. With it, your fleet is totally connected through transaction scoring, mobile notifications, an intuitive management console and broad, actionable analytics.

As January approaches, the time has come to look back on fleet performance in 2015. Creating a snapshot of where your fleet exceeded or fell short of benchmarks and goals prepares the organization for sustainability and growth in 2016. With the right information and insight, the collected data can be a tremendously valuable resource for analyzing gaps, spotting what and whom to monitor, and understanding what financial opportunities could strengthen your bottom line.

There are two ways to strengthen the bottom line – earn more or save more. Many companies focus their fleet savings efforts on negotiating the best overall spend rebate. Yet that approach often represents the lowest comparable savings opportunity.

With non-fuel costs constituting more than 60% of your total vehicle expenditures, finding a centralized way to manage fleet spending is not a nice to have, it’s a need to have. Even small fleets have a host of non-fuel and alternative spending needs.

By the end of 2015, it's expected that 70% of consumer credit card users and 41% of consumer debit card users will have migrated to chip technology. In fact, October marks the point at which many retailers and credit card issuers face a deadline to adopt EMV technology. Because of recent card security breaches, coupled with network rules that will shift liability of these breaches from the issuer to the merchant, many merchants are gladly making the move to EMV technology (chip-enabled cards).

On average, there can be up to a 28 cent spread between the lowest and highest prices for diesel within a three-digit zip code. With such a broad pricing range and the traditional fluctuations in fuel prices, it’s not hard to see how the ability to set guidelines, monitor and influence fleet driver behavior could translate to very real, measurable cost savings.

Since 2013, Comdata has been a regular source of information about topics ranging from compliance issues to advances in credit card solutions. Starting today, we are introducing a regular weekly blog series focused specifically on taking your fleet financials and management to the next level

If you operate a heavy highway vehicle, filing a Highway Vehicle Use Tax Form 2290 (HVUT) can be complicated and time consuming. Comdata’s IRS 2290 filing service simplifies this process. more...

Participate in the 2015 RPMG Electronic Accounts Payable (EAP) Benchmark Survey! This survey is the latest edition of the popular Electronic Accounts Payable Benchmark series. The studies are widely recognized as the definitive management source for information regarding Electronic Account Payable use in North America. more...

Comdata was selected as a 2015 Paybefore Awards winner in the Outstanding Pay Solution category for the Comdata Payroll MasterCard – a solution that helps businesses maximize electronic payroll funding and increases employee efficiency. more...

Do you need help justifying your trip to Comdata's conference, The Exchange, to your boss? 

We have a letter that outlines what you'll learn as well as costs.  more...

Make your 2015 New Year's Resolution to stay on the cutting edge of learning what Comdata has to offer by attending this year's Exchange in New Orleans March 29 - April 1. With 98.4% of last year's attendees recommending the conference to others, you're sure to enjoy your time. more...

Small to mid-sized community hospitals are confronting numerous complexities brought on by various regulatory changes, such as the Affordable Care Act, technology overhauls due to ICD-10, declining reimbursements and more.  more...

We are teaming up with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, a Feeding America member, to help feed our community this November. If you register for The Exchange this month, we will donate a turkey on your behalf. more...

Is your company trying to reduce or eliminate paper checks? At about $5 per check for processing, it makes total sense to automate your payments. more...

If you're looking for a speaker with expertise in payments and construction, we have just the person. more...

A recent study published by MasterCard, Kaiser and Comdata illuminated some key differences in the perceptions of buyers and suppliers with regard to the acceptance of virtual card payments. more...

If you operate a heavy highway vehicle, filing a Highway Vehicle Use Tax Form 2290 (HVUT) can be complicated and time consuming. With Comdata IRS 2290, filing your 2290 has never been easier. more...

The adoption of Comdata’s payment solutions have helped many companies resolve the challenges they face in their business. For Stansell Electric Company, an electrical contractor and systems integrator, finding a more automated payment processing plan was cumbersome. more...

When Comdata introduced its SmartQ™ radio frequency identification (RFID) transaction processing system in 2012, its primary goal was to speed up the transaction process at the pump and mitigate fraud risks for fleet companies. Since its introduction to the market, Comdata customers have begun using the SmartQ technology to increase efficiency and security at a variety of fueling sites. more...

Virtual Card Payments are a revolutionary way for payers to change the way they distribute healthcare claim payments.

Stop by the Comdata Health booth at American Health Insurance Plans' Institute 2013. We're booth 657, and by visiting, you'll learn how to end checks, drive electronic adoption and improve your bottom line. more...

Technology, efficiency and convenience are integral components of a successfully-run truck stop or convenience store. Comdata makes that possible for merchants across the country with our Smart Solutions suite of products, which are designed to streamline the transaction process. The Smart Solutions point-of-sale equipment consolidates fuel and retail profit centers into one platform, all with innovative touchscreen technology. more...

Petroleum marketers who utilize cardlock equipment now have a smarter, more innovative product for their unattended fueling sites.  Comdata’s SmartSight solution uses Web-based technology to deliver real-time data, automated email notifications and security system integrations, allowing you to gain detailed insight into and control of your fueling locations. No matter where you are in relation to your fuel facilities, SmartSight provides you with as much information as you need to effectively and efficiently operate your unattended fueling systems. more...

Lee Company, a Nashville-based contractor, had been using the Comdata fleet card to fuel its vehicles for several years. When the company began looking for ways to streamline operations and save money on paper checks issued to their vendors, it again turned to Comdata for our electronic payables solution. more...

Comdata has a proven track record of success in the construction industry with our innovative payment application solutions, designed to integrate fully with the most common financial systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.  As the provider to the most successful ENR’s Top 400 customers, we offer real-time control and management of purchases made by employees on behalf of your business. more...

At Comdata, we understand that business managers, like you, have a lot on their to-do list. Whether it’s managing expenses, ordering business supplies, paying vendors or booking travel – you’re probably spending more time completing these tasks than you should. more...

Are you ready to combine your payment programs into a single, streamlined platform? With the Comdata Expense Management System (CEMS) for the construction industry, you’re able to quickly and easily organize, route and approve purchases made on your Comdata MasterCard® Multi-Card. more...

With decreasing revenue driven by changes such as lower reimbursements rates, hospitals are looking at every possible way to lower costs. more...