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fat80b
Original Poster
241 posts
90 months
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I am looking for some advice / opinion regarding a policy change at work regarding our expenses system and booking travel.
I work for a reasonably large UK based company and tend to travel on business a fair number of days per year (~30).
We have just changed travel company provider and as part of the new scheme, employees are being forced to provide their personal credit card details to the travel provider so that hotel bookings can be guaranteed on their personal credit cards prior to travel.
Previously, the bookings were guaranteed with a generic corporate credit card and then settled personally when checking out, expenses are then claimed back accordingly.
There is a general level of discontent regarding this change as it means giving up some level of control of your own credit card spending.
In my department, I can often be the last to know that travel has been booked for me and as such, I don't feel particularly comfortable in consenting to anyone else to use my credit card without asking me first.
Hypothetically, what if I am approaching my limit or want to buy something maxing out the card and they book something the same day etc. I could have a wholly separate card for expenses, but I don't see why I should really?
At the moment, I am refusing to provide my CC details and suggesting they come up with an alternative approach which doesn't involve me subsidising them....
What do people think? - Is this an unreasonable request and I should just give them my CC details to be used as and when or not?
Bob
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odyssey2200
17,432 posts
78 months
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TBH every job I have had that required travel and or expenditure has come with a corporate Am Ex card and or fuel card.
Why does your company expect you to pay up front for their business?
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supertouring
959 posts
102 months
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When I travelled at lot I just got (several) additional credit cards to use for travel/business etc and kept my own original card for personal use only.
The most I put through them in one year was 35k.
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Munter
23,672 posts
110 months
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It's unreasonable to hand over the details of your credit card, to your company so they can use them. I wonder if it invalidates you contract with your bank as well. Same as if you give someone else your pin number.
Only you should be providing your card details to the supplier at the point of booking. Ask the company to issue you with a company credit card (e.g. not a generic one, one just for you), which can then be used for booking hotels etc.
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DWS
332 posts
87 months
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Company I work for has the same policy. Yes it is unreasonable IMHO but it seems to be occuring more and more. We used to have corporate cards but these were withdrawn as there was too much abuse. Could you ask for a "Float"?
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sinizter
3,346 posts
55 months
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If you are going to settle up with a personal credit card anyway, don't see a big problem with it ... That's just my opinion, although I can see how it can be taken the other way too.
If you are concerned, best approach would be to get another card to put all these expenses and bookings on, preferably one with cashback/rewards.
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Munter
23,672 posts
110 months
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 Could you just tell them you don't have a personal one?...Then let them work it out.
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BrabusMog
4,917 posts
55 months
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I have to pay my own expenses (including accommodation/flights) from my personal credit card and then claim it back. I guess I knew about it before I started and we were given a £1k "float" which I chose to bung in premium bonds and I just take the hit until my expenses are paid back.
In your position I wouldn't be happy that the corporate travel company could just charge the card without your consent, though. Especially if the make a cock up which could have you spending up to the limit on your card.
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Marf
22,907 posts
110 months
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Munter said: Could you just tell them you don't have a personal one?...Then let them work it out. That'd be my angle, mainly because I don't have one! In fact it was an issue as I was asked to travel the last week of May, ergo I said fine, I'll travel, but you'll need to give me an advance to offset expenses as I'm not about to get a personal credit card to cover business expenses!
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djstevec
2,034 posts
43 months
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Unless your card is at zero balance, wouldn't you also be paying interest on the hotel bill until you clear off every purchased item before it?? Don't they work on a first on, first off basis?
If you do look at having a card solely for these instances with cashbacks/rewards/airmiles etc, check that HMRC wouldn't classify those as a taxable benefit if you ever claim them! Have been warned about this by our accountants for those using personal cards for extensive business use.
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CoolC
1,859 posts
83 months
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It's threads like this which make me glad we use company CC's
Fortunately I think everyone feels the same, so nobody takes the mick with them (as far as I know anyway)
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fat80b
Original Poster
241 posts
90 months
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Munter said: It's unreasonable to hand over the details of your credit card, to your company so they can use them. I wonder if it invalidates you contract with your bank as well. Same as if you give someone else your pin number.
Only you should be providing your card details to the supplier at the point of booking. Exactly my thought process and the main reason that I am concerned over this. The float idea : I had that at a previous company. Good but I don't think this solves the above problem... In terms of suggesting I don't have a credit card - not sure I would get away with this as I have used one for expenses here for years. I did suggest that there must be a system in place for those who don't though and that they might want to consider using this system for everyone else... Cheers in general for confirming that I am not being wholly unreasonable.... Bob
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BrabusMog
4,917 posts
55 months
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Scratch what I've just written, I've quite literally just received an email from our Finance dept advising me that I'll be getting a company credit card next month and will no longer have to provide statements/receipts, just receipts for certain expenses. Easy street from now on 
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AndyNetwork
1,357 posts
63 months
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When I used to travel a lot, (circa 40k miles a year) I requested a corporate AMEX card.
While I was waiting for this, I used to use my own card, for hire cars, hotels, fuel, and subsistance expenses.
The department secretary would book the hotel, and I would pay on leaving, but never requested my cc details beforehand, as we had a deal with a number of hotels, both little B&B places close to main customer sites, and also chains such as travel lodge.
Hire cars I always booked, as they did want cc details to reserve the car.
I was using my personal credit card so much, at one point I'd got a limit of over 10k, and enough Air Miles, which I cashed in for a trip to Boston, MA, to see a friend of mine over there, which cost me the grand total of £58.
The corporate credit card arrived 2 weeks after I left the business, and I'd been waiting for it for 3 years.
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swerni
19,835 posts
79 months
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Whether it's unreasonable is down to expectation
I don't have to pay for flights but I do pay for everything else and claim back.
This has always been the case, so In my mind, it's reasonable.
If I had a company credit card and they took it away, I doubt then I would find it so.
Oddly enough, I used to work for a very large US corp.
They introduced company Amex cards. We still had to pay the bill and claim back but the company got all the perks. Many of us refused them and continued to use our own.
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Munter
23,672 posts
110 months
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swerni said: Whether it's unreasonable is down to expectation
I don't have to pay for flights but I do pay for everything else and claim back.
This has always been the case, so In my mind, it's reasonable.
If I had a company credit card and they took it away, I doubt then I would find it so.
Oddly enough, I used to work for a very large US corp.
They introduced company Amex cards. We still had to pay the bill and claim back but the company got all the perks. Many of us refused them and continued to use our own. It's not unreasonable to expect him to pay on a personal card and reclaim. It's unreasonable to hold and use his personal card details as they are then outside of his control. Imagine the bank phones up and says "Did you just spend £700 in a Paris burger restaurant" (I've had that call). You're likely to say no. The next question will be "Does anybody else have access to your credit card details". If you say yes, it may mean the bank wash their hands of the whole thing and tell you to suck it up. If you say no, and then it turns out the lass in finance has been slipping card details to her cousin in paris. You're also in the poo. The OP needs to check that his bank is happy for his card details to be held by the company for this purpose. Or he needs to tell the company no and to get their act in order. As someone else said companies can usually arrange to book hotels through a travel supplier without supplying card details. This sort of company http://www.portmantravel.com/ .
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Kermit power
14,859 posts
82 months
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Using your personal credit card for business travel is great! Where I work, we've recently had more and more pressure on us to start using corporate Amex cards, much to everyone's disgust. Why, you might ask? Just take a look at some of the deals you can get on credit cards! Looking on Money Supermarket, Amex and Capital One are both offering 5% cashback for the first 3 months, and there are various other cards on there offering other rates. If you don't want straight cash, then there are all sorts of other rewards you can collect too. If you're claiming £10k a year in expenses, then a 2% cashback average gives you a nice, tax-free £200 bonus for which you don't have to do a thing.  As for worries over having given your credit card details to a third party, just insist on providing them direct to the travel company rather than to another employee of your own company. After all, unless you've never used your credit card, you've already given the details to lots of other companies! The only thing to remember is to make sure you claim your expenses and pay off your card on time.
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ralphrj
879 posts
60 months
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Kermit power said: If you're claiming £10k a year in expenses, then a 2% cashback average gives you a nice, tax-free £200 bonus for which you don't have to do a thing. I don't think HMRC view cash back as tax free.
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Terminator X
2,100 posts
73 months
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Out of order to request personal card details imho, agree with the op's stance.
TX.
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Pickled Piper
5,158 posts
104 months
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Agree with OP.
Many years since I have been an employee, however, my credit card is my business. I shouldn't be obliged to have one in order to carry out the job and I should certainly not be obliged to hand over any details.
pp
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