# How to streamline corporate expenses with lodge cards Lodge cards are a critical tool for managing corporate travel expenses. Find out the key features that make the best lodge cards for travel expense management. **URL Source:** https://www.brex.com/journal/lodge-cards --- ### Text How to streamline corporate expenses with lodge cards. See how lodge cards help mitigate fraud and ease expense reporting headaches for corporate travel. ### Image ![brex card with line](https://brand.brex.com/transform/1dd2f741-341c-4da8-a91f-757e8b6bb9d3/brex-card-with-line) ### Header What is a lodge card? ### Text One corporate expense management tool on the rise today is the lodge card. Also known as a lodged card, corporate lodge card, or a travel lodge card, a lodge card is a type of credit card designed specifically for travel expenses. Unlike regular corporate cards, lodge cards are spending tools put on file with a travel management company (TMC) for the sole purpose of booking travel-related services like flights, hotels, and rental cars. ### Header How do lodge cards work? ### Text Lodge cards function similarly to regular corporate credit cards, but with additional features tailored for travel. Employees can use company lodge cards linked to a centralized account managed by their finance or travel department to make reservations and pay for associated travel costs. Lodge cards are designed specifically for travel-related purchases, whereas corporate cards can be used for pretty much any type of business expense. Lodge cards allow companies to put tighter controls in place and gain robust reporting specifically for travel-related expenses. ### Header How lodge cards differ from traditional corporate cards. ### Text Unlike most traditional corporate cards, lodge cards have built-in restrictions — specific merchants, airfare class, dollar limits, etc. — based on a company's travel policies. This helps ensure employees use the cards only for pre-approved travel expenses, reducing the risk of misuse or fraud. One key difference between lodge cards and traditional corporate cards is the enriched data lodge cards provide due to TMC and [enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration](https://www.brex.com/journal/finance-erp-integration). Lodge card transactions are automatically captured and categorized in these systems, providing a consolidated view of travel spend across the organization — and with a lot more detail. This detail includes standard TMC data like the traveler’s email and ID, cost center, and project code, but also more granular details like flight numbers and airport codes, hotel check-in and check-out dates, and any rental car agreement numbers and pickup/dropoff times. ### Header The benefits of lodge cards. ### Text Lodge cards offer several advantages for companies looking to enhance their approach to [travel expense management](https://www.brex.com/product/travel-expense-management): **Improved travel budget visibility.** The primary benefit of a lodge card is detailed reporting and visibility. By automatically capturing and categorizing all travel-related transactions, finance teams get a comprehensive, real-time view of company-wide travel expenses. They can use this powerful visibility to better budget, forecast, and otherwise control costs. **Expense management automation.** Lodge cards also help simplify [expense automation](https://www.brex.com/journal/expense-automation) by streamlining often-tedious tasks like data entry, [expense reconciliation](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/expense-management/expense-reconciliation), and policy compliance. TMC integration means lodge cards eliminate traditional [expense reporting](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/expense-management/expense-reporting) processes and reduce the administrative burden on employees and finance teams. **Reduced fraud risk.** Because they have built-in controls, lodge cards reduce the risk of fraud and misuse. Predefined spending limits, merchant category restrictions, and real-time monitoring capabilities enable organizations to enforce travel policies more effectively, preventing unauthorized or excessive spending. ### Header Are lodge cards better than traditional cards? ### Text While traditional corporate cards can be used for travel expenses, lodge cards are your best bet for travel due to several advantages: - Lodge cards are designed specifically for travel and ensure alignment with [corporate travel policies](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/corporate-travel-management/corporate-business-travel-policy). - Lodge card transactions are automatically integrated with travel management systems, streamlining and expediting the most tedious parts of expense management processes. - Lodge cards separate themselves from traditional cards with their customizable controls. Such [spend controls](https://www.brex.com/platform/spend-limits) proactively prevent misuse and non-compliant spending. - By consolidating all travel-related expenses into one central system, those using lodge cards get comprehensive reporting and analysis of a company’s overall travel spend. ### Header Lodge cards simplify business travel. ### Text Business travel is thriving, and companies recognize the importance of efficient [travel management and expense control](https://www.brex.com/resources/solve-travel-and-expense-challenges-holding-your-business-back-register) as part of their overall business strategy. Any chance an organization can optimize its travel-related spending will continue to [increase the ROI on business travel](https://www.brex.com/journal/how-to-get-better-roi-on-business-travel). One such mechanism is the transaction detail captured by lodge cards. Finance teams can leverage this data to gain deep insights into travel patterns, spending trends, and vendor preferences. This in turn can help them set travel policies, negotiate hotel and vendor contracts, and improve vendor partnerships. Ultimately, companies using lodge cards are better positioned to optimize their travel programs and reduce costs. Lodge cards also streamline employees’ overall expense and booking experiences. Lodge cards eliminate out-of-pocket expenses and manual reporting. Employees are more focused and productive when they don’t have to worry about collecting receipts, writing memos, and filing expense reports. With predefined spending limits, merchant and category restrictions, and real-time monitoring, lodge cards enable organizations to proactively enforce travel policies. This ensures that travel expenses align with company guidelines, reducing out-of-policy spending as well as compliance issues. ### Header Does your company need lodge cards? ### Text Lodge cards will help any organization with a TMC in place upgrade its approach to travel expense management. Want to control spend before it happens? Want to block gambling, alcohol, or other types of expenditures? With travel-specific features, enhanced controls, and seamless integration with a TMC, lodge cards offer holistic visibility into travel spend, vastly simplify travel expense processes, and prevent overspending and misuse. The best [corporate travel software](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/corporate-travel-management/best-business-travel-management-software-platforms) offers built-in lodge cards. Simplify your global travel spend with Brex [corporate cards](https://www.brex.com/product/credit-card) for any use case. They directly integrate with your ERP, making travel expenses a breeze, even if you have thousands of employees booking trips. Brex cards are seamlessly integrated with Brex’s [global payment rails](https://www.brex.com/product/global), so you get richer data and local-currency cards, billing, and accounting — unlike with Amex and Citi — which avoids foreign exchange fees and further simplifies reconciliation. ![Definitive guide to corporate cards ebook cover](https://brand.brex.com/transform/a9d810d0-c645-456f-96a8-e1af5717a245/Definitive-guide-to-corporate-cards-ebook-cover) Need help choosing a corporate card? We've got you covered. ### Image ![Closed-loop-dark](https://brand.brex.com/transform/d2f2341f-92ea-4983-a67d-417a52921900/Closed-loop-dark) ### Content See what Brex can do for you. Learn how our spend platform can increase the strategic impact of your finance team and future-proof your company. [Contact sales](https://www.brex.com/sales) | [Open an account](https://www.brex.com/signup) ## Related Articles ### [How Vibe.co turned subscription payments into free billboards](https://www.brex.com/resources/customer/vibe-co) See how Vibe.co turned manually managed subscription payments into a set it and forget it program and earned $128k in free billboard placements ### [Budgeting best practices from a CFO's SaaS spend review](https://www.brex.com/journal/cfo-saas-spend-review) Budgeting SaaS vendor spend per employee isn’t perfect. Consider these approaches for your next planning cycle. ### [How to manage runaway SaaS spend](https://www.brex.com/journal/how-to-manage-runaway-saas-spend) Tech CFO CJ Gustafson details how to save on SaaS spend in marketing, engineering, finance, and more. ### [📋 CB Insights registration](https://www.brex.com/resources/cb-insights-report) Want a “highflying” expense management solution? This CB Insights report names a few. If you want the No. 1 solution, it names one: Brex. ### [The founder's back-office survival guide: 10 things you shouldn't ignore](https://www.brex.com/journal/the-founders-back-office-survival-guide) Discover 10 essential back-office moves for founders. See how Brex and Gusto automate payroll, cash flow & spend controls so you can focus on growth. ### [Amex category blog](https://www.brex.com/journal/modern-corporate-cards-replacing-amex) Discover 5 reasons why today's finance leaders are trading Amex for smart corporate cards like Brex.