corporate travel policy template

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Company Travel Policy

A company travel policy is designed to outline a business's travel arrangement procedures and guidelines, stipulating which travel expenses are paid for by the company and how to manage the reimbursement process. A company travel policy should include a purpose statement, scope, authorization and reimbursement section, and travel arrangement processes.

Creating a detailed company travel policy will help ensure all business trips run smoothly, are secured ahead of time, and adhere to all company requirements.

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Company Travel Policy - Free Template

Download this company travel policy template in Microsoft Word format.

Company Travel Policy Template:

Introduction..

When employees travel for company-related purposes, it is [ company name's ] responsibility to provide safe and reliable travel arrangements. This company travel policy serves to clarify the conditions and parameters of a company-paid trip.

The purpose of this company travel policy is to (a) outline the authorization and reimbursement process for travel arrangements and expenses; (b) list the company-paid travel expenses; and (c) establish protocols that oversee the travel arrangement process.

This company travel policy is applicable to all employees under contract at [ company name ], including paid interns, contractors, as well as seasonal, part-time, and full-time employees. [ Company name ] sees traveling out of the city, state, and/or country as a fully-paid business trip, as well as one-day trips that are [ number of hours ] hours away from the office.

Authorization and Reimbursements.

All company travel arrangements must be authorized by senior employees at least [ number of weeks/months ] before the expected travel date, depending on the circumstances and the required travel arrangement time period. Employees are not permitted to authorize their own travel arrangements.

Employees are expected to submit a Travel Expense Report at least [ number of days/weeks ] after the first business day back at work. On the Travel Expense Report, employees must include all company-paid expenses and personal expenses. The finance department is responsible for examining the Travel Expense Report and finalizing reimbursement payments.

Travel Arrangement:

All travel arrangements must be reserved at least [ number of weeks ] weeks before the travel date. The finance department is responsible for the booking and payment of all transportation, accommodation, and travel-related expenses.

Travel Expenses.

[ Company name ] employees are entitled to a company-paid travel ticket for any means of transportation the employee(s) require, including a [ type of class ] return plane, boat, train, and/or coach ticket, [ number of meals ] meals, and [ number of luggage ] luggage. While traveling, employees will be able to use a company-paid taxi service from and to the airport, hotel, and business location. If an employee wishes to travel for personal reasons, they will be financially responsible for the travel fare.

Accommodation.

[ Company name ] employees are permitted to stay in a [ number of stars ][ type of accommodation ] while traveling for company purposes. The finance manager is responsible for securing the [ type of accommodation ] room and paying for an employee's stay.

Other Expenses.

[ Company employees ] will be reimbursed for [ number of meals ] lunch(s) and [ number of meals ] dinner(s) for a maximum of [ $/meal amount ] per meal. If an employee is hosting a client of [ company name ], the entire meal will be reimbursed. In addition, if an employee requires a meeting, boardroom, or conference room while traveling, [ company name ] will book the room and make payment.

Personal Travel.

[ Company name ] will not be financially responsible for any personal expenses and travel arrangements. If an employee chooses to travel with a partner, [ company name ] is not responsible for their partner's accommodation, leisure, and/or travel expenses. An employee is required to submit this information on the Travel Expense Report and produce payslips for their expenses only.

International Travel.

If employees are required to travel out of the country for business, [ company name ] is financially responsible for all travel arrangements, including accommodation, transportation, visas, travel insurance, and medical expenses. International business trips must be authorized at least [ number of months ] months before the expected travel date. The finance department is required to submit a Travel Expense Report before and after the trip. Both reports must be signed off by at least two senior officials before and after the trip.

More Policies:

• Bereavement Leave Policy.
• Cell Phone Policy.
• Company Credit Card Policy.
• Company Travel Policy.
• Company Vehicle Policy.
• Conflict of Interest Policy.
• Cyber Security Policy.
• Dress Code Policy.
• Paid Time Off Policy.
• Social Media Policy.
• Telecommuting Policy.
• Overtime Policy.
• Attendance Policy.
• Expense Reimbursement Policy.
• Sexual Harassment Policy.
• Remote Work Policy.

Company Credit Card Policy

What should be included in a travel policy?

• Introduction .
• Purpose statement .
• Authorization and reimbursements .
• Travel arrangement (both business-related and personal) .

What is corporate travel policy?

A corporate travel policy is a formal document that details the procedures and rules of business-related trips. The policy mainly focuses on the arrangements, expenses, and authorization processes.

How do you write a travel expense policy?

Use our free, customizable company travel policy template in Word format.

What is a travel and expense policy?

A travel and expense policy is an alternative name for a company travel policy, which outlines the travel arrangements and expenses required on a company-paid business trip.

Related Articles:

Employee handbook, expense reimbursement form, conflict of interest policy, code of ethics, professional code of conduct.

Company Travel Policy: The Complete Guide + A Free Template

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Traveling on business has become the norm in our busy, work-oriented society, and so is a company travel policy with this trend.

Despite all the technological advancements, getting a chance to talk to clients face to face or pitch a business project in person still beats sometimes messy communications apps. 

Since travel is neither cheap nor easy, it's best to set clear expectations and rules ahead of time. A company travel policy will outline the procedures for employees on company-paid trips to avoid any issues that might arise in the process.

Our comprehensive guide to company travel policies will give you an idea about the kind of information and provisions the Policy should include. 

We'll also provide you with a free template that you can use to quickly deploy a company travel policy of your own.

What Is Travel Policy?

A company travel policy, also known as a corporate travel policy, is an  internal document that outlines how business-related expenses are handled within the company . 

It covers everything from defining what a business-related expense is and isn't to how to remain safe if traveling alone and everything in between. Most importantly, it makes it clear who's in charge of approving expenses and reimbursements and who takes care of the actual booking.

Among other things, a travel policy can include:

• Booking responsibilities and the choice of company-approved travel agencies
• Total budget (lodging, travel, daily meals, etc.)
• Company-paid and out-of-pocket expenses
• The approval process and the person in charge of it
• The approval of reimbursements
• Preferred company vendors and partners
• Travel debriefing process
• Travel insurance carrier
• Exceptions to rules for any reason

As you can see, a travel policy is about much more than just saying whether an employee can fly business or not.  Instead, a corporate travel policy is about foreseeing all the situations that can arise from business trips and staying on top of them .

Why Do Companies Need a Travel Policy?

Streamlining processes saves companies a lot of time and money in the long run. Be it onboarding new employees, paying out bonuses, or organizing business trips,  having a system in place will make the process more efficient and reliable .

More importantly, rules and  policies protect both parties from unexpected events and expenses  that could arise from misunderstandings.

A travel policy will help employees manage both business and personal expenses more reliably while also giving them the freedom to book and organize trips how they please.

When employees have strict guidelines, they'll always know what's coming out of their pocket and what expenses the company will incur. 

On the other hand, companies will reduce unnecessary overheads by making it clear what is reimbursable and what isn't. An employee on a business trip with a business card in their wallet can quickly lose sight of the purchases they're making. Your Policy should clearly say what the limit to such expenditures is and draw a line.

A company travel policy will also contribute to fairness and positive company culture as there will be the same set of rules that applies to everyone.

Approving and reimbursing expenses won't be left to the whims of individuals — instead, everyone will abide by the same guidelines.

Another important point needs to be clarified when we're talking about company travel policy. What exactly falls under the category of business travel? We'll address that issue in the section below.

What Counts as Traveling on Business?

Any international or domestic journey that the employee undertakes for the company constitutes traveling on business .

In some cases, companies might try and define what a business trip is depending on the distance that the employee has to travel, but in essence, it should all fall under traveling on business.

It shouldn't matter whether a company is reimbursing its employee for just a bit of gas or a transoceanic flight — if the employee was traveling at the company's behest, all their expenses should be covered.

Of course, this goes only for the expenses mentioned in a company travel policy, which is yet another reason to have such a document in the first place.

How Do You Write a Business Travel Policy?

Now that we've gotten the "what" and "why" out of the way, it's time to address a frequent question:  how do you write a business travel policy?

Writing any Policy can feel daunting since there is a lot to cover and keep in mind. We'll help you write an effective travel policy, step by step. First and most importantly - let's see what you need to include in this document.

What Should Be Included in a Travel Policy?

When you want to create a company travel policy for employees, it's important to include information they really need. For example,  reimbursement is vital for your team , so it should be properly addressed. 

Your employees need to understand what they can get reimbursed for and how to claim those expenses. The reimbursement procedure must be a part of a comprehensive corporate travel policy.

And, of course,  safety is a crucial component  of travel policy for companies. You want this document to have value for your team and to add a layer of protection, so it needs to include travel insurance and emergency procedures too. This is especially important nowadays, given the fact that both Coronavirus and Monkeypox are circulating the globe. 

The list below will give you an idea of the basics that are usually included in the company travel policy for employees:

• The introductory part  that explains what will the travel policy cover and why it is important for the employees
• The travel booking procedure  and business travel booking tool - are both approved by you. This section should also contain exact timeframes for booking and approvals
• Expense categories  include details on what's reimbursable in each one. Your Policy should clearly state whether items like meal expenses are included. 
• Non-reimbursable purchases . This part of the travel policy is important, as it cites what isn't covered and therefore must be paid by the employee if they want it.
• Expense reports and reimbursement requests  - how to submit them
• Travel support and emergency procedures , including travel insurance and duty of care vendors 

These are the essential elements that are usually listed in a corporate travel policy. Still, you are free to expand it or tailor it in any other way, so it suits your business needs.

Pro tip:  Before you make your corporate travel policy official, reach out to one or more frequent travelers for feedback. They'll be able to fill any gaps and assess whether it's clear and to the point.

Avoid Common Company Travel Policy Mistakes

The most frequent mistake companies make when creating their travel policies is making the document  too challenging to understand . This means that the Policy is either too loosely and unprofessionally written or that it's too strict and bureaucratic.

Both of these extremes make understanding travel policies unlikely.

Give your policy structure and decide on a tone of voice you'd like to use throughout the document. Then, try to be as consistent as you possibly can. The tone can be serious and official, but it doesn't have to be robotic. If your employees need a lawyer to make heads or tails of your Policy, you haven't done a good job.

Another common mistake is  not using technology to your full advantage .  Tracking mileage , employee expenses, and  their location  and then aggregating that data can help you manage travel budgets accordingly. Without tech-based solutions, you'll have to record every receipt and every tiny detail of the employee's trip. It's time-consuming, ineffective, and annoying at best.

Read our article on the best GPS employee tracker apps and find out which solution is right for your business.

Get Your Free Company Travel Policy Template Now

Now that you've learned how to create an effective and comprehensive corporate travel policy, we'll provide you with more guidance on the matter:  a sample company travel policy for employees in a PDF format . You can download and print it or use it as a foundation for your internal document.

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Do you shudder at the thought of building a business travel policy from scratch? Does the mere mention of "policy" have you running for the hills? If so, you’re not alone.  

Building a comprehensive travel policy for your company can be a daunting task – especially if you’re starting from the ground up. But don’t worry, Corporate Traveler has got you covered.  

From setting clear goals to prioritizing traveler safety, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create a travel policy that works for you. So take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee, and let's dive in.  

Psst – Download the travel policy template at the bottom of this page to help you get started!

DOWNLOAD TRAVEL POLICY TEMPLATE

First things first – what are the goals of your travel policy? 

Writing a travel policy is kind of like playing a game of darts. You need to know what you’re aiming for in order to hit the bullseye.  

So, before you start building or revamping your travel policy , take a moment to determine your top two or three goals for doing so. Do you want to reduce business travel costs so your organization can splurge on fancy new desktops for the whole office? Or maybe you’re tired of sorting through piles of receipts and want to improve expense tracking.  

Whatever your end game is, adding those goals to the top of your corporate travel policy template will help ensure that your policy is set up to meet your targets.  

What to include in your travel policy 

Now that you know what you want from your policy, let’s talk about what one should look like. 

A well-planned travel policy answers all questions about company travel, including everything you want employees to know AND be accountable for. Without this framework (and great travel management software to support it), business travel can quickly spiral into a free-for-all mess. 

A starter travel policy could include basic instructions on: 

• Booking information 
• Domestic flights 
• International travel 
• Car rental/transport 
• Accommodation 
• Internal communication 
• Traveler safety and wellbeing 

Capture your instructions for each of these expense categories in a document (like a business travel policy template) that can be shared and developed with a travel management company . It’s also a good idea to share this document internally and potentially with one or two regular travelers in your organization to sense check. 

1. Booking information 

When it comes to creating a travel policy, it's important to outline the entire booking process – and yes, we mean the entire process. Your policy should cover everything from approved technology for booking and steps for change requests, to the importance of tracking and recording all travel bookings. And don’t forget the details!  

Make sure your employees keep their information up to date, and know what information needs to be included with their profiles, such as their job number or department. This help with budgeting and cost control, but it also makes it simple to manage changes or cancellations. 

2. Transportation 

Transportation expenses can include air travel, train or bus tickets, car rentals, and taxi or ride-sharing services. A comprehensive travel and expense policy should be clear about which types of transportation are allowed and what limits are in place.  

For example, team members may be allowed to rent a car for up to a certain cost per-day or only use a ride-sharing service for a business trip under a certain distance. Are your employees flying economy class or business class?  

The policy should clearly state which class of flight bookings are applicable for expense reimbursement. 

3. Accommodation 

Do you have a policy on which hotels your employees are allowed to stay in and what the maximum per-night rate is? And if your employees don't book through an agent, are you driving them to your OBT and defining capping amounts for hotel bookings? Be clear so you're not overpaying for hotel rooms or other accommodations.  

You can also define what extra costs your organization isn't willing to pay for. For example, does your budget include parking fees? What about room service and entertainment expenses? Define these business travel expenses now so you don’t have to dispute them later. 

4. Traveler safety and wellbeing 

As a travel manager, your duty of care is to prioritize the safety and well-being of your travelers. Putting people at the heart of your travel policy means taking strategies to ensure their safety and comfort. This includes using a traveler tracking function (find one in our corporate travel platform , Melon!), providing emergency protocols and resources, and ensuring that liability and insurance considerations are covered.  

But duty-of-care doesn’t just stop at general safety concerns. Building inclusive policies is essential to making all employees feel comfortable and welcome while traveling. When filling out your company travel policy template, make extra considerations for people who are more at risk for discrimination, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and travelers with accessibility needs.  

Remember: your goal should be to create a policy that naturally accommodates your employees' needs rather than one that requires them to need personal accommodations. 

Read more about traveller safety & wellbeing:

• How to build a proactive travel risk management policy
• The 5 pillars of travel risk management software

5. Internal communication 

So, you've written your travel policy? Congrats! Now, how are you going to get your employees to care about it?  

It's important to consider how you'll get the word out about your policy before it's finalized. Think about training sessions or a communication channel to keep everyone is aware of the policy and its contents.  

You'll also make sure you communicate the policy to the business leaders in finance or human resources. Once your policy is in place, set up a timeline for review and revision (we recommend you check back at least annually). And when updates are made, be sure to communicate those changes clearly to your employees.  

Build a foundation and review your policy as your company grows to make sure your program runs efficiently and keeps on budget long term. 

Ready to level up your business travel?

Download this template of travel questions to guide the first draft of your policy. Then connect with one of our travel specialists directly, to help you roll the policy out to your business.

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Benefits of Having a Corporate Travel Policy

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How to Set a Corporate Travel Policy: Key Elements, Best Practices, and Compliance

A corporate travel policy is a set of guidelines and best practices that govern employee travel. Organizations that have corporate travel policies use them to ensure that all employees follow the proper protocols when booking business-related travel and logging expenses.

While travel policies are often standard for large corporations, smaller businesses can also benefit from instituting them.

Key Takeaways

• A corporate travel policy is essential for organizations to manage travel expenses, ensure compliance, and streamline processes.
• Key elements of a corporate travel policy include travel booking procedures, expense reimbursement guidelines, travel safety measures, and approval processes.
• Best practices for implementing a corporate travel policy include effective communication, employee training, and regular policy review and updates.

Having a corporate travel policy can yield a range of benefits, both for business owners and their employees.

From the perspective of business owners, a corporate travel policy can allow you to:

• Monitor employee travel expenses to ensure accuracy and detect possible instances of fraud
• Establish guidelines for which hotels, airlines, and other travel organizations that employees may book through
• Ensure that employees understand which travel expenses may be submitted for reimbursement
• Organize expense data accurately and quickly
• Remain compliant with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax rules and regulations regarding business travel
• Minimize waste and streamline your accounting systems

On the employee side, having a standard corporate travel policy in place can help employees avoid a scenario where they may be waiting weeks or months to be reimbursed for expenses they’ve paid out of pocket because the company can’t verify what they spent.

Employers should take care to understand which business travel expenses are deductible and which ones are not under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) .

There’s no one-size-fits-all corporate travel policy template or blueprint that businesses can follow. That’s an advantage, however, as it allows you to create a travel policy that fits your business’s needs.

Generally speaking, a corporate travel policy should cover rules and guidelines for the following:

• Airline, hotel, and rental car reservations
• Other transportation expenses , such as rail travel or ride-sharing
• Employee spending, as it pertains to meals, entertainment, phone calls, and other necessary expenses
• Parking fees and toll passes
• Acceptance of gifts when meeting with clients, or expensing of gifts presented to clients
• Medical care and travel insurance
• Currency exchange fees and international banking
• Employee submissions of receipts for reimbursement
• Review, approval, and payment of submitted expenses
• Personal safety of employees
• Security of business equipment or documents

When in doubt, it’s better for a corporate travel policy to cover more ground rather than less. Making your organization’s travel policy as comprehensive as possible can help to avoid confusion with regard to which expenses are acceptable and when employees can expect to be reimbursed.

Creating a corporate travel policy is a multistep process. Breaking each step down can make it easier to manage and create a policy that’s tailored to your business’s needs.

Identify Your Objectives

First, consider what you need a corporate travel policy to do for you. Are you primarily interested in minimizing costs or preventing abuse? Do you want to ensure that employees are booking with approved organizations and taking steps to remain safe while they’re traveling? Considering your top three objectives can offer a good starting point for developing your corporate travel policy.

You can use those insights to draft a purpose statement outlining the policy’s intentions. This doesn’t need to be lengthy, but it should convey what the policy is designed to do.

Get Your Team Involved

A corporate travel policy is only as good as its ability to meet the needs of those who are expected to adhere to it. Asking some questions about your team and your business’s travel activities can help you pin down what your policy should cover.

For example, ask yourself the following:

• Do any employees require special accommodations for travel related to a health condition or disability?
• Are there any destinations that the business travels to regularly?
• Are there any preferred hotels, airlines, or rental car companies that the business likes to use?
• Is there a preferred process for booking trips or answering questions?
• Who will be responsible for approving bookings, answering employee questions, approving expenses, and submitting them for payment?
• How will employees pay for expenses they book?
• If employees are using corporate credit cards , what rules are they expected to follow?
• How will they submit those expenses for reimbursement, and what information will they need to provide?

Polling your employees can further inform your decision making. For example, an employee who travels frequently may know which hotels are better than others or which airlines offer the best rates. Your employees may appreciate being given a chance to share their insights and opinions on what the company’s travel policy should look like.

If you’re considering corporate credit cards for employees, look for one that allows you to set individual spending controls for each card.

Draft the Policy, and Review It Carefully

Once you’ve collected all the feedback you think you’ll need, you can get to work on fleshing out your corporate travel policy. Again, you want to be thorough in detailing the policies and procedures that you expect employees to follow.

After you’ve written out the first draft, go through your policy a second time. Is there anything that could be explained more clearly? Any areas that may cause confusion for employees? Anything you’ve left out entirely?

You may need to review your travel policy several times to make sure you’re covering all of the most important bases. Once you have the language down, you can review it one final time to check for spelling and grammar errors.

Share the Policy with Your Staff

The final step after creating a corporate travel policy is conveying it to everyone in the company who’s affected by it. If employees don’t know what’s in the policy, it’ll be very difficult for them to adhere to it.

Remember that you’ll need to repeat this step anytime you make changes to the policy. If you add something new or take something away, it’s your duty to convey that to your employees so they’re aware of the changes.

Once you’ve created a corporate travel policy, you’ll need to implement it. These tips can help with introducing your company’s travel policy and enforcing it.

• Ensure that employees know who they can direct questions to regarding business travel bookings, expense reporting, and reimbursement.
• Set a specific time frame for submitting expenses for reimbursement and processing payments to employees.
• Consider scheduling an employee meeting or workshop to walk through the details of the travel policy and answer any questions that might arise.
• Ensure that all new hires get a copy of the travel policy.
• Regularly review and update your travel policy if necessary.
• Conduct monthly reviews or audits of travel expenditures to check for errors and potentially detect fraud or abuse.

It’s also important to specify what consequences, if any, employees may face if they’re found to be noncompliant with the policy. That may include having travel privileges restricted or, in a worst-case scenario, dismissal if evidence of fraud is found.

Ensuring compliance with your company’s corporate travel policy is important from a cost perspective, as you don’t want to blow your travel budget. There are different tactics you can use to maintain compliance across all stakeholders .

• Update your policy regularly to reflect the company’s latest practices and guidelines.
• Simplify the policy if necessary to avoid confusion.
• Clearly communicate compliance expectations, as well as the consequences of noncompliance, to all employees.
• Ensure that the policy is detailed thoroughly during the onboarding process for new hires.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits of travel expenses to look for any signs of noncompliance.
• Consider using a business travel management tool or software to keep track of bookings and expense reporting.

You may also place safeguards on travel bookings to prevent employees from straying outside the boundaries of the policy. For example, if you use a corporate travel agency, you might direct the agency to automatically reject any attempted bookings that don’t involve a preferred travel partner.

Corporate travel policies are common across a variety of industries, from finance to retail to the government. Examples of organizations that maintain corporate travel policies include:

• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Columbia University
• U.S. Department of the Interior

All of these sample policies have similar characteristics, in that they outline the purpose of the policy, specify the rules that apply to booking accommodations, and offer detailed instructions to employees on how to submit expense reports for reimbursement. It may take some time to work out your travel policy, but reviewing examples like these can give you an idea of what to add.

If writing a detailed corporate travel policy yourself seems daunting, you may consider outsourcing this task to a consultant who’s experienced in compliance.

A corporate travel policy establishes the guidelines for booking travel expenses and submitting them for reimbursement. Travel policies can also extend to things like personal safety and security of business equipment or documents. Having a corporate travel policy is important for minimizing fraud and abuse, while ensuring more accurate record-keeping.

At a minimum, a corporate travel policy should outline approved practices for booking airfare, hotels, rental cars, and other necessary travel expenses. It should also detail the process for submitting expenses for reimbursement, including how expenses are approved and when employees can expect to be paid.

The first step in creating an effective corporate travel policy is understanding what your business needs. Forecasting your budget for business travel and setting proper limits on which expenses are acceptable are the next steps. Organizations must also ensure that all employees are aware of the corporate travel policy and understand how to adhere to it.

A corporate travel policy may be a necessity if your employees take regular business trips to meet with clients or prospective clients, attend professional conferences or seminars, or participate in career training. If you don’t yet have a policy in place, you may want to set that as a priority for your business. Having a clear policy to follow leaves little room for misunderstandings and mismanagement of travel privileges.

Internal Revenue Service. “ Understanding Business Travel Deductions .”

JPMorgan Chase & Co. “ JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Supplier Travel and Expense Policy .”

Best Buy Partner Portal. “ Vendor Travel and Expense Reimbursement Policy .”

Columbia University, University Policies. “ Travel Expense Policy .”

U.S. Department of the Interior. “ Travel .”

Starbucks. “ Non-Partner Travel and Business Expense Standard—U.S. and Canada .”

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7 corporate travel policy templates to help you define.

Sajit Chacko Co-Founder

A corporate travel policy template can be a valuable tool to help companies define their policies and ensure that all employees are compliant with the company’s expectations. With a template, companies can quickly create a customized document that will ensure their travel policy meets all legal requirements as well as any other specific needs of the business.

For a business to implement a trip, it must first select and purchase the most economically viable choices for flights and accommodations. Apart from flight tickets and stay, incidental expenses commonly include trip aspects such as food, gifts to customers, newspapers, laundry services, value-added hotel services, dining charges, events tickets, local commutes, room service, and long-distance calls. 

By 2022, global corporate travel spending was expected to amount to over US $930 billion, emphasizing how expensive it can be to secure these expenses and successfully conduct a feasible business trip. 

Additionally, it is worth noting that planning and implementing these trips through traditional expense management systems makes it more expensive, tedious, and time-consuming than it needs to be. Due to the lack of transparency and restrictions of these systems, it is often a challenge for companies to track these non-budgeted expenses until post-trip reconciliation. 

By this time, it’s too late, and the employee already charges the costs to the enterprise. For a company to maintain a trip’s economic feasibility, it is crucial to establish the appropriate cost-cutting measures well before the trip’s planning phase takes place.

A well-written company travel policy can be instrumental in achieving this by providing businesses and travel stakeholders the means to reduce, streamline and curb associated corporate travel costs.

Studying the approaches leading organizations have taken to address their corporate travel and employee needs is an excellent way for aspiring businesses to devise their corporate travel strategies. 

Make sure to emphasize the perks of following your policy for travelers, like keeping them safe and providing support, so they understand why it’s important.

This article aims to provide businesses with seven market-tested robust templates that they may leverage as inspiration to create a winning corporate travel policy. 

Before you begin, it is essential to understand what a business travel policy is and what it can help your business achieve.

What is a corporate travel policy?

A business’s travel policy is a set of regulations and parameters set by business leaders to effectively manage travel bookings and expenditures when employees travel to visit partners, sites, prospects, clients, colleagues, and conferences. 

This crucial document contains information on the extent of expense coverage and considerations that travelers must follow when making flights, accommodation bookings, and incidental expenses during all travel phases. 

For an employee to secure timely T&E reimbursements, it is an absolute must to abide by the rules and guidelines this policy sets.

Best Corporate Travel Policy Templates

To help you understand these policies better, let us take a look at seven well-established organizations and their take on corporate travel:

Netflix, the world-renowned streaming platform’s travel policy, is a reflection of its organizational work culture and merely states, ‘Act in Netflix’s best interest .’ These five worded simplistic travel policies provide employees an elevated level of freedom, control, and responsibility over planning and implementing their corporate travel than most other companies. 

Instead of restricting employees with a stringent corporate travel policy, Netflix enables its employees to make their own travel decisions how they see fit as long as they conduct themselves in the company’s best interest and continue to drive value to the organization. Employees are free to take vacations without restrictions on the number of days a year. 

The goal here is to give employees the freedom to use their best judgment and make wise decisions by understanding the context of what management considers appropriate and inappropriate without imposing strict guidelines. 

This policy is enforced by a lead-by-example approach where Netflix’s leadership takes vacations that are also productive for the company.  

Although this famous policy may not be suitable for all organizational types, it is still worth studying to gauge if any aspects of it may benefit you.

While Basecamp’s policy follows a similar approach to Netflix’s, it is not nearly as simple. Basecamp instead takes it one step further by providing all employees with an American Express card that they can use without restrictions or approvals. 

The only criterion this highly trust-based approach expects from its employees is to be reasonable regarding the expenses they charge to the company account. It is a tricky system for businesses to implement as it requires high transparency of documented transactions for finance departments to ensure that expenses are justifiable. 

Basecamp additionally offers its employees perks such as monthly capital allowances for recreational and fitness activities such as massages, yoga, and gyms. 

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) follows a traditional travel policy that provides its employees with informative and simplistic documentation of its policy coverage. This travel policy provides guidelines on all travel categories and transparent information on what expenses qualify for reimbursements. 

Being a sustainable corporate travel policy, it encourages employees to prioritize public transport, preferably rail, to reduce the company’s environmental impact. The expense policy also dictates using communication tools such as Telepresence, Skype, and other video conferencing options as an alternative means to conduct business to travel whenever possible. 

When air travel is unavoidable, the expense policy asks employees to make all flight bookings through BBC Travel & Delivery. The policy also requires travelers to obtain formal pre-approvals from the Divisional Finance Director for all bookings. 

If group bookings exceed ten travelers, the tickets must be procured well in advance with the BBC’s preferred suppliers and vendors. The company allows personal travel to be combined with business travel only if it reduces the cost of travel to the company.

Employees must book the lowest-priced economy-class tickets regardless of the airline. Travelers may book premium economy tickets if their flight duration exceeds six hours and are expected to work immediately upon arrival. 

Business-class tickets are reserved only for employees that have to travel over eight hours and are required to work immediately upon arrival. First-class tickets are entirely out of the question for employees and not covered under the company’s travel policy without any exceptions. 

The company vigorously enforces these rules and carefully monitors upgraded tickets. Employees are encouraged to stay in private accommodations, for which they can claim £20 per day, including food. Employees can claim reimbursement of incidental expenses such as personal calls and basic laundry when their official stay duration exceeds seven nights.

The expense policy for meals states that employees may claim up to a contribution of £6 per meal inclusive of taxes within working hours and £16 for any meals for work conducted after 8 pm. Employees must produce receipts for every meal and detail them individually in the Concur claim form. 

The BBC also allows employees to visit theatres and other cultural locations, provided they can assess talent and generate potentially lucrative ideas for the company. 

In such instances, the employee may purchase a single ticket reserved for themselves. They must also provide appropriate reasoning for their visit in the claims form to get reimbursed. 

For local commutes, the BBC’s corporate travel dictates that the usage of cabs is permissible only for business purposes if it is the cheapest available mode of transport. When such a requirement arises, the ride cost should not exceed £100, including all waiting time, booking fees, trip costs, and miscellaneous costs, unless it is the cheapest transportation option available. 

Employees traveling by cab must prove that they are commuting for work by filling out a passenger declaration form. When a cab ride for official work exceeds a distance of forty miles, the company will deduct it from the employee’s salary.

If it is the cheapest option, employees may engage in personal commuting for official business purposes. Their travel policy allows employees to acquire reimbursements for any fuel consumed during the commute, provided the traveler submits the appropriate receipts to the company detailing the business purpose of the journey. 

The BBC also allows employees to submit claims for car parking and toll costs as long as they are reasonable and if they occurred while conducting official business.

Federal Express, a global air freight network, provides reliable, prompt, time-definite delivery to over 200 countries and territories around the globe. As an international company that conducts its operations in numerous geographical locations, it formulated an iron-clad corporate travel and expense policy template that leaves no room for doubt for its employees on its coverage. 

All business travel ticketing, including airline tickets, rail tickets, hotels, and rental cars, must be booked through FedEx’s authorized travel agency or tools. Traveling employees are permitted to use only economy class, although travelers are allowed to use Business-class if the total travel time exceeds six hours. 

Flying First-class is reserved only for the company’s President and Vice Presidents.

FedEx Corporation has a preapproved list of hotels offering discounted corporate rates for their traveling employees across the globe. Employees may book a stay at a non-preferred hotel only when preferred hotels are busy or unavailable.

The corporate policy dictates that all employees must use the least expensive transportation option available such as public transportation, free shuttles, or personal vehicles, with the use of rental cars reserved only when it is cheaper than public transport and economically viable. 

Upon using a rental car, travelers must utilize it optimally with other team members to reduce the overall transportation cost to the company. Upon trip completion, the original receipts and rental agreements must be submitted to the finance team at FedEx for approval. 

Its corporate policy requires employees to carefully retain all receipts and submit expense reports trip-wise or weekly basis. FedEx remains clear that non-adherence to its corporate policy can lead to employee termination, depending on the circumstance. 

Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College’s corporate policy template is a comprehensive document that clearly defines all allowed and disallowed expenses to keep employees clear on their expense limitations. 

It details the penalties one might face when one fails to abide by the policy. It may not be a simple playbook, but it was designed specifically for the educational institution and its employees. 

Dartmouth College recommends that all traveling employees who travel at least once a year obtain a corporate card for their travel expenses. Its policy dictates that employees book airway tickets through the Dartmouth travel portal. 

Employees not possessing a corporate card may acquire advances to cover incidental costs for a maximum daily limit of US$50 as long as they provide a valid justification for it accompanied by proper receipts. These advances must be requested at least ten business days from the travel date and under no circumstances should be used to cover personal expenses or activities. 

Non-compliance or abusing the Dartmouth travel policy will result in the Dartmouth Controller’s Office revoking the traveler’s advance privileges.

The educational institution’s policy requires employees to choose the least expensive flight tickets, factoring in reasonable comfort and convenience requirements. It also encourages employees to leverage Dartmouth College’s contract with Travel Leaders to ensure they book the lowest fares. 

A significant employee benefit of the T&E policy is that travelers can personally retain the frequent flier points they accumulate through the corporate travels they can redeem for personal benefit. These benefits do not include any membership fees the employee may pay to join the frequent flier club. 

Employees are allowed to book business class tickets when the travel time exceeds five consecutive hours in duration or during exceptional circumstances subject to the approval of the Dean, President, Vice President, Board of Trustees, or Provost. 

Value-add-ons such as preferred seat selection and baggage fees are deemed acceptable per the policy, provided they are reasonable.

This company has a simple, transparent, and easily adaptable policy template that businesses can use as a starting point for writing their corporate travel policy. Businesses must download the customizable policy template from Workable’s company website and alter it based on their unique organizational travel requirements. 

The policy requires employees to contact the office manager, HR generalist, or finance manager for travel-related bookings. The robust approach requires employees to utilize their best judgment while on their trips and submit all travel-related invoices post-trip completion.

In their policy, a ‘business trip’ is any trip whereby an employee travels to a city different from where they typically work to conduct official business. The policy recognizes employee travel for client meetings, lectures, presentations, events, conferences, off-site company locations, and research trips as reimbursable. 

In such instances, all car, bus, or train commutes employees take that exceed an hour in travel time are also considered reimbursable business trip expenses. The policy does not consider daily work commutes of employees as a business trip regardless of how far they have to travel to get to the office.

It dictates that traveling employees are eligible to book a premium economy ticket, while Executives can book business class. Employees who utilize alternative means of air transport, such as boats, coaches, and trains, are eligible to reserve premium seats to and from their destination. 

Although, Workable’s travel policy does not cover any value-added services or extra baggage. The policy mandates that employees seek written approvals from their respective managers and book travel tickets and accommodation at least two weeks before the travel date. 

However, the policy facilitates flexibility for unforeseeable circumstances where the need for travel is unexpected. 

Traveling employees are allowed to travel by their personal vehicles or taxis for their business trips. In the case of the former, fuel and toll bills, and for the latter, the cab fares, are reimbursable provided the employee provides the appropriate receipts. A rental car is a third option per the policy for trips permissible when employees travel to multiple destinations to conduct official business. 

In such instances, the employee must book a basic two-four-door, compact, automatic transmission and petrol-powered automobile.

Employees are entitled to stay in three-star hotels or the best available accommodation available in the area, which will be paid for by the company. They are further encouraged to leverage business partnerships with hotels for discounted rates. 

Pending approval from the manager, employees can upgrade rooms or stay at higher prices if they pay the price difference. The policy stipulates that the company will not pay for upgrades or value-added services. 

Employees are also permitted to travel with a friend, partner, or family member if the extra member does not increase the travel cost to the company. In such cases, the policy requires the employee to pay in full for all additional expenses incurred that may arise due to the non-employee. 

Workable’s policy allows employees to claim up to US$20 for meals, including lunch and dinner, during business trips. Client dinners also come under the policy’s coverage for up to US$150. 

The traveling employee must acquire approval from Workable’s Chief Finance Officer (CFO) if the bill exceeds that amount. 

Corporate Traveler

Although it’s not a readily usable travel policy template, it serves as a guide for businesses to deploy their T&E policy . It dictates the steps and important considerations when devising a robust policy for unique business travel demands. It focuses on streamlining the corporate travel process to reduce costs and keep travelers safe. 

Employees are encouraged to use preferred suppliers and always opt for travel insurance. It motivates employees to avoid using business class or premium economy unless the flight time exceeds 10 hours. 

Additionally, the policy encourages businesses to outline clearly and precisely to employees on all reimbursable and non-reimbursable expenses, including meals, per diems, and ground transport, amongst others. 

Create and enforce your travel policy with Tripeur

Tripeur is a state-of-the-art travel management platform that simplifies the burden and responsibility of creating, updating, and enforcing your corporate travel policy. 

Once you write your policy, our system eliminates compliance issues by logging all business travel expenditures in real-time. These logs actively give employees T&E visibility to inform them precisely on what travel expenses they are entitled to and their limitations. 

Tripeur’s platform aims to help businesses overcome compliance issues by providing managers with the functionality of delivering WhatsApp and email approvals accompanied by automated expense reports. Through our system, management can instantly identify and mitigate any non-compliance in real time and enforce preventive measures to prevent future occurrences. 

Our innovative and user-friendly product could be the solution to create a robust travel policy that can effectively handle the re-emergence of international corporate travel. Every tool you need to maintain compliance is readily available within Tripeur’s powerful platform.  

Trying to figure out how to get better compliance with corporate travel policies? When you get Tripeur to book your business trips, it’ll link in with your travel policy. This makes it easier to spot when something isn’t following the rules and enables employees to make smarter decisions quickly.

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Travel Expense Policy

It is the policy of [Company Name] to reimburse staff for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred during approved work-related travel.

Employees seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expenses and exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. Reimbursement is allowed only when reimbursement has not been, and will not be, received from other sources. If a circumstance arises that is not specifically covered in this travel policy, then the most conservative course of action should be taken.

Business travel policies are aligned with company reimbursement rules. All business-related travel paid with [Company Name] funds must comply with company expenditure policies.

Authorization and responsibility

Staff travel must be authorized. Travelers should verify that planned travel is eligible for reimbursement before making travel arrangements. Within 30 days of completion of a trip, the traveler must submit a travel reimbursement form and supporting documentation to obtain reimbursement of expenses.

An individual may not approve his or her own travel or reimbursement. The travel reimbursement form must be signed by the executive director or the director of finance (for travel over $[amount]) or by the business manager (for travel under $[amount]).

Travel and reimbursement for members of the management team must be approved by the executive director or the director of finance and will be reviewed annually by the internal auditor.

Designated approval authorities are required to review expenditures and withhold reimbursement if there is reason to believe that the expenditures are inappropriate or extravagant.

Personal funds

Travelers should review reimbursement guidelines before spending personal funds for business travel to determine if such expenses are reimbursable. See Section II: Travel Expenses/Procedures for details. [Company Name] reserves the right to deny reimbursement of travel-related expenses for failure to comply with policies and procedures.

Travelers who use personal funds to facilitate travel arrangements will not be reimbursed until after the trip occurs and proper documentation is submitted.

Vacation in conjunction with business travel

In cases in which vacation time is added to a business trip, any cost variance in airfare, car rental or lodging must be clearly identified on the travel request form. [Company Name] will not prepay any personal expenses with the intention of being "repaid" at a later time, nor will any personal expenses be reimbursed.

Occasionally it may be necessary for travelers to request exceptions to this travel policy. Requests for exceptions to the policy must be made in writing and approved by the executive director or by the director of finance. Exceptions related to the director's or the director of finance's expenses must be submitted to the opposite person or to the treasurer of the board of trustees for approval. In most instances, the expected turnaround time for review and approval is five business days.

Travel Expenses/Procedures

General information Authorized business travel for staff that includes prepayments must be pre-approved.

Reimbursement of parking, mileage, gasoline in lieu of mileage and ferry or bus passes do not require requests if they are under $[amount]. Requests for reimbursement of expenses over $[amount] are to be submitted on a travel reimbursement form.

Permissible prepaid travel expenses Before the travel, [Company Name] may issue prepayments for airfare, rail transportation, rental vehicles, conference registration fees and cash advances. Applicable policies and methods of payments for these prepayments follow.

Airfare. Travelers are expected to obtain the lowest available airfare that reasonably meets business travel needs. Airfare may be prepaid by the business office.

Travelers are encouraged to book flights at least [amount of time] in advance to avoid premium airfare pricing.

Coach class or economy tickets must be purchased for domestic or international flights with flight time totaling less than five consecutive hours excluding layovers.

A less-than-first-class ticket (i.e., business class) may be purchased at [Company Name]'s discretion for domestic or international flights with flight time exceeding five consecutive hours excluding layovers.

Airfare may be purchased with a credit card or check through the business office with a request for payment form.

Rail transportation. [Company Name] will prepay rail transportation provided that the cost does not exceed the cost of the least expensive airfare.

Rental vehicles. [Company Name] will pay for approved use of a rental vehicle. See the section on reimbursements below in this section.

Conference registration fees. Conference registration fees can be prepaid with a credit card or check through the business office with a request for payment form. Business-related banquets or meals that are considered part of the conference can be paid with the registration fees; however, such meals must be deducted from the traveler's per diem allowance.

Travel advances. Cash advances are authorized for specific situations that might cause undue financial hardship for business travelers. These situations are limited to staff traveling on behalf of [Company Name]. A maximum of 80 percent of the total estimated cost can be advanced.

Expenses associated with the travel must be reconciled and substantiated within two weeks of the return date. The traveler must repay [Company Name] for any advances in excess of the approved reimbursable expenses. The department initiating the travel is responsible for notifying the business office to deposit any excess funds into the appropriate departmental account.

Travel advances are processed by submitting a completed request for payment form and travel request form to the business office. Reimbursement for any remaining expenses is processed on a travel reimbursement form approved by the designated approval authority.

Reimbursements Requests for reimbursements of travel-related expenses are submitted on a travel reimbursement form. This form must be accompanied by supporting documentation. If the requested reimbursement exceeds 20 percent of the total pre-trip estimate, the travel reimbursement form must be signed by the executive director or the director of finance.

These forms must be submitted to the business office within two weeks after the trip is completed. Travel reimbursement forms not submitted within this time frame require exception approval from the executive director or from the director of finance.

Reimbursement of travel expenses is based on documentation of reasonable and actual expenses supported by the original, itemized receipts where required. Reimbursements that may be paid by [Company Name] are shown below.

Airfare. If the airfare was not prepaid by the business office, an original itemized airline receipt, an e-ticket receipt/statement or an Internet receipt/statement is required. The receipt must show the method of payment and indicate that payment was made.

Rail transportation. If rail transportation was not prepaid by the business office, an original itemized receipt, original e-ticket receipt/statement or Internet receipt/statement is required. The receipt must show the method of payment and indicate that payment was made.

Automobile (personally owned—domestic travel). A valid driver's license issued within the United States and personal automobile insurance are required for expenses to be reimbursed. Drivers should be aware of the extent of coverage (if any) provided by his or her automobile insurance company for travel that is business or not personal in nature.

Reimbursement for use of a personal automobile is based on the [Company Name] mileage rate.

A staff travel reimbursement form is required for reimbursement of all vehicle-related expenses, including gasoline, wear and tear, and personal auto insurance. As of [date], the rate is [$] per mile. Travelers may opt to request reimbursement for actual gasoline expenses in lieu of the [Company Name] mileage rate. In these instances original, itemized receipts are required.

Automobile (rental—domestic travel). Reimbursement for a commercial rental vehicle as a primary mode of transportation is authorized only if the rental vehicle is more economical than any other type of public transportation, or if the destination is not otherwise accessible. Vehicle rental at a destination city is reimbursable. Original receipts are required.

[Company Name] authorizes reimbursement for the most economic vehicle available. In certain circumstances larger vehicles may be rented, with supervisory approval. The rental agreement must clearly show the date and the points of departure/arrival, as well as the total cost. Drivers must adhere to the rental requirements, and restrictions must be followed. Original receipts are required.

When vehicle rentals are necessary, [Company Name] encourages travelers to purchase collision damage waiver (CDW) and loss damage waiver (LDW) coverage. [Company Name] will reimburse the cost of CDW and LDW coverage; all other insurance reimbursements will be denied.

Drivers should be aware of the extent of coverage (if any) provided by his or her automobile insurance company for travel that is business or not personal in nature.

Parking fees, tolls and other incidental costs associated with the vehicle use are not covered by the rental agreement.

Travelers are strongly encouraged to fill the gas tank before returning the vehicle to the rental agency to avoid service fees and more expensive fuel rates.

Conference registration fees. If the conference fee was not prepaid, [Company Name] will reimburse these fees, including business-related banquets or meals that are part of the conference registration. Original receipts to support the payment are required. If the conference does not provide a receipt, then a cancelled check, credit card slip/statement or documentation that the amount was paid is required for reimbursement.

A prorated amount for the meals provided must be deducted from the traveler's per diem. See Meals (per diem) for more detail. Entertainment activities such as golf outings and sightseeing tours will not be reimbursed.

Registration fees paid directly by an individual will not be reimbursed until the conference is completed.

Lodging (commercial). The cost of overnight lodging (room rate and tax only) will be reimbursed to the traveler if the authorized travel is 45 miles or more from the traveler's home or primary worksite.

Exceptions to this restriction may be approved in writing by the executive director or by the director of finance.

[Company Name] will reimburse lodging expenses at reasonable, single occupancy or standard business room rates. When the hotel or motel is the conference or convention site, reimbursement will be limited to the conference rate.

Only single room rates are authorized for payment or reimbursement unless the second party is representing the agency in an authorized capacity. If the lodging receipt shows more than a single occupancy, the single room rate must be noted. If reimbursement for more than the single room rate is requested, the name of the second person must be included.

Meals (per diem). Per diem allowances are reimbursable for in-state overnight travel that is 45 miles or more from the traveler's home or primary worksite.

Per diem allowances are applicable for all out-of-state travel that is 45 miles or more from the traveler's home or primary worksite.

[Company Name] per diem rates are based on the U.S. General Services Administration Guidelines, which vary by city location. In addition to meals these rates include incidental expenses such as laundry, dry cleaning and service tips (e.g., housekeeping or porter tips). Incidental expenses, unless specifically cited in this policy, will not be reimbursed.

Per diem reimbursements are based on departure and return times over the entire 24-hour day and are prorated accordingly.

If a free meal is served on the plane, included in a conference registration fee, built in to the standard, single hotel room rate or replaced by a legitimate business meal, the per diem allowance for that meal may not be claimed.

Receipts are not required for per diem allowances. Per diem allowances are reimbursed after the trip is completed.

Business meals. Travelers are required to follow [Company Name] expenditure policies when requesting reimbursement for business meals. Original itemized receipts are required.

Business expenses. Business expenses, including faxes, photocopies, Internet charges, data ports and business telephone calls incurred while on travel status, can be reimbursed. Original itemized receipts are required.

Parking. Original receipts are required for parking fees (including airport parking) totaling $[amount] or more. The lodging bill can be used as a receipt when charges are included as part of the overnight stay.

Telephone calls. The costs of personal telephone calls are the responsibility of the individual.

Tolls. Original receipts are required for tolls totaling $[amount] or more.

Miscellaneous transportation. Original receipts are required for taxi, bus, subway, metro, ferry and other modes of transportation if costs are $[amount] or more for each occurrence.

Visa, passport fees and immunizations. If these items are required for international travel, their reimbursement is left to the discretion of your supervisor. If approved by the designated authority, original itemized receipts are required.

Nonreimbursable Travel Expenses The following items that may be associated with business travel will not be reimbursed by [Company Name]:

• Airline club memberships.
• Airline upgrades.
• Business class for domestic flights or first class for all flights.
• Child care, babysitting, house-sitting, or pet-sitting/kennel charges.
• Commuting between home and the primary work location.
• Costs incurred by traveler's failure to cancel travel or hotel reservations in a timely fashion.
• Evening or formal wear expenses.
• Haircuts and personal grooming.
• Laundry and dry cleaning.
• Passports, vaccinations and visas when not required as a specific and necessary condition of the travel assignment.
• Personal entertainment expenses, including in-flight movies, headsets, health club facilities, hotel pay-per-view movies, in-theater movies, social activities and related incidental costs.
• Travel accident insurance premiums or purchase of additional travel insurance.
• Other expenses not directly related to the business travel.

Travel for Non-Employees Additional costs for travel, lodging, meal or other travel expenses for spouses or other family members will not be reimbursed unless the individual has a bona fide company purpose for engaging in the travel or attending the event. Such travel is generally limited to senior management and should occur infrequently.

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A Guide to Creating a Corporate Travel Policy 2023 [Template]

Table of Contents

Corporate travel policy

Work-related travel can be a real adventure, but without a clear set of guidelines, it can quickly turn into a wild goose chase. Businesses should have a solid corporate travel policy to keep employees travel and budgets on track and avoid any last-minute surprises. Many organizations use travel and expense management software to maintain a record of their travel policies and ensure collaboration between HR, Finance, and leadership teams.

Corporate travel management is a vital part of business operations. However, it can be a significant source of confusion and expense without a corporate travel plan and procedure. A company travel policy is crucial for any business operation.

It helps keep travel expenses in check, ensures compliance with legal requirements , and promotes sustainable travel. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, it’s time to take control of your business travel and craft a policy that works for you. Be it car rental, ground transportation, air travel (business class or economy class), or any other travel arrangements. Ensure your corporate travel policy provides information on all types of expenses.

What is a travel policy?

A travel policy is a set of guidelines that lists processes involved in the booking, approval, and reimbursement of business travel expenses . It outlines rules and procedures to address employees’ travel-related confusion and creates hassle-free business purpose trips. 

A travel policy also addresses legal and compliance requirements and includes communication and emergency procedures to support employees and employers at times of crisis.

Additionally, it encourages sustainable travel. The overarching objective of a company travel policy for employees is to ensure the workforce travels safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively while also being compliant with legal and ethical guidelines.

Also, Read: A Guide to Create a T&E Policy

Benefits of creating a travel policy

Business travel spending can quickly spiral out of control. Creating a travel policy helps you save money, increase efficiency, and keep your employees safe all at the same time. The benefits of a travel policy go beyond just controlling expenses. Here’s a breakdown of how a travel policy can benefit different stakeholders within a company:

• Employees: A travel policy can make the travel process more efficient for employees by providing clear guidelines for booking and expenses, which can save them time and hassle.
• Finance team: A travel policy can help the finance team track expenses , identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions to optimize the company’s travel procedures.
• Admin: A travel policy can make approving and managing travel expenses more streamlined, saving time and resources.
• Company: A travel policy can help a company in cost savings by setting clear limits on expenses such as per diem, lodging, and transportation.

Does my company need a travel policy?

Long answer short, Yes! A travel policy helps you control expenses, increase efficiency, ensure compliance with legal requirements, promote employee safety and security, and encourage sustainable travel options. 

It can also be a valuable tool for attracting and retaining employees by promoting sustainable travel options and prioritizing travel safety.

Also, Read: A Business Guide to Corporate Travel Management

Elements of a travel policy

Travel and expense policy serves as a tool for employees and managers to plan and book trips, manage expenses, and ensure compliance with company policies and regulations. The following are some critical elements of a travel policy:

• Purpose: The purpose of the travel policy should be clearly stated to provide employees and managers with a clear understanding of the policy’s goals and objectives.
• Eligibility: The policy should specify who is eligible to travel on company business, including requirements for approval process and the coverage of different types travel costs like airfare, entertainment expense, personal expense, etc. The policy should also differentiate between personal travel and business travel.
• Travel Booking and Expense Management: The policy should provide guidelines on how employees should book travel and manage expenses. This may include information on preferred airlines (for international or domestic travel), public transportation availability, tolls, meal expenses, hotel room expenses, coverage of alcoholic beverages, travel insurance scheme, booking tools, expense reporting procedures , and details on other related expenses.
• Safety and security: The policy should address safety and security concerns by providing information on the company’s emergency response plan and guidelines for employees traveling to high-risk destinations.
• Compliance: The policy should ensure compliance with company policies and regulations, such as anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, as well as compliance with local laws and regulations in the destinations where employees will be traveling.
• Reporting and approval: The policy should provide clear procedures for obtaining and reporting on travel, including who is responsible for approving and tracking travel plans and expenses.
• Review and update: You should review and update regularly to ensure that it remains current and relevant.

Future Read: How to Create an Expense Reimbursement Policy?

Business travel policy template

Below is a business travel policy template to take inspiration and craft one that suits your company’s needs. 

I. Introduction

A. purpose :.

The purpose of this travel policy is to provide guidelines and procedures for employees traveling on company business. It’s designed to ensure compliance with company policies and regulations, promote safety and security, and manage travel expenses effectively.

II. Eligibility

A. approval :.

The employee’s manager and the Director of Finance must approve all business travel before booking.

B. Eligible Travelers :

All full-time employees and independent contractors are eligible for business travel.

III. Travel Booking and Expense Management

A. preferred suppliers:.

Employees must book travel through the company’s preferred travel suppliers, as designated by the Director of Finance.

B. Booking Tools:

Employees must use the company’s designated booking tool for all travel reservations.

C. Expense Reporting:

Employees are responsible for submitting expense reports to travel and expense management software within seven days of returning from their trip, following the company’s expense reporting procedures.

IV. Safety and Security

A. emergency response plan:.

Employees must familiarize themselves with the company’s emergency response plan and contact the designated emergency contact in an emergency.

B. High-Risk Destinations:

Employees traveling to high-risk destinations must complete additional safety and security training and submit a travel risk assessment form before their trip.

V. Compliance

A. anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws:.

Employees are required to comply with all applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, including the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

B. Local laws and Regulations:

Employees must comply with all local laws and regulations in the destinations where they will be traveling.

VI. Reporting and Approval

A. approval:, b. tracking:.

The Director of Finance tracks all business travel and ensures compliance with this policy.

VII. Review and Update

The Director of Finance will review and update this policy annually.

B. Changes:

Any changes to this policy will be communicated to all employees via email.

*This is just a sample template, so it may only fit some companies’ specific needs. 

Also, Read: A Guide to Business Travel Management

How and where to use a travel policy?

A travel policy is essential for companies of all sizes to manage and govern their employees’ business travel. The following are tips on how and where to use a travel policy.

1. End-to-end travel management

First and foremost, a travel policy should be used as a guide for employees and managers to plan and book business travel. The policy should provide clear guidelines on how to book travel, including the preferred travel suppliers and booking tools , and how to manage business expenses , including expense reporting procedures. This helps employees and managers to plan and book travel efficiently and effectively.

2. Expense management

Another critical area where a travel policy would be useful is in managing travel expenses. The policy will provide guidelines for managing expenses, such as lodging, meals, and transportation expense reimbursement rates. Additionally, the policy will outline the process for submitting and approving expense reports within set deadlines to ensure the company can efficiently manage its expense.

3. Travel-related resource

A travel policy can provide information and resources to employees regarding travel-related matters such as visa, passport, and vaccination requirements. This will help employees to plan their trips effectively and avoid any last-minute complications.

4. Communication and coordination tool

Furthermore, a travel policy can be used to communicate and coordinate among different departments within the company. For example, the HR department can use the travel policy to coordinate with the finance department to ensure that employees are reimbursed for their expenses in a timely manner.

The marketing department can use the travel policy to coordinate with other departments to plan and execute events and conferences.

Best practices to remember while creating a travel policy

Before we get to the best practices, here’s what you should consider considering the latest developments in the travel and expense industry.

Integration of Technology in Travel Management

Incorporating a section on leveraging technology for travel management could significantly benefit the policy. Many organizations are now adopting user-friendly, all-in-one travel platforms that simplify the booking and expense management process.

Addressing Remote Work and Hybrid Work Models

Given the rise of remote and hybrid work models, adding guidelines on how these work arrangements intersect with corporate travel could be valuable. This may include stipulations on travel from non-traditional office locations or integrating remote work periods into business trips, which are increasingly relevant considerations for businesses.

Environmental sustainability

Expanding on encouraging sustainable travel options, a dedicated section on environmental sustainability could enrich the policy. This could detail preferred sustainable travel modes, partnerships with green accommodation providers, or incentives for employees who choose environmentally friendly travel options, reflecting a commitment to reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Health and Safety, Including Pandemic Response

An updated health and safety section, particularly addressing pandemic response and readiness for other health emergencies, could be crucial. This should cover procedures for travel during health crises, resources for travelers in different countries, and guidelines for travel postponement or cancellation due to health advisories . 

In short, here are some best practices you should consider while drafting your travel policy draft.

• Clearly state the purpose of the travel policy to provide employees and managers with a clear understanding of the policy’s goals and objectives.
• Specify who is eligible to travel on company business, including requirements for approval and the covered travel types.
• Provide clear procedures for obtaining and reporting on travel, including who is responsible for approving and tracking travel plans and expenses.
• Ensure the policy is easy to understand and that employees are provided with the necessary information and resources to follow the procedure.
• Consult a legal advisor to ensure the policy complies with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Communicate the policy effectively to all employees and ensure they understand it and its implications.
• Encourage employee feedback and suggestions to ensure the policy meets their needs and addresses any issues that may arise.
• Make sure the policy is flexible to adapt to the company’s and employees’ changing needs.
• Keep in mind the company’s budget and financial constraints while creating the policy and adjust accordingly.

Also, Read: How To Streamline Travel Request Approval Workflow?

Common challenges with travel policies

Travel policies can be an effective tool for managing and governing business travel, but they can also present certain challenges. Some common challenges with travel policies include:

• Complexity: Travel policies can be complex and difficult for employees to understand and follow. This can lead to confusion and non-compliance, making it difficult for the company to manage and govern business travel effectively.
• Lack of standardization: Without clear guidelines and procedures, employees may have different interpretations of the policy, leading to inconsistent practices and a lack of standardization.
• Inefficiency: Policies that aren’t well-designed neither they’re aligned with the company’s needs can lead to inefficiency and wasted resources.
• Compliance: Companies need to ensure that their travel policy complies with all relevant laws and regulations, and failure to do so can lead to legal issues.
• Lack of enforcement: Even with a well-designed travel policy, it can be difficult to enforce if employees do not understand the policy or do not see the value of following it.
• Inflexibility: A policy that is not flexible enough to adapt to the changing needs of the company and employees can become irrelevant over time.
• Resistance: Some employees may resist implementing a travel policy, particularly if they feel it restricts their freedom or is too restrictive.
• Unforeseen events: Sometimes, policies can be challenged by unexpected events such as travel bans, pandemics, etc. Companies must have a plan to handle such situations and have a process in place to adapt to these changes.

Overall, the key to overcoming these challenges is to design a well-crafted and flexible policy that considers the company’s specific needs and goals and effectively communicates the policy to employees.

How Happay helps enforce corporate travel policy

Below are a few notable areas where Happay can effectively help enforce your organization’s corporate travel policy.

1. Simplify pre-trip request and approval with Happay

Employees can easily plan their business trips online with travel request forms and submit it to designated managers for authorization. Moreover, your travel desk and finance teams also have shared access for updating travel bookings and processing advances. This means you can eliminate unauthorized or last-minute travel and simplify travel management in your organization. 

2. 100% policy compliant with Happay

Automate your travel policy enforcement with Happay’s policy engine. Transfer your company’s policies from paper onto the Happay system. At the time of report submission, the Happay system will auto-check all expenses with policies and trigger violation alerts, and nudges employees to make corrections. Thanks to Happay’s efficient travel policy engine, you don’t have to manually verify expenses, and employees don’t have to remember policies.

A corporate travel policy is a set of guidelines and procedures companies use to manage and govern their employees’ business travel. It serves as a tool for employees and managers to plan and book trips, manage expenses, and ensure compliance with company policies and regulations.

The key elements of a corporate travel policy typically include the purpose of the policy, eligibility for travel, guidelines for booking and managing expenses, safety and security, compliance with laws and regulations, reporting and approval procedures, and regular review and updates.

The responsibility for creating and implementing a corporate travel policy typically falls to the company’s management team, with input from relevant departments such as finance, human resources, and legal.

In the US, companies must comply with federal laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) , which prohibits bribery of foreign officials, and the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) , which outlines government travel requirements. Companies may also need to comply with state laws and regulations related to business travel.

A5: It’s recommended that a corporate travel policy be reviewed and updated regularly, at least annually, to ensure that it remains current and relevant.

A corporate travel policy can be communicated effectively to employees through various methods, such as in-person training sessions, email communications, and online resources. Additionally, it is essential to ensure that employees understand the policy and its implications and to encourage feedback and suggestions to ensure the policy meets their needs.

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Streamline Processes with a Travel Policy Template

Do you shudder at the thought of building a business travel policy from scratch? Does the mere mention of "policy" have you running for the hills? If so, you’re not alone.  

Building a comprehensive travel policy for your company can be a daunting task – especially if you’re starting from the ground up. But don’t worry, Corporate Traveller has got you covered.  

From setting clear goals to prioritising traveller safety, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create a travel policy that works for you. So take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee, and let's dive in.  

Psst – Download the travel policy template at the bottom of this page to help you get started!

DOWNLOAD TRAVEL POLICY TEMPLATE

First things first – what are the goals of your travel policy? 

Writing a corporate travel policy  is kind of like playing a game of darts. You need to know what you’re aiming for in order to hit the bullseye.  

So, before you start building or revamping your travel policy, take a moment to determine your top two or three goals for doing so. Do you want to reduce business travel costs so your organisation can splurge on fancy new desktops for the whole office? Or maybe you’re tired of sorting through piles of receipts and want to improve expense tracking.  

Whatever your end game is, adding those goals to the top of your corporate travel policy template will help ensure that your policy is set up to meet your targets.  

What to include in your travel policy 

Now that you know what you want from your policy, let’s talk about what one should look like. 

A well-planned travel policy answers all questions about company travel, including everything you want employees to know AND be accountable for. Without this framework (and great travel management software to support it), business travel can quickly spiral into a free-for-all mess. 

A starter travel policy could include basic instructions on: 

• Booking information 
• Domestic flights 
• International travel 
• Car hire/transport 
• Accommodation 
• Internal communication 
• Traveller safety and wellbeing 

Capture your instructions for each of these expense categories in a document (like a business travel policy template) that can be shared and developed with a travel management company . It’s also a good idea to share this document internally and potentially with one or two regular travellers in your organisation to sense check. 

1. Booking information 

When it comes to creating a travel policy , it's important to outline the entire booking process – and yes, we mean the entire process. Your policy should cover everything from approved tech for booking and steps for change requests, to the importance of tracking and recording all travel bookings. And don’t forget the details!  

Make sure your employees keep their information up to date, and know what information needs to be included with their profiles, such as their job number or department. This help with budgeting and cost control, but it also makes it simple to manage changes or cancellations. 

2. Transportation 

Transportation expenses can include air travel, train or bus tickets, car hires, and taxi or ride-sharing services. A comprehensive travel and expense policy should be clear about which types of transportation are allowed and what limits are in place.  

For example, team members may be allowed to rent a car for up to a certain cost per-day or only use a ride-sharing service for a business trip under a certain distance. Are your employees flying economy class or business class?  

The policy should clearly state which class of flight bookings are applicable for expense reimbursement. 

3. Accommodation 

Do you have a policy on which hotels your employees are allowed to stay in and what the maximum per-night rate is? And if your employees don't book through an agent, are you driving them to your corporate travel booking software and defining capping amounts for hotel bookings? Be clear so you're not overpaying for hotel rooms or other accommodations.  

You can also define what extra costs your organisation isn't willing to pay for. For example, does your budget include parking fees? What about room service and entertainment expenses? Define these business travel expenses now so you don’t have to dispute them later. 

4. Traveller safety and wellbeing 

As a travel manager, your duty of care is to prioritise the safety and well-being of your travellers. Putting people at the heart of your travel policy means taking strategies to ensure their safety and comfort. This includes using a traveller tracking function (find one in Melon!), providing emergency protocols and resources, and ensuring that liability and insurance considerations are covered.  

But duty-of-care doesn’t just stop at general safety concerns. Building inclusive policies is essential to making all employees feel comfortable and welcome while traveling. When filling out your company travel policy template, make extra considerations for people who are more at risk for discrimination, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and travellers with accessibility needs.  

Remember: your goal should be to create a policy that naturally accommodates your employees' needs rather than one that requires them to need personal accommodations. 

Read more about traveller safety & wellbeing:

• How to build a proactive travel risk management policy
• The 5 pillars of travel risk management software

5. Internal communication 

So, you've written your travel policy? Congrats! Now, how are you going to get your employees to care about it?  

It's important to consider how you'll get the word out about your policy before it's finalised. Think about training sessions or a communication channel to keep everyone is aware of the policy and its contents.  

You'll also make sure you communicate the policy to the business leaders in finance or human resources. Once your policy is in place, set up a timeline for review and revision (we recommend you check back at least annually). And when updates are made, be sure to communicate those changes clearly to your employees.  

Build a foundation and review your policy as your company grows to make sure your programme runs efficiently and keeps on budget long term. 

• Top 5 Corporate Travel Policy Best Practices
• Building A Better Travel & Expense Policy: Step by Step
• How to Improve Corporate Travel Policy Compliance

Ready to level up your business travel?

Download this template of travel questions to guide the first draft of your policy. Then connect with one of our travel specialists directly, to help you roll the policy out to your business.

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How to write an effective corporate travel policy

Everything you need to do business travel right.

Writing an effective corporate travel policy

There’s a lot to consider when arranging business travel, so it makes sense to have a robust corporate travel policy in place. Setting out all the relevant procedures will help keep your employees safe while working to reduce your business’s travel spend. Some of the key steps to creating your ideal company travel policy include:

• Defining your objectives. These could include keeping costs down, ensuring employees are safe and comfortable and helping them make decisions on their travel.
• Ensuring your travel policy reflects travelers’ needs. Consider the most common destinations for your business travelers and the best way to get to them, are there specific needs or considerations related to your company’s activities?
• Giving your employees options. Everyone likes to have a choice, so try to give your employees a selection of hotels or airlines. You can keep costs down by capping the hotel star rating or class of airline ticket.
• Setting clear guidelines for all aspects of travel and more. Your travel policy needs to be all-encompassing so it leaves no room for doubt – that includes everything from airline booking rules to the policy on areas such as additional expenses and the acceptance of gifts.
• Making sure everyone knows what the travel policy is. All relevant documents need to be readily available to everyone within your company whether via the intranet or a travel platform. The policy needs to be clearly communicated to all, including line managers so they can enforce it.

Corporate travel policy best practices

When writing a corporate travel policy document, one size doesn’t fit all. You should start by thinking about the nature of your organization – is it pretty strict or relaxed? Make sure your travel policy follows the same tone.

Highlight how important it is that your employees read the document, not least for their own safety, and clarify what they need to do in an emergency situation, as well as who they’d need to contact.

Other information you should include is how business travelers should get to and from airports, and to what extent they’re permitted to combine their business travel with their own leisure.

Empower your employees by giving them a choice of hotels while capping the star rating or cost per room. Impress upon them the fact that complying with your travel policy will ensure the smooth and easy reimbursement of additional expenses. Finally, keep reviewing your corporate travel policy. Flexibility is key, and your travel policy and procedures should be open to the changing requirements of your employees and your business.

Remind your senior leaders that this is for them as well as business travelers –if everyone follows the policy it will help your company offer more effective support to its strategic partners, as well as allow better management of its expenses budget.

What to include in your corporate travel policy

There are many aspects of business travel to consider before writing your corporate travel policy. While your policy should reflect the unique needs of your business and employees, you’ll need to establish policies for these fundamental areas:

• Airline, rail, hotel and rental car reservations.
• The use of other transportation, such as taxi cabs.
• Rules for on-site spending, including meals, entertainment and phone calls.
• Security relating to travel – both in terms of personal safety and work materials.
• The rules around gifts and favors that may be bought or received during business travel.
• The approval process that employees and managers need to follow.
• The system for the payment of any expenses incurred during travel.

Laying out your travel expense policy

Establishing a clear and fair expenses policy is vital to the health of your business – poor management of travel expenses costs your business money. Here’s how we’d recommend your policy approaches a range of key expenses:

Additional travel State that travel costs will cover the purposes of business travel only – whether to events, meetings or training – and that non-business or leisure travel comes out of the employee’s pocket. You should also encourage business travelers to use the most cost-effective mode of transport, taking expected journey time into account. Accommodation Empower your business travelers by giving them control over their own spending – capping their budgets by hotel star rating or amount per room. You could provide average room rates in each location, and ask them to stay within that range. Specify that standard rooms should be the required room type, and clearly outline whether your business will cover minibar charges, Wi-Fi costs, etc. Meals Depending on your company culture, you can be as explicit as you like with your meal policy. Many companies find it easier to offer a daily allowance that covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, but your policy should include a statement about alcoholic beverages – usually to clarify that they will be at the employee’s cost, unless they’re with a client. Tips Many corporate travel policies cover tips to 20 percent, but only when it’s already been included in the bill as a service charge. If a business traveler decides to add a tip for anything else it should be out of their own pocket, or at a manager’s discretion. Entertainment Entertainment can cover eating, drinking or any other hospitality. The most effective way to manage entertainment expenses is by setting a limit or range, and advising that managerial approval will be required for any reimbursement above and beyond this amount.

How to forecast your budget

Using data on traveler behavior and previous expenses is key to setting intelligent forecasts for your annual expenses budget. Different employees will travel in different ways, to different locations, and at different frequencies. However, having data on the average flight cost per mile, as well as the nightly hotel, average meal and ground transportation costs, will mean you can accurately predict and anticipate your expenses budget for the year ahead.

Setting expense limits

For the most part, business travelers want to do what’s right for their company – and many companies find that giving employees control over their own spend can actually reduce overspending. Find a happy middle ground by giving employees control while setting key limits.

For example, meal expenses can be set as an overall allowance per day, giving the employee the choice of how much to spend individually on breakfast, lunch and dinner.

When it comes to booking accommodation, give employees the choice of a standard room in any hotel of a certain star rating or a maximum price per night.

For ground transportation, a corporate travel policy should clearly advise employees to choose the most cost-effective method considering the journey time. Most business travelers will accept being restricted to flying economy on short-haul trips.

Handling expense claims

It’s important that business travelers have a clearly defined method of claiming back their expenses. Ask them to fill out an expense report for the date, amount, category, location and business purpose of their claim – and decide whether you’d like them to file receipts for all their expenses, or just ones that exceed a certain amount.

Give your employees a time frame for submitting expenses – this will help your business maintain a stable and accurate cash flow. Similarly, let them know when they can expect money to be credited back into their accounts. Depending on the amount spent, it might be a good idea to clarify who will approve their expenses in each case.

Setting up your guidelines and procedures

There is no one, uniform corporate travel policy. If your policy doesn’t fit with the nature of your organization, it’s unlikely to ever meet the expectations of your stakeholders. Fundamentally, your travel policy and procedures must be adapted to your business’s culture, and be flexible around the needs of your employees, industry and economy. They also need to be widely circulated and understood.

Your guidelines and procedures will help your business travelers make decisions within the framework of your corporate travel policy. They should include procedures for all bookings – after all, it’s important that employees are clear on what is expected of them at every point of their business trip.

It might also be necessary to include a section about the consequences of not following the set guidelines and procedures.

Considering safety and security procedures

The safety, security and well-being of employees must be at the heart of every corporate travel policy. While they’re engaged in business travel, your employees are your responsibility, so it’s crucial your policy has procedures in place that can ably respond to personal risk, severe weather or political unrest in a foreign country.

Highlight how important it is that your employees read your corporate travel policy document for their own safety, and clarify what they need to do in an emergency situation and who to contact. If your employees are regularly flying out to high-risk countries, organize additional travel safety and security training. We work closely with International SOS to offer enhanced medical and security assistance, and keep your employees safe on the road.

Take a look at how else we’ll support your employees at every stage of their journey.

Delivering the travel policy to employees

Once you’ve written your corporate travel policy, you need to make sure your employees read and understand it. Whether you choose to deliver the policy in a printed document, via intranet or in an email, there are some general ways to make sure it’s communicated as effectively as possible.

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Free Corporate Travel Policy Template

Looking to implement a travel policy? Don’t know where to start? Download our free travel policy template in Word format for easy editing or keep reading to learn more about what to include.

If you’re looking for a Sustainable Travel Policy , you can download one here .

Fill out the form below to receive the Corporate Travel Policy Template:

What is a travel policy.

A travel policy is your company’s rules and procedures that outline how your employees should book, approve and includes expense travel for business purposes. Corporate travel policies are usually created by the Finance team and detail criteria such as if an employee can fly business class, normally determined by the length of the flight, how many weeks in advance they should book their trips, or if there are any precautions employees must take when travelling alone.

A comprehensive travel policy should have information about the following:

• Booking process
• Allowable cost of booking hotels and flights
• Any exceptions or rules
• Preferred company vendors
• Approval process for trips that exceed typical limitations
• Reimbursement process
• Permitted and not permitted expenses i.e. Alcohol with the evening meal
• Travel insurance provider
• What to do in an emergency

Your travel policy template should include guidelines that apply to all employees, explaining the benefits to them as well as stating your general policies such as…

Employees are expected to apply good judgement regarding the need to travel, the method and the timing of each trip with minimum impact on the business and the total cost. 

Wherever possible, the need to travel must be based on a clear benefit to the company. The use of video or audio-conferencing facilities should always be considered.

You need to ensure your staff knows the procedure for booking travel including:

• How to contact your travel management company (TMC)
• The approval process, especially if the trip falls outside your travel policy
•  What expenses will be paid

Key Travel Policy Guidelines

This is where you set out your key corporate travel policy and answer questions such as:

• Airline preference?
• Short Haul – Economy
• Long Haul (Flight time: 5- 9 hours)  – Premium Economy
• Long Haul (Flight time: over 9 hours)  – Business Class
• Should rail travel be booked by the employee or the TMC?
• What is the per-night room price limit?

General Travel Policy Guidelines

General Travel Policy Guidelines apply to all aspects of travel and could include:

• Rewards Programmes
• Internet access
• Phone usage
• Public Transport (Bus/Tube etc.)
• Car mileage
• Travel Insurance
• Out of hours travel changes
• Personal travel – as part of business trip
• Entertainment
• Exchange Rates
• Use of company credit cards

This states how your employees should contact your TMC. This could include a dedicated email address and phone number and make sure your staff know the out of hours phone number in case of emergencies:

• [email protected]
• From UK +44 (0) 844 736 3663
• From outside UK and Mobile +44 (0)116 264 5270
• 24hr Emergency Service: +44 (0)1730 820 990

A basic diagram to outline the process flow for completing a booking. Forward planning and adherence to the travel policy will speed the time taken to complete the booking.

This is most commonly done via an online booking tool but it’s always good to have this information when booking your travel through your TMC.

• Name as shown on Passport
• Travel Dates
• Locations To/From
• Preferred hotels

Don’t forget to leave enough time for approval, flights are normally only held for 24 hours and you will need to rebook if not approved in time!

Personal Travel Profile

After you’ve appointed your TMC, they will require travel profiles for your staff to ensure they can book flights, hotels, etc with ease. The travel profile usually includes:

• Last Name (as on passport)
• First Name (as on passport)
• Middle Name
• Title (Mr / Mrs / Miss etc.)
• Position / Job Title
• Home Address
• Emergency Contact (Name)
• Emergency Contact (Phone No)
• Email address
• Air Travel preferences
• Airline memberships / numbers
• Car Rental memberships/numbers
• Hotel chain memberships/ numbers
• Dietary requirements
• Seating preference
• Passport number
• Place of issue
• Date of Birth
• Expiry date
• Date of issue

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Policy template bundle, 5 steps to write a corporate travel policy, 10+ corporate travel policy templates, 1. basic corporate travel policy, 2. corporate travel policy layout, 3. standard travel policy template, 4. corporate travel policy sample, 5. editable corporate travel policy, 6. simple travel policy example, 7. corporate travel & expense policy layout, 8. printable corporate travel policy, 9. corporate travel policy sample, 10. business travel policy sample, 11. modern corporate travel policy, policy templates.

Every Company has a travel policy to manage the travel expenses of its employees while ensuring that they have enough options for travel, and they travel safely. These policies should be effectively conveyed to all the employees of the company so that they are aware of the travel policy and which people they can contact in times of emergency.

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Step 1: Set Travel Booking Standards

Step 2: frame accommodation guidelines, step 3: define reimbursement policies, step 4: be specific about safety procedures, step 5: mention reimbursement and post trip policies.

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The complete guide to corporate travel policies

Best practices when writing a corporate travel policy.

Start writing your own corporate travel policy with our comprehensive template

1. book all travel in one place, whenever possible.

• Track all company travel spend moment-to-moment to make better budgetary decisions
• Tag travel spend by team, department, or project to create more valuable reports
• Consolidate travel spend into one monthly invoice
• Remove the need for reimbursing travelers (the company can pay directly using the approved business travel tool)
• Easily track travelers whereabouts, and who’s coming and going at different offices
• Know if you have travelers in affected areas during a natural disaster or other emergencies
• Build travel policies right where travelers book

2. Use your travel policy to point people to the right resources

• Your approved business travel booking platform
• How to get travel support
• Travel insurance carrier
• What to do in the event of an emergency
• Duty of care provider (if any) for domestic and international travel
• What purchases are and aren’t employees able to expense
• The reimbursement procedure

3. Automate your travel policies

4. use a booking tool travelers love, 5. enable self-booking or trip saving.

• Travelers - They can book what they want faster all by themselves, within policy.
• Administrators - They don’t have to handle everyone’s travel booking requests, and can instead point employees to use the business travel platform and offer help as needed.

Find out how you can ensure 100% travel policy compliance!

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