Lodge card

A lodge card is a centralized credit card lodged with a travel management company to pay for all company travel bookings under a single account.A lodge card is one of three different types of payment mechanisms used to pay for corporate travel via a travel management company . The other two are individual corporate cards, issued to employees for direct travel purchases, and virtual cards, which generate unique card numbers for each transaction.It's a credit card specifically designed for work travel expenditure. Typically one credit card number is "lodged" with your travel management provider, and it's to this number that all expenditure is charged. Lodge cards are widely accepted by airlines and travel suppliers and require no individual cardholder enrollment. According to industry data, centralized payment methods like lodge cards account for approximately 40% of managed travel spend globally.

How a lodge card works

Card issuance – Your company obtains a lodge card from a corporate card provider and assigns it to your travel management company.
Card lodging – The single card number is securely stored with your travel management provider.
Booking and payment – When employees book travel, all charges automatically bill to the lodged card.
Statement consolidation – Your company receives one consolidated statement covering all travel transactions.
Expense reconciliation – Finance teams reconcile the statement against booking records and allocate costs to departments or projects.

Who uses lodge cards?

Lodge cards work well for mid-sized to large companies with high travel volumes that want centralized control over travel spend. They're popular in industries like consulting, construction, and professional services where multiple team members travel frequently and finance teams need streamlined reconciliation.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Centralizes all travel spend under one account
Simplifies payment for your travel management company
Reduces the need for individual expense claims
Widely accepted by airlines and travel suppliers

Disadvantages

Limited per-transaction data makes detailed reporting harder
Difficult to allocate costs to individual travelers without additional tracking
Less visibility into spending patterns by employee or department
Can complicate reconciliation when travel volumes are high