As business travel rebounds, outdated reimbursement models are undermining productivity, morale and financial wellbeing. Experts call for smarter, embedded payment solutions.
Business travel is back — but the systems that support it are lagging behind. With 58% of UK employees now under return-to-office mandates, corporate travel is once again driving growth, building relationships and accelerating deal-making. Yet the financial infrastructure underpinning this resurgence remains stuck in a pre-digital era.
According to data from virtual payments provider Conferma, UK employees are fronting an estimated £6 billion annually in business travel costs — from flights and hotels to meals and ground transport — and waiting an average of 2.5 weeks to be reimbursed. Nearly 70% report cash flow issues as a result, with some turning to credit cards or borrowing from family to cover work-related expenses.
“This isn’t just a workforce issue — it’s a business performance issue,” says Dave Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Conferma. “When employees hesitate to travel or delay purchases, it slows down progress, weakens client relationships, and adds friction to growth.”
The hidden cost of outdated systems
Legacy expense processes — often reliant on manual uploads, paper receipts and clunky portals — are quietly draining time and energy from teams already under pressure. Nearly three-quarters of employees spend over 30 minutes a month managing expenses, equivalent to a full working day each year. For finance and travel managers, the administrative burden is just as acute.
The problem, Wood argues, isn’t the value of travel — it’s how it’s funded. “Expecting staff to pay out of pocket and wait weeks for reimbursement no longer fits how people manage money,” he says. “In a world of real-time banking and split-bill apps, it feels outdated and, in many cases, unworkable.”
A smarter way forward
Conferma is among a growing number of fintech firms advocating for embedded payment solutions that eliminate the need for personal spend altogether. Through its integrated booking platforms, virtual cards are issued at the point of booking, creating a direct payment relationship between the company and supplier. The result: no personal cards, no reimbursement delays, and full visibility for finance teams.
For business travel to remain a competitive advantage, Wood says, companies must modernise how it’s funded — not just how it’s booked. “It’s time to move beyond reimbursement and towards smarter, more sustainable payment models that support both employees and the bottom line.”