Uber saves time and money on travel expensing with Uber for Business

Uber’s Global T&E (Travel and Expense) team manages systems and processes for more than 28,000 employees globally, and you can count on one hand the number of people it has to do it. Scaling, automation, and efficiency are the name of the game.

In the earlier days of Uber, employees were required to manually expense rides if they were traveling for work. As the company grew, the T&E team knew it needed a better way to support employee ground transportation on the road. It began using Uber for Business in 2018 and has since increased overall usage, use cases, and collaboration with the Uber for Business team.

28,000

employees who file expense reports

79,000

expense reports filed in 2024

$287,000+

annual employee time saved because of centralized, automated expense reporting

A small team with big results

In 2024, Uber’s T&E team supported a business travel program of 15,000 employees who submitted 79,000 total expense reports.

“Uber’s large global footprint comes with complexities. Anything we do—as it relates to systems, products, and processes—has to be able to scale,” says Justin Reyhl, Senior Manager, Global Cards & Expense, part of the T&E team. “We’re always asking ourselves, How can we automate and be efficient? Uber for Business hits that mark.”

“Our Uber for Business centralized account automates expenses. Employees just request their ride, and we efficiently take care of the rest.”

–Justin Reyhl, Senior Manager, Global Cards & Expense, Uber

Uber for Business: visibility, control, and convenience

The administrative ease of Uber for Business is one of the main benefits for Uber’s T&E team. Integrations are critical to the program’s success, says Reyhl: “One of the key features is the Human Resources Information Systems integration, which allows us to manage program enrollments with an ever-changing headcount. It really takes the burden off our team.” This integration automatically updates data like employee status daily, creating seamless access to the business account for travelers and removing access for people no longer with the company.

The platform also provides transparency, allowing the T&E team to monitor employee usage and locations while they’re on the road. “The latter is especially important to help Uber fulfill its duty of care compliance,” says Reyhl. Additionally, data available in the Uber for Business dashboard helps the T&E team send tailored messages to specific teams or top travelers who may not have linked to the Uber corporate account.

Reporting expenses is centralized and automated

Expense reporting contains hidden costs and can be a massive drain on company resources. A 2022 study by the Global Business Travel Association found that the average cost of processing one expense report is $58. It also found that 19% of expense reports contain inaccuracies—which cost an additional $52 each to correct.

Uber’s T&E team understood this pain point firsthand, which is why it has been steadily moving the organization toward a fully centralized and automated expense reporting system that effectively eliminates the need for employees to expense their rides while allowing for real-time policy enforcement. The team estimates that moving to such a program is saving the company more than $287,000 in employee hours annually.

Reyhl adds that expense automation also reduces the stress on Uber employees by eliminating the need for them to keep physical receipts and fill out expense reports manually. In addition, the centralized approach lessens the burden on managers and the T&E team‌, as approval workflows are now automated.

Higher participation means bigger savings

To make sure Uber employees are aware of and using their travel benefits, the T&E team works closely with the Uber for Business implementation team to make sure individuals are connected, or linked, to the proper business profile. Beyond streamlining the employee experience, this ensures that the T&E team gets visibility into usage and spending.

The T&E team has learned about best practices for promoting employee linkage rates, which they readily share with the wider Uber for Business community. Among its strategies to increase the rates: new hires receive an automated email telling them how to create and link a business profile. If an unlinked employee tries to expense a ride with Uber, the T&E team reaches out to suggest they connect.

“We send recurring emails to keep employees informed of the benefits of a linked business profile and regularly use dashboard product features, like the capability to reinvite an employee with one click,” says Reyhl. As a result, Uber has consistently achieved a 75% employee linkage rate.

Uber employees especially appreciate the options for eco-friendly and business-comfort rides available in their business profile. The sustainability metrics of the Uber for Business platform help give Uber insights on employee travel emissions company-wide. Uber also expanded its travel policy to include no- and low-emission ride options, such as Uber Green and Uber Comfort Electric, giving employees the choice for eco-friendly transportation when they’re on the road for work.

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