Corporate cards, ghost or lodge cards, procurement cards—even ACH and checks in certain situations—corporations use a diverse collection of payment options to cover travel and entertainment expenses. The preferred payment option can be influenced by several factors that often include the size of the company, the regulatory environments in the markets where the company does business, whether travelers qualify for credit, the type of travel being planned (e.g. transient or meetings) and the company’s tolerance for risks associated with different forms of payment.

Virtual cards represent an alternative to a ghost/lodge/central bill card by providing a single credit account against which to charge travel expenses associated with multiple users. Instead of pinging the single card number for every transaction, however, virtual card technology allows organizations to create a unique card number—and, if desired, unique expiration terms and other limitations—per transaction to enhance security and control how the money on the individual “card” can be used.