PORTLAND, ME--(Marketwired - July 21, 2016) - Certify, a leading automated travel and entertainment expense management software provider, today announced the results of its latest SpendSmart™ report for the second quarter of 2016. Analysis of more than 10 million business traveler receipts and expenses showed ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft now account for 49% of the overall ground transportation category nationwide, a nearly 3% increase from the previous quarter. Car rental and taxi receipts for the quarter represent 37% and 14% of the category total, respectively, with taxi down 51% since 2014.
The Certify SpendSmart™ report tracks business travel expense spending across major categories such as meals, airlines, lodging and car rental. The report highlights top vendors and emerging trends through the analysis of data from millions of expenses and receipts processed by the Certify cloud-based expense reporting system. Reports are compiled each quarter as a tool to help controllers, accountants and business travelers make informed choices about company T&E expense spending.
Certify first identified the emerging ride-hailing growth trend among U.S. business travelers in the first quarter of 2014. With the latest data from the Certify SpendSmart Report for Q2 2016 it appears the ride-hailing trend has turned yet another corner, surpassing all expectations in the corporate travel segment. While Uber remains the dominant ride-hailing provider, Lyft is up more than 1% on the quarter and now accounts for over 5% of the ride-hailing total when compared to taxis. This data signals the emergence of a growing competitive market and suggests the ride-hailing industry is maturing. For taxis, there may no longer be any hope of turning back.
"Our data shows the real-time transformation of the ground transportation category and how modern business travelers have wholly embraced ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft," said Robert Neveu, CEO, Certify. "The market continues to grow at an incredible pace, and competition is getting sharper and more sophisticated. I think what we're seeing now is really the emergence of the kind of market forces you find in more mature industries. Forces that will invariably drive downward pressure on pricing, as well as an increased demand for new and better services in the future. Ride-hailing was bent on disruption from the beginning, and by the looks of it there's a lot more change to come."
Additional analysis of the more than 10 million receipts and expenses processed by Certify this quarter includes top travel vendors and leading brands such as Starbucks, McDonald's, Subway, Delta, United, Marriott, Hampton Inn, National and Enterprise. User ratings and average expense amounts are broken out by category below.
The Certify SpendSmart™ Report provides analysis of vendors, expense amounts and satisfaction rating data from corporate expense reports collected directly from its customer base. Certify SpendSmart™ reports on millions of receipts and expense transactions every quarter since 2013, delivering valuable insights to Certify clients and the business travel industry at large. Founded in 2008, Certify offers a unique automated solution for integrated travel booking and travel and entertainment expense report management in one system. Current and previous quarterly SpendSmart data and infographic reports are available here.
Q2 Highlights:
Most-Expensed Restaurants:
Starbucks: 4.81% of expenses, averaging $11.55 per receipt
McDonald's: 2.83%, averaging $8.75
Panera Bread: 1.65%, averaging $39.52
Subway: 1.6%, averaging $16.09
Dunkin' Donuts: 1.31%, averaging $12.38
Most Expensed Restaurants by Meal
Breakfast: Starbucks 16.18%
Lunch: Subway 3.49%
Dinner: McDonald's 1.81%
Top Rated Restaurants (On a scale from 1 to 5, as indicated by travelers)
Chick-Fil-A 4.5
Panera Bread 4.3
Jimmy John's 4.2
Starbucks 4.2
Chipotle 4.1
Most Expensed Airlines
Delta: 21.14%, averaging $427.41
American Airlines: 19.94%, averaging $306.83
Southwest Airlines: 14.46%, averaging $297.22
United Airlines: 13.42%, averaging $413.02
Alaska Airlines: 1.39%, averaging $252.93
Top Rated Airlines
Jet Blue 4.5
Alaska Airlines 4.4
Southwest Airlines 4.3
Delta 4.2
American Airlines 3.7
Most-Expensed Hotels
Hampton Inn: 9.29%, averaging $227.03
Marriott: 8.54%, averaging $244.87
Courtyard by Marriott: 6.87%, averaging $179.04
Holiday Inn Express: 4.73%, averaging $221.27
Hilton Garden Inn: 4.59%, averaging $201.54
Top Rated Hotels
Hilton 4.3
Marriott 4.3
Westin Hotels 4.3
Courtyard by Marriott 4.2
Hilton Garden Inn 4.2
Most Expensed Car-Rental Services
National: 24.61%, averaging $187.11
Enterprise: 16.34%, averaging $218.60
Hertz: 15.38%, averaging $201.25
Avis: 13.14%, averaging $190.99
Budget: 4.20%, averaging $196.12
Top Rated Car-Rental Services
National: 4.3
Enterprise: 4.2
Avis: 4.1
Hertz: 3.9
Budget: 3.8
For complete data and analysis from the Certify SpendSmart™ Report for Q1 2016, go to: http://www.certify.com/CertifySpendSmartReport.aspx.
About Certify
Certify is the leading online travel and expense management solution for companies of all sizes. Organizations worldwide book travel and complete expense reports quickly, easily and cost-effectively using Certify cloud and mobile applications. For more information about Certify, please call 207.773.6100 or visit http://www.certify.com.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Kevin Wolf
TGPR
kevin@tgprllc.com
(650) 327-1641