The controversial car ride app Uber is appearing on an increasing number of employee expense reports so far this year, according to a new analysis.
Certify, a travel and expense management software provider, released its Q1 2015 report on business expense report trends, and found that an average of 46 percent of all total paid car rides were through Uber in the first quarter of this year, compared with 15 percent in Q1 of 2014. In contrast, rides with taxicabs (a category that includes limousines and shuttles) dropped to an average 53 percent of paid car receipts in the first quarter, compared with 85 percent in Q1 of 2014.
Certify’s Q1 analysis found that ridesharing services are quickly transforming the market for taxicabs and limousines. Uber has outpaced other ride-sharing apps such as Lyft while also provoking clashes with taxi regulators and traditional cabdrivers in many cities.
While the shift toward Uber is driven by the preferences of individual business travelers, company accounting departments should be pleased with Certify’s data indicating that using Uber is generally cheaper: the average ride for Q1 was $31.24 on Uber, compared with $35.40 for taxis.
“The business community is looking for value and convenience, and at the same time this is a group that is interested in innovation,” said Certify CEO Robert Neveu. “Ridesharing services are making inroads into corporate budgets because they combine all of those things.”
The Certify report also offers an analysis of Uber’s growing market share in several major U.S. urban markets including New York City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“The sharing economy is bringing disruption to all of these markets, but it’s fascinating to see how that disruption unfolds from city to city,” said Neveu. “For example, business people in Dallas and San Francisco are now expensing Uber more often than taxis, while taxis still dominate market share in New York.”
The quarterly Certify SpendSmart Report also analyzed other types of items on expense reports, including hotels and restaurants, in Q1 of this year:
Most-Expensed Restaurants:
Starbucks: 5.32% of expenses, averaging $12.22 per receipt
McDonald’s: 2.56%, averaging $7.91
Panera Bread: 1.81%, averaging $41.35
Subway: 1.55%, averaging $18.81
Dunkin’ Donuts: 1.47%, averaging $12.37
Most Expensed Restaurants by Meal
Breakfast: Starbucks: 13.74%
Lunch: Subway: 3.12%
Dinner: McDonald’s: 1.40%
Top-Rated Restaurants (on a scale from 1 to 5, as indicated by travelers)
Chick-Fil-A: 4.4
Chipotle: 4.3
Starbucks: 4.2
Panera Bread: 4.2
Dunkin’ Donuts: 4.1
Most Expensed Airlines
Delta: 20.67%, averaging $399.64
Southwest: 13.42%, averaging $289.13
United: 13.32%, averaging $412.50
American: 11.32%, averaging $361.34
US Airways: 8.79%, averaging $300.59
Top-Rated Airlines
JetBlue: 4.5
Alaska Airlines: 4.4
Southwest: 4.4
Delta: 4.0
United: 3.8
Most-Expensed Hotels
Marriott: 9.4% of expenses, averaging $239.02
Hampton Inn: 7.97%, averaging $211.98
Courtyard by Marriott: 6.59%, averaging $170.74
Hilton Garden Inn: 4.27%, averaging $184.98
Holiday Inn Express: 4.14%, averaging $222.86
Top-Rated Hotels
Westin Hotels: 4.5
Homewood Suites: 4.3
Hilton: 4.2
Hyatt: 4.2
Courtyard by Marriott: 4.1
Most-Expensed Car-Rental Services
National: 22.7%, averaging $186.29
Enterprise: 20.46%, averaging $131.46
Hertz: 13.8%, averaging $223.01
Avis: 13.09%, averaging $189.80
Budget: 3.28%, averaging $195.59
Top-Rated Car-Rental Services
Enterprise: 4.3
National: 4.1
Hertz: 4.0
Avis: 3.8
Budget: 3.6
For the complete eport,
