Ebelsbach, Troisdorf 05.09.2019 – Incorrect hotel invoices, manual and complex billing processes, incomplete reports and missing standards? Gone! With itelya’s smart.billing.meet, the meetago group integrates a legally compliant end-2-end payment process for conferences and group bookings into its online meeting tool.
The awaited new regulation of §25 of the German Value Added Tax Act and its accompanying harmonization on a European level will have massive implications for companies. Especially with conventional payment processes via an agency (so-called Central Billing), MICE bookings will become 7% to 19% more expensive, as invoices no longer entitle to input tax deduction with this form of payment. In addition, this form of payment is also subject to legal risks for the travel agency/agent, as the agent becomes the legal tour operator and is therefore exposed to other liability risks.
” Given this important situation, we needed a solution that takes account of the changed legal regulations, greatly simplifies the payment and invoicing of meeting and group bookings for our users and is globally scalable,” says Udo Lülsdorf, CEO of meetago group.
The key to this process is the central billing and approval of hotel stays: For meetago users who use the payment option, a virtual credit card number will be automatically generated for the deposited company account and transmitted to the booked hotel each time an event is booked – regardless of which credit card product the customer uses. The transaction amount and the validity period of the virtual credit card, which also serves as a payment guarantee, are determined individually. Instead of a flat-rate invoice, the finance department receives an electronically verified and detailed list of the costs incurred during the conference at the end of the event – from the conference room, technology and Wi-Fi to company-specific information such as cost centre, personnel code or project number. Even the different VAT rates are shown individually.
More data depth – around 60% less effort
“We consolidate all booking, payment and invoice data,” explains Christopher Hecht, Chief Sales Officer (CSO) Payment and Customer Solution at itelya: “We digitize the invoice and check it according to the VAT laws of the respective country or individually specified criteria. If we find errors, we contact the biller and ensure that the invoice is corrected. The customer only receives the invoice when it is faultless. This saves the customer enormous time and effort that would be involved in checking and making a complaint. In internal analyses we were able to measure a time saving of around 60% for each payment transaction.”
Furthermore, the automated comparison between order and billing takes place. For companies using the meetago Online Meeting Tool, this breakdown/consolidation of virtually incomprehensible meeting expenses allows significantly improved control and active management. It provides the procurement department with highly coveted key figures and statistics for quota control or price negotiations with the hotel industry. In addition, the data enrichment of virtual credit cards at Level 3 level (for automated export to ERP systems) fulfils a basic requirement for a digitalized end-to-end process.
Oliver May, Executive VP Sales at meetago group, adds: “Our shared goal is to make the consolidation of all meeting costs bookable and billable via meetago. We are pleased to be in a position to offer our joint customers a cutting-edge solution with smart.billing meet. A solution that is also an important element in providing a seamless user experience and simplifying the work for our customers.”
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator