As business travel rebounds in a post-pandemic world, Lyft has stepped up to cater to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with a fresh partnership with BILL, a financial operations platform. This new collaboration enables BILL Divvy cardholders to access Lyft Business Rewards, a move designed to simplify and enhance the travel experience for small business owners and their employees.

The business travel industry saw a significant uptick of about 6% year-over-year, reaching a staggering $1.57 trillion globally. With an increasing number of SMBs navigating the complexities of business travel, the introduction of Lyft Business Rewards aims to level the playing field that has long been dominated by larger enterprises.

“This partnership with BILL is a natural extension of our belief that business riders deserve more — more rewards, more simplicity, and more reasons to choose Lyft,” stated Buck Poropatich from Lyft Business. This approach looks to transform the often cumbersome experience of work travel into something much more rewarding and user-friendly for small business travelers.

The new initiative is built on the premise that earning rewards on business travel should be straightforward and beneficial. Unlike competitors that may require subscription fees or impose limits on rewards, Lyft Business Rewards stand out as complimentary for eligible BILL cardholders. With no monthly subscriptions or minimum spending requirements, the program offers real value that directly contributes to a business’s bottom line.

For small business owners, this equates to tangible benefits. Every eligible ride taken using a Lyft business profile can earn rewards that are essentially cashback, enhancing the overall return on investment for travel expenses. For example, a typical business traveler who takes around 10 Lyft rides per month—averaging $35-$50 each—can accumulate significant Lyft Cash over time, which can be utilized for both business and personal rides.

The partnership also streamlines the expense management process for SMBs. With automatic receipt forwarding directly to BILL’s Spend & Expense platform, business travelers can avoid the tedious task of manually uploading receipts and reconciling expenses. This innovation not only saves time but also reduces the potential for errors in accounting.

However, small business owners should consider the ease of integration into their existing systems. While the transition to activating a Lyft business profile through the Lyft app and connecting it with the BILL business account is designed to be simple, the effectiveness of this partnership will depend on how well the tools work in conjunction with other financial systems in place.

BILL currently caters to nearly half a million businesses across various industries, including construction, healthcare, and professional services. This represents a significant opportunity for SMBs, as they can finally turn what was once merely an expense into a rewarding experience. The seamless integration of Lyft Business Rewards flips the script, turning each ride into a potential source of earnings.

The Lyft partnership signifies a larger trend in business travel, emphasizing the importance of valuing employee experiences and choices. As small businesses often strive to offer competitive perks to their workforce, the availability of redeemable rewards and easier expense reporting systems can enhance employee satisfaction, which is crucial for retaining talent.

Getting started with these offerings is straightforward for existing BILL Divvy cardholders. They simply need to sign up for a Lyft business profile and connect their accounts to begin enjoying benefits almost instantly.

With its partnership with BILL, Lyft is not only looking to redefine business travel for small and medium-sized enterprises but also aims to create a holistic ecosystem of solutions that can help businesses operate more efficiently. This innovation could be a transformative component for many SMBs navigating the intricacies of business travel in an increasingly competitive landscape.

For more information on this new partnership and the features of Lyft Business Rewards, you can read the original press release here.

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This article, “Lyft Partners with BILL to Boost Rewards for Business Travelers” was first published on Small Business Trends