Rogue Spend

Rogue spend occurs when employees book travel outside your managed program—often paying higher rates and missing out on negotiated discounts. Industry studies show rogue spend can represent 20-40% of total travel spending.

• Bookings on consumer sites vs. corporate channels
• Non-preferred vendor selection
• Last-minute bookings without justification
• Personal credit card use for business travel

Understanding the reasons behind rogue spend helps address root causes rather than just symptoms.

• Corporate booking tools are difficult to use
• Perceived better prices on consumer sites
• Preferred vendor options don't meet needs
• Policy is unclear or overly restrictive

You can't manage what you don't measure. Implement systems to identify and quantify rogue spend.

• Analyze expense reports for non-program bookings
• Compare credit card data to booking system data
• Survey employees about booking behavior
• Audit vendor invoices against program rates

Reduce rogue spend through a combination of better tools, clearer policies, and appropriate enforcement.

• Improve booking tool user experience
• Communicate policy rationale to employees
• Make compliance easier than non-compliance
• Implement consequences for repeat offenders