Certify SpendSmart Report™ Q1 2019

Certify SpendSmart™ Report

How business travelers are spending the corporate dime while on the road

The Certify SpendSmart™ quarterly report analyzes the most recent business expense transactions and vendor ratings data to provide valuable insights to Certify clients and the corporate T&E industry at large.

First Quarter, 2019

January 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019

MOST EXPENSED VENDORS SUMMARY

Data shows which vendors are most frequently expensed across business travel and expense categories, with average cost per transaction. We also include an historical comparison of leading vendors year-over-year from Q1 2017-2019.


MOST EXPENSED VENDORS Q1 2019
Vendor Expense Percentage* Average Cost
Uber 12.04% $25.19
Starbucks 3.94% $13.88
Amazon 3.78% $129.20
American Airlines 3.50% $354.23
Delta 3.50% $446.73
Lyft 3.50% $23.94
Southwest Airlines 2.79% $279.35
Walmart 2.64% $61.19
United Airlines 2.64% $377.17
Shell 2.32% $33.72
Year-over-year Comparison
Vendor Expense Percentage Average Cost
Q1 2017 Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Q1 2017 vs.
Q1 2019		 Q1 2017 Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Q1 2017 vs.
Q1 2019
Uber 7.34% 10.07% 12.04% +4.07% $24.13 $25.44 $25.19 +$1.06
Starbucks 4.45% 4.02% 3.94% -0.51% $14.86 $12.88 $13.88 -$0.98
Delta 3.85% 3.75% 3.50% -0.35% $420.58 $426.92 $446.73 +$26.15
American Airlines 3.71% 3.69% 3.50% -0.21% $338.15 $323.45 $354.23 +$16.08
Amazon 3.35% 3.97% 3.78% +0.43% $110.27 $116.55 $129.20 +$18.93
Southwest Airlines 2.93% 2.97% 2.79% -0.14% $276.37 $261.45 $279.35 +$2.98
United Airlines 2.67% 2.69% 2.64% -0.03% $382.54 $392.11 $377.17 -$5.37
Walmart 2.64% 2.64% 2.64% - $59.07 $60.55 $61.19 +$2.12
Shell 2.57% 2.49% 2.32% -0.25% $29.43 $34.39 $33.72 +$4.29
McDonald’s 2.40% 2.22% 1.94% -0.46% $9.03 $10.22 $10.20 +$1.17
Lyft 0.78% 2.16% 3.50% +2.72% $24.13 $25.04 $23.94 -$0.19
*Expense percentage represents the number of expenses divided by the total number of expenses across all categories.

Restaurant Summary

The restaurant summary is a snapshot of all meal expenses including breakfast, lunch and dinner. This data indicates which vendor is most frequently expensed, the average expense amount and the average satisfaction rating.

Most Expensed Restaurants
Vendor Name Expense Percentage* Average Amount
Starbucks 5.38% $13.88
McDonald’s 2.65% $10.20
Chick-Fil-A 1.73% $31.14
Panera Bread 1.68% $52.54
Dunkin’ Donuts 1.45% $14.96
Subway 1.30% $19.93
Burger King 0.76% $19.08
Chipotle 0.76% $27.33
HMS Host 0.66% $15.84
Jimmy John’s 0.66% $43.97
*Expense Percentage represents the number of expenses divided by the total number of expenses for the expense type.
Top Rated Restaurants
Vendor Name Average Rating*
Chick-Fil-A 4.6
Jimmy John’s 4.5
Starbucks 4.5
Dunkin’ Donuts 4.4
Panera Bread 4.4
Texas Roadhouse 4.4
Chipotle 4.3
Cracker Barrel 4.3
Olive Garden 4.3
Outback Steakhouse 4.2
*Average Rating represents the average 1 through 5 star rating for all expenses for each vendor, with 5 stars being the highest rating and 1 being the lowest.
Most Expensed Restaurant by Meal
Vendor Meal Percentage* Average Cost
Breakfast
Starbucks		 17.77% $10.06
Lunch
McDonald’s		 2.93% $10.26
Dinner
McDonald’s		 1.77% $9.90
*Meal percentage represents the total number of expenses for the vendor divided by total expenses for the expense type (Meal-Breakfast, Meal-Lunch, Meal-Dinner).

Lodging Summary

The lodging summary is a snapshot of all lodging expenses. This data indicates which vendor is most frequently expensed, the average amount per expense and the average satisfaction rating.

Most Expensed Hotel
Vendor Name Expense Percentage* Average Amount
Marriott 9.08% $300.58
Hampton Inn 8.97% $236.44
Courtyard by Marriott 7.37% $194.45
Hilton Garden Inn 4.86% $222.18
Holiday Inn Express 4.74% $237.92
Hilton 4.61% $288.28
Holiday Inn 3.31% $211.62
DoubleTree 3.10% $240.59
Hyatt 2.65% $293.65
Fairfield Inn 2.25% $239.24
*Expense Percentage represents the number of expenses divided by the total number of expenses within the expense type.
Top Rated Hotels
Vendor Name Average Rating*
Embassy Suites 4.5
Hyatt 4.5
Westin Hotels 4.5
Marriott 4.4
Residence Inn 4.4
*Average Rating represents the average 1 through 5 star rating for all expenses for each vendor, with 5 stars being the highest rating and 1 being the lowest.

Airline Summary

The airline summary is a snapshot of all airfare expenses. This data indicates which vendor is most frequently expensed, the average expense amount and the average satisfaction rating.

Most Expensed Airlines
Vendor Name Expense Percentage* Average Amount
Delta 19.28% $446.73
American Airlines 17.21% $354.23
United Airlines 14.53% $377.17
Southwest Airlines 12.74% $279.35
Alaska Airlines 2.10% $281.16
*Expense Percentage represents the number of expenses divided by the total number of expenses within the expense type.
Top Rated Airlines
Vendor Name Average Rating*
Alaska Airlines 4.6
JetBlue 4.6
Southwest Airlines 4.6
Delta 4.5
American Airlines 4.2
*Average Rating represents the average 1 through 5 star rating for all expenses for each vendor, with 5 stars being the highest rating and 1 being the lowest.

About This Report: The Certify SpendSmart™ Report provides a snapshot of the current spend trends of business travelers in North America with all data compiled from actual expense data from submitted expense reports.

For all media inquires please contact Kevin Wolf of TGPR, kevin@tgprllc.com or (650) 327-1641.

Archived SpendSmart™ Reports

  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - First Quarter Report, 2019 View Report
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  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - Second Quarter Report, 2016 View Report
  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - First Quarter Report, 2016 View Report
  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - Fourth Quarter Report, 2015 View Report
  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - Third Quarter Report, 2015 View Report
  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - Second Quarter Report, 2015 View Report
  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - First Quarter Report, 2015 View Report
  • Certify SpendSmart™ Report - Fourth Quarter Report, 2014 View Report
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