SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENSURING ACCURATE REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES

• US 20120209640A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biz Travel Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Biz Travel Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Hamper, Lynn C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

An Expense Verification System (EVS) checks for fraud/errors in reimbursement requests. The EVS stores rules for reimbursement in accordance with company policies. The EVS receives travel reservation records for auditing, parses the records to identify a reference number, and then obtains from a trusted source travel record data for a corresponding reference number. Trusted data is compared to company policy-specific rules to determine compliance. In one embodiment, an extracted fare basis identifier is compared to lists of permitted and/or prohibited fare basis codes in the rules to determine compliance. In another embodiment, data is extracted from acknowledgment receipt records from a trusted data source and extracted booking and travel dates are compared to the rules to determine compliance. The EVS issues an alert in the event of non-compliance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses by a computerized expense verification system comprising at least a processor and a memory operatively connected to the processor, the method comprising the computerized expense verification system operating the processor under control of processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to:

store in the memory a plurality of rules for reimbursement of travel expenses consistent with a company'"'"'s travel policy;

receive, via a communications network, travel reservation record data comprising a reference code;

process the travel reservation record data to identify the reference code;

query, via a communications network, a company-independent system to retrieve passenger name record data corresponding to the parsed reference code;

process the passenger name record data received via the communications network to identify a vendor identification code;

process the passenger name record to identify a fare basis identifier;

determine whether the fare basis identifier reflects compliance with company policy as determined at least one of the plurality of stored rules that is applicable for the vendor identification code; and

issue an exception alert identifying non-compliance with the company'"'"'s travel policy if the fare basis identifier does not reflect compliance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the fare basis identifier reflects compliance with company policy comprises:

determining whether at least a portion of the parsed fare basis identifier matches a fare basis code indicated as prohibited by at least one of the plurality of stored rules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the fare basis identifier reflects compliance with company policy comprises:

determining whether at least a portion of the parsed fare basis identifier matches a fare basis code indicated as permitted by at least one of the plurality of stored rules.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing in the memory a plurality of rules for reimbursement of travel expenses consistent with a company'"'"'s travel policy comprises storing at least one of a prohibited fare basis code and a permitted fare basis code in association with a vendor identification code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing in the memory a plurality of rules for reimbursement of travel expenses consistent with a company'"'"'s travel policy comprises receiving data indicating a list of fare basis codes in use by a vendor.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the prohibited fare basis code and the permitted fare basis code reflects an applicable discount.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the prohibited fare basis code and the permitted fare basis code reflects an applicable class of service.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the prohibited fare basis code and the permitted fare basis code reflects an applicable advance booking indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the travel reservation record comprises receiving the travel reservation record comprising at least one of an airline ticket number, an airline confirmation number, and a record locator number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the travel reservation record to identify the reference code comprises parsing the travel reservation record to identify at least one of an airline ticket number, an airline confirmation number, and a record locator number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a company-independent system comprises querying a global distribution system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a company-independent system comprises querying an airline reservation system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein issuing an exception alert comprises displaying at least a portion of the travel reservation record on a display monitor of a computerized system in a predetermined color differentiating the non-compliant travel reservation record from records determined to be compliant with company policy.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the travel reservation record data comprises receiving travel reservation record data via a communications network from an accounting system of the company.

21. An expense verification system for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively connected to the processor for communication therewith; and

processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to cause the expense verification system to carry out the method of claim 1.

15. A computer-implemented method for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses by a computerized expense verification system comprising at least a processor and a memory operatively connected to the processor, the method comprising the computerized expense verification system operating the processor under control of processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to:

store in the memory a plurality of rules for reimbursement of travel expenses consistent with a company'"'"'s travel policy;

receive, via a communications network, travel reservation record data comprising a reference code;

process the travel reservation record data to identify the reference code;

query, via a communications network, a company-independent system to retrieve passenger name record data corresponding to the parsed reference code;

process the passenger name record data received via the communications network to identify a ticket issue date for an associated travel ticket;

process the passenger name record to identify a first travel date for the associated travel ticket;

determine whether a difference between the first travel date and the ticket issue date reflects compliance with company policy as determined at least one of the plurality of stored rules; and

issue an exception alert identifying non-compliance with the company'"'"'s travel policy if the difference does not reflect compliance.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether a difference between the first travel date and the ticket issue date reflects compliance with company policy comprises:

comparing the ticket issue date to the first travel date to determine an advance booking period; and

comparing the advance booking period to a minimum advance booking period defined by an applicable rule.

22. An expense verification system for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively connected to the processor for communication therewith; and

processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to cause the expense verification system to carry out the method of claim 15.

17. A computer-implemented method for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses by a computerized expense verification system comprising at least a processor and a memory operatively connected to the processor, the method comprising the computerized expense verification system operating the processor under control of processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to:

store in the memory a plurality of rules for reimbursement of travel expenses consistent with a company'"'"'s travel policy;

receive, via a communications network, travel reservation record data comprising a reference code;

process the travel reservation record data to identify the reference code;

query, via a communications network, a company-independent system to retrieve passenger name record data corresponding to the parsed reference code;

process the passenger name record data received via the communications network to identify an agency identifier uniquely identifying a travel agent;

determine whether the agency identifier reflects compliance with company policy as determined at least one of the plurality of stored rules; and

issue an exception alert identifying non-compliance with the company'"'"'s travel policy if the difference does not reflect compliance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one rule identifies a certain travel agent identifier code as approved, and wherein determining whether the agency identifier reflects compliance with company policy as determined at least one of the plurality of stored rules comprises:

comparing the agency identifier extracted from the passenger name record to the certain travel agent identifier code stored in the rule; and

determining the agency identifier to be compliant with company policy only if the extracted agency identifier matches travel agent identifier code stored in the rule.

23. An expense verification system for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively connected to the processor for communication therewith; and

processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to cause the expense verification system to carry out the method of claim 17.

19. A computer-implemented method for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses by a computerized expense verification system comprising at least a processor and a memory operatively connected to the processor, the method comprising the computerized expense verification system operating the processor under control of processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to:

store in the memory a plurality of rules for reimbursement of travel expenses consistent with a company'"'"'s travel policy;

receive, via a communications network, travel reservation record data comprising a reference code;

process the travel reservation record data to identify the reference code;

query, via a communications network, a company-independent system to retrieve passenger name record data corresponding to the parsed reference code;

process the passenger name record data to identify an approval code;

process the approval code to identify at least one of an approved destination and an approved cost;

process the passenger name record to identify a ticketed destination indicating a destination for which a ticket associated with the passenger name record was issued;

process the passenger name record to identify a ticketed cost indicating a cost for which the ticket associated with the passenger name record was issued;

determine whether the at least one of an approved destination and an approved cost reflects compliance with company policy as determined at least one of the plurality of stored rules; and

issue an exception alert identifying non-compliance with the company'"'"'s travel policy if the at least one of an approved destination and an approved cost does not reflect compliance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the at least one of an approved destination and an approved cost reflects compliance with company policy comprises:

comparing at least one of the approved destination and the approved cost to at least one of the ticketed destination and the ticketed cost, respectively; and

determining the at least one of the approved destination and the approved cost to be compliant with company policy only if the at least one of the approved destination and the approved cost matches at least one of the ticketed destination and the ticketed cost, respectively.

24. An expense verification system for ensuring accurate reimbursement of travel expenses, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively connected to the processor for communication therewith; and

processor-executable instructions stored in the memory to cause the expense verification system to carry out the method of claim 19.