BTA Account Management
Information & Guides
Information & Guides
The American Express Business Travel Account (BTA) is a centralised billing solution that uses Virtual Account Numbers for travel costs. Your employees can book business travel without physical Cards, individual accounts or complicated reimbursement processes and you can reconcile travel costs through one simple monthly statement.
Your Company's BTA is lodged with your chosen Travel Management Company (TMC), and American Express works in partnership with that TMC to arrange your centralised payments.
With the BTA in place, your Company is able to streamline their reconciliation process, as well as capture the travel and charge data required to easily identify, reconcile and allocate transactions, based on the criteria that is most relevant to your Company. With the BTA, your Company receives one convenient statement every month, rather than many invoices. This statement contains a great deal of valuable information to help your Company optimise your travel spend.
In addition, with the BTA, your Company can have complete control over who in your Company can use the BTA to charge their air travel expenses. They also have increased visibility for otherwise "invisible" travellers, who may include infrequent travellers such as consultants, clients and guest travellers who aren't employees.
Monitoring and controlling expenses is a key priority for all companies. It is essential to maximise control and savings available through a robust expense management programme. There is value available to your Company through the use of the American Express Business Travel Account (BTA) programme as the payment method for air and hotel related travel expenses.
Maximise Control
The BTA enables easy and effective monitoring of your Company's employee travel expenses, using rich data and your own specially defined reference fields (e.g. Cost Centre Number). Furthermore, as the product is only used with your designated Travel Management Company, it ensures preferred supplier usage and travel policy compliance.
Save Money
The BTA helps to improve your Company’s cash flow with up to 51 cash flow days1. When used in conjunction with the data you receive from your Travel Management Company, the BTA can allow for more effective negotiations with vendors.
Save Time
The BTA reduces the time you need to spend on administrative tasks, as American Express provides one consolidated statement, with detailed transaction data. This removes the need to process multiple invoices and make multiple payments.
American Express has a range of reconciliation options such as BTAConnect and electronic data files, to streamline your processes thus, saving you even more time.
1. Actual cash flow period will vary based on the date of charge and the billing cycle cut-off date.
As the BTA enables a more simplified expense reimbursement process, this allows your employees more time to focus on their core responsibilities. Your travellers will have no liability to American Express for charges, no Card to keep track of, and no outlay of personal funds for business travel.
Travel Accident Insurance2
Business Travel Accident Insurance is provided when common carrier tickets are charged to the BTA.
Please click here for the full American Express Business Travel Accident Insurance Terms and Conditions.
Global Assist
For legal and medical emergencies while travelling, your employees can call the free Global Assist service that will connect them with an English-speaking lawyer or doctor. The service is available 24 hours a day, virtually anywhere in the world, whenever they travel more than 200km from home, for up to 90 days.
To contact Global Assist, please call 65 6334 0729
2. American Express Business Travel Account Insurances are underwritten by Chubb Insurance and are subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the American Express Business Travel Account insurances policy of insurance between American Express International Inc. (ABN 15 000 618 208, AFSL No. 237996) (American Express) and Chubb.
American Express has designed a range of options to make reconciling your BTA easy and effective. Below is a guide to help your Company decide the best option most suited to your needs.
Simple Steps to Reconcile & Pay Your BTA
To help you save time in managing your BTA, here's a quick guide outlining the simple steps to reconcile and pay your BTA.
Statements:
1) Check the transactions for any errors
- Refer to the account summary on the statement (Excel or PDF).
- Payment has been allocated if it is displayed in the Cleared Transactions section. If the payment has not been allocated, it will show as New Unallocated Payments/Credits. Please contact the BTA Servicing Team for assistance - BTA.Singapore@aexp.com
- If you believe you have already paid for the outstanding transactions and the payment is not reflecting, please contact the BTA Servicing Team for assistance - BTA.Singapore@aexp.com
2) Complete Reconciliation Advice page
Click here for detailed instructions on how to create and send a reconciliation advice, a remittance advice, and how to make a payment to American Express.
Note: If you are not paying the full account balance, you must complete and submit a Reconciliation Advice detailing the transactions you are paying. This will ensure American Express can correctly allocate the payment and make it easier for you to reconcile statements each month.
In order for American Express to investigate any dispute(s) correctly, we require you to provide a listing of the disputed transaction(s) and the dispute reasons. Please click here to refer to the dispute guide.
BTAConnect:
1) Check your transactions for any errors
- Select the BTA and statement period you want to view, and click the 'View selected statement(s)' button
- Check your transactions and reconcile against your Company's defined processes, for example validating against a trip approval or checking against an invoice - focus on the transactions marked 'Unpaid'
- Check for any unpaid transactions in the previous statement period, as late payment fees may apply
2) Submit approved transactions for payment to American Express
- Select the transactions you wish to approve for payment
- Click Pay Selected Transactions
- Confirm the total number of transactions and their value, which have been approved for payment
- All transactions selected can be exported, which could then be emailed to another department or uploaded to a financial system to facilitate the payment.
- Click Send Payment Information. BTAConnect sends American Express the transactions approved for payment, and the Transaction Status will update from Unpaid to Approved. If you make payment via Electronic Funds Transfer, email the date of payment, BTA number(s) and total amount of the payment to BTA.Singapore.Allocation@aexp.com and copy in the BTA Servicing Team - BTA.Singapore@aexp.com. Once your payment has been processed, the Transaction Status will change to Paid.
- If there are any transactions you have a question about, or wish to dispute, you can raise an enquiry to American Express and/or the Travel Management Company.
- Select the transaction(s) you have a question about or wish to dispute and click the 'Enquire selected transaction(s)' button. Choose an enquiry category from the drop down menu and then enter your question. Click 'Create enquiry' to submit. Click here for the enquiry/dispute guide.
- Track the status of enquiries by checking the Enquiry Status. A blue circle with a question mark icon indicates the enquiry is open, a green tick icon indicates the enquiry has been answered. Double click the icon to view the status or answer and take appropriate action.
Note: If a transaction is not being paid for any reason, an enquiry must be raised to avoid the possibility of the transaction becoming overdue and incurring a late payment fee. If American Express does not receive payment for the approved transactions by the end of the billing period, the approved transactions will be re-set back to unpaid status in BTAConnect, and the BTA will become overdue. Late payment fees may apply.
Electronic Data File (BTA e-Data):
1) Check your transactions for any errors
- The eData file will contain transactions that have not yet been paid; either new transactions or unpaid overdue transactions.
- Check for any overdue transactions, as late payment fees may apply. Transactions showing an amount in the 'UNPAID_AMT' column have not been paid. If these transactions are from a previous statement date (refer to 'STMT_DT' column) then they will be overdue. If you believe you have already paid for these transactions and can see the payment has been received, it may mean that the payment is not yet allocated, please contact the BTA Servicing Team - BTA.Singapore@aexp.com.
2) Complete Reconciliation Advice, Remittance Advice and make payment to American Express
- Click here and then select Online Statement for detailed instructions on how to create and send a reconciliation advice, a remittance advice, and how to make payment to American Express.
For more detailed information on BTA e-data files, please click here.
The Online Statement tool delivers the following benefits:
Flexible and User-Friendly
- Receive statement data in a flexible Microsoft Excel format.
- You can easily view, sort and manage transactions according to your own criteria, meaning simpler reconciliation.
- Your billing statement will be delivered in a PDF format.
Take Control Wherever You Are
- Get 24/7 secure online access of up to 13 months of your statements with our online Programme Management tool – American Express @ Work.
Better for the Environment
- We'll also send you an email to let you know when your most recent statement is ready to view online.
BTAConnect Benefits Include:
- Flexibility to customise how you view data, ensuring the solution is tailored to your Company's needs.
- Additional online data fields (e.g. Cost Centre Number), to help your reconciliation matching process.
- Quick and simple exporting of data, making it easier for you to send information to other departments.
- One network used by you, American Express Customer Service, and your Travel Management Company, meaning transaction enquiries can be managed securely online.
Flexible Data
BTAConnect can also help you to save time by simplifying the Business Travel Account (BTA) reconciliation process. Having the data you need, in a format you need it, is the key to faster and easier reconciliation. With this in mind, American Express designed BTAConnect to enable a more streamlined and flexible BTA reconciliation process.
BTAConnect provides a range of capabilities, including:
Data Management
- Ability to control the information you see by selecting and deselecting fields. These user preferences are automatically saved.
- Flexibility to sort and filter data. For example, by Cost Centre Number or Project Code.
- Convenience of a search function to quickly find the information you need.
- Ability to easily select, submit and view your approved transactions for payment to American Express Customer Service.
Secure Queries
You have the ability to ask questions about transactions and receive replies directly within BTAConnect. This unique online network can enable centralised communication by securely linking you with both American Express Customer Service and your Travel Management Company (TMC). Benefit from a streamlined process that allows all parties involved to view questions and responses.
Click here to learn more.
Case Study
American Express understands that every Company has their own travel spend reconciliation process, so to illustrate how BTAConnect can help make reconciliation more simple, please see below a fictional example with a company called "Anon Ltd." Anon Ltd has a turnover of $375m and 1200 employees, of whom 30% are frequent travellers across Europe. While the company in this case study is fictional, the benefits that can be gained from BTAConnect are entirely correct.
John, an Accounts Administrator at Anon Ltd used to wait for his Business Travel Account (BTA) statement before he could start his reconciliation process. One of his frustrations when reconciling the account was that he did not know if he should send transaction queries to American Express or his Travel Management Company (TMC). Sometimes he had to ask the same question separately to both parties. He also found it difficult to manipulate travel data to send to other departments for approval. However, since upgrading to BTAConnect at no additional cost, John has noticed his reconciliation process is much more efficient, in the following ways:
- John now receives transaction data 2 to 3 days before he receives the BTA statement, so he can get a head start on his reconciliation process.
- Asking questions is now simple, as John can submit queries in the BTAConnect online portal, and track the status regardless of whether they should be answered by American Express Customer Services or his TMC.
- He finds BTAConnect's sort, filter and search functions helpful when manipulating travel spend data. Being able to export into other programmes also saves him time when sending data to his colleagues.
- Sending American Express Customer Service reconciliation advice is also simple and effective, all he needs to do is to select the transactions and click the submit button.
- John has recommended BTAConnect to his peers, and what surprised him most was that upgrading to BTAConnect didn't cost his company anything.
How to Raise a Dispute on a BTA Charge
BTA statements are payable in full, upon receipt of the statement. For any transactions you are not paying, you are required to notify American Express and specify the dispute reason to avoid being charged a late payment fee.
If you wish to raise a dispute on a transaction appearing on your BTA statement, the disputed transaction should be clearly identified with a valid dispute reason on the Reconciliation Advice or by calling the BTA Servicing Team prior to the next billing cycle. You must ensure you supply all necessary details and references to support your claim.
Once you advise a transaction is in dispute and if the dispute reason is valid, American Express will apply a temporary credit to the statement. However, if the investigation confirms that the transaction is valid, it will be re-billed to your account. All other non-disputed transactions must be paid on receipt of the BTA statement.
Payment Options
Please note that payments are due on receipt of statements. There are a number of methods for paying an American Express BTA statement:
GIRO
Your nominated bank account will be debited 14 days after your statement cut-off date. To enable this payment option, please click here to access the Interbank Giro Form.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Pay into the American Express bank account.
Bank Name: United Overseas Bank
Address: 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza, Singapore 048624
Account Number: 101 347 006 0
Branch Number: 001 (main)
Bank Number: 7375
Please email BTA.Singapore.Allocation@aexp.com on the same day the payment is transferred into the American Express bank account, advising the date of payment, BTA number(s) and the amount of payment.
Reconciliation Advice
Reconciliation Advice must accompany all EFT payments if you are not paying the full account balance*. The Reconciliation Advice details all the transactions you wish to pay, and those you may wish to dispute.
If you want to prepare your own Reconciliation Advice, please click here for instructions on how to create and send an electronic Reconciliation Advice file.
*American Express requires this so they can accurately allocate payment to the transactions. However, there is no need for this if you pay the full statement account balance. That is, if you are not disputing or withholding payment of any particular transactions in that statement.
Missing or Misallocated Payments
If there is no Reconciliation Advice accompanying a payment, or if the Reconciliation Advice is incorrect, the payment(s) will remain unallocated. This means that the BTA may become overdue and late payment fees may apply.
Late Payment Fees
Late payment fees are easily avoided, simply by making sure the full account balance is paid upon receipt of the statement. If the account is not being paid in full, then a Reconciliation Advice must be sent to American Express, along with the matching payment, clearly indicating which transactions are being paid and which are being disputed.
If the full balance is not paid by the receipt of the next account statement, American Express may charge your Company late payment fees.
How Do I Add or Change My Company Contacts
If your Company wishes to add or change any of your contacts, including Authorised Signatory and Programme Administrator, please click here to fill in a Change of Company Details form.
Then have it signed by an Authorised Signatory and email it to the BTA Servicing Team. These changes should take up to 10 working days to finalise, from receipt of the Change of Company Details Form.
How Do I Change the @ Work Online User Details?
The Programme Administrator or authorised person from your Company can contact the BTA Servicing Team.
Who Can Help Me With a Question Regarding a Transaction in The Statement?
You can contact the BTA Servicing Team.
How Do I Cancel a BTA?
A BTA can be cancelled by contacting your Account Manager or the BTA Servicing Team.
Business Travel Account (BTA) Servicing Team:
Phone: +65 6507 7494
Fax: +65 6295 0950
Email: bta.singapore@aexp.com
Operating Hours: 9:00am - 5:30pm Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays)
Programme Administrator Corporate Support Team:
Phone: 800 186 1035
Fax: 800 86 0034
Email: castsingapore@aexp.com
Operating Hours: 9:00am - 5:30pm Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays)