Barclaycard Business has signed a deal with Manchester-based hotel booking company Conferma to provide with a new centralised hotel settlement facility.
The two companies say the partnership will "streamline hotel payments for businesses and will resolve hotel bill back issues" which in turn will cut costs for corporates.
The Barclaycard tool will enable corporates to receive more information on hotel spend, including a breakdown on rooms rates with other costs incurred during a stay.
Denise Leleux, director of commercial cards at Barclaycard Business, said corporates were increasingly demanding hotel data folio.
She added: "By streamlining the hotel bill back process all stakeholders will benefit.
"Businesses will be able to centralise their hotel spend and travel management companies and hotel booking agencies can benefit from a more streamlined process and reduced financial exposure. Hotels will benefit from swifter settlement."
Business travellers boost Eurostar growth
Eurostar reported a rise of 14.5% in business travellers for the first quarter of 2007.
The high speed rail service between the UK and France and Belgium said the extra passengers generated an increase of 18.5% in business ticket revenue compared to the same period in 2006 with more travelling on Business Premier.
The train operator said that sales for the three month period rose by 13.2% to £142m, compared to the same period in 2006.
It also reported a 91% punctuality rate and an increase in passenger numbers of 5.4% to 1.79m.
Besides business travel, the company also said there was a 4.2% increase in leisure travellers.
Richard Brown, Eurostar's ceo, said: "Eurostar has delivered another strong quarter of growth across both business and leisure travellers.
I am genuinely surprised and pleased at the big rises in both business travel and connecting leisure journeys to the south of France.
The increases are strong evidence that travellers are already voting with their feet and switching to a greener form of transport to reach their destinations."
Eurostar is due to switch to is new London terminal at St. Pancras International on November 14 this year when journey times from London to Paris and Brussels will be cut.
* see BTE's recruitment site www.businesstraveljobs.com