How to Set Up a Corporate Ground Transportation Account in Minnesota
TL;DR: How to set up a corporate ground transportation account for your company. Covers monthly invoicing, expense documentation, booking procedures, and why businesses switch from rideshare to dedicated car service.
Your company books airport runs and client pickups. Right now it's a mess - some people use Uber, some use Lyft, one person has a car service they like, and accounting chases down receipts from four different platforms every month.
Here's how to fix that with a single corporate ground transportation account and why it takes about 15 minutes to set up.
What a Corporate Account Is
A corporate ground transportation account is an arrangement between your company and a car service. You get:
- One account for all employees and guests
- Consolidated billing - one monthly invoice instead of individual receipts
- Negotiated rates for frequent routes (like your recurring MSP runs)
- Priority scheduling - your bookings go to the top of the queue
- A single point of contact - one phone number for changes, additions, cancellations
Think of it like a corporate credit card for ground transportation, except simpler. Someone at your company (office manager, EA, travel coordinator) books rides. Drivers show up. A monthly invoice arrives with every ride itemized.
Who Needs One
You don't need a corporate account if you book a car once a quarter. The break-even point is roughly 3-5 rides per month. Beyond that, the time savings on booking and expense management alone justify it.
Common users:
- Executive assistants booking airport runs for leadership
- Office managers coordinating client pickups
- Sales teams that travel regularly
- Companies hosting visiting clients who need airport-to-office transfers
- Event coordinators managing transportation for conferences or offsites
How to Set One Up
It's not complicated:
- Call or email the car service. Tell them you want a corporate account.
- Provide company info. Name, billing address, primary contact, payment method (credit card or net-30 invoicing for established businesses).
- Discuss your typical needs. How many rides per month, common routes (MSP to downtown, MSP to suburbs, etc.), preferred vehicle types.
- Get your account number and booking process. Most services give you a dedicated phone number or email. Some offer online booking portals.
That's it. Setup takes one phone call. You can usually start booking the same day.
What to Ask Before You Sign Up
"What are your rates for our most common routes?" Get specific. MSP to your office, MSP to client hotels, MSP to the suburbs where your executives live. Compare these to what you're paying now with Uber Black or other services. Get it in writing.
"Is there a minimum commitment?" Most car services don't require one. You're not signing a contract - you're opening an account. If you stop using it, you stop getting invoiced.
"How far in advance do we need to book?" Same-day booking is usually fine for standard routes. For peak travel days (Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, holidays), 24-48 hours is better.
"What happens if a flight is delayed?" This matters for airport pickups. A good car service tracks flights and adjusts pickup times automatically. You shouldn't need to call and reschedule because the flight from Denver is 45 minutes late.
"How does billing work?" You want a single monthly invoice with each ride itemized: date, time, passenger name, pickup, destination, vehicle type, cost. This is what accounting needs and what makes expense reports painless.
"Can multiple people book on the account?" Yes. Most corporate accounts allow multiple authorized bookers. Set up your EA, your office manager, and your travel coordinator. Each can book independently and it all hits the same invoice.
Corporate Account vs. Uber for Business
Uber for Business exists and it solves some of the same problems - centralized billing, multiple users, preset policies. So why a car service instead?
Reliability. Uber for Business still depends on available drivers. At 4:30 AM, in a suburb, during a snowstorm - the algorithm doesn't guarantee a driver. A car service assigns one.
Consistency. Same fleet, same standards. Your client gets picked up in a Navigator every time, not whatever vehicle the nearest Uber Black driver happens to own.
Relationship. You have a person you can call. Not a chatbot, not a support ticket. A person who knows your account, your usual routes, and your preferences. When something goes wrong - and eventually something always goes wrong - a person fixes it faster than an algorithm.
Receipts. One clean invoice vs. individual emailed receipts from each ride. For companies with actual accounting departments and travel policies, this isn't a nice-to-have.
Uber for Business wins on: ad hoc rides in cities where you don't have a car service relationship, international travel, and situations where you need a ride in 5 minutes and don't care about the vehicle.
The ROI
For a company booking 10 airport runs per month:
Without a corporate account:
- 10 individual Uber Black rides, each requiring separate booking, receipt chasing, expense coding
- EA time spent coordinating: 30-60 minutes/month
- Inconsistent pricing (surge), inconsistent vehicles, occasional no-shows
With a corporate account:
- 10 rides on one account, one monthly invoice
- EA time: 10-15 minutes/month (book, confirm, done)
- Flat-rate pricing, same vehicles, confirmed drivers
The dollar savings depend on your volume and routes. The time savings are immediate and real.
Getting Started
If your company is in the Twin Cities and books ground transportation regularly, setting up a corporate account takes one call. There's no fee to open one, no minimum commitment, and you can start using it immediately.
The best time to set it up is before you need it - not the morning your CEO's flight lands and nobody can find a ride.
NS Limo offers corporate accounts with flat-rate pricing, monthly invoicing, and 24/7 availability across Minnesota. Get started or call (320) 223-8146.