Travel and spend management platform Perk has launched Entry Ready, a new AI-powered feature designed to simplify visa and electronic travel authorization (ETA) applications for business travelers.
The travel and spend management platform says Entry Ready is the first integrated workflow allowing travelers to check entry requirements, apply for eVisas and ETAs, and pay for them without leaving the Perk booking platform.
Over 60 eVisa and ETA available
Developed in partnership with Sherpa, an AI-native visa technology provider, the feature automatically checks visa requirements using a traveler’s stored passport details at the time of booking. More than 60 eVisa and ETA destinations are currently supported.
Sherpa says it maintains relationships with more than 350 governments worldwide and updates entry requirements ahead of other providers 92% of the time. Visa applications submitted through the platform are also processed about 20% faster than those made directly through government portals.
Entry Ready is the second product to emerge from Perk’s Real Work Incubator following the launch of Perk Events, its AI-powered team event planning module, earlier this year.
The feature is intended to tackle one of the biggest pain points in corporate travel: manually checking changing visa rules, completing applications and paying out of pocket before filing expense claims.
Perk introduced the first phase of Entry Ready in January, automatically analyzing passport information to identify visa requirements before bookings are completed. Since then, the system has reviewed more than 500,000 trips.
The latest phase adds integrated payments, allowing travelers to complete visa applications and pay during checkout. Companies receive a single invoice covering the full cost of the trip, including visa fees.
“Keeping up with entry requirements adds yet another thing to people’s plates,” said Nikita Miller, Chief Product Officer at Perk.
“Getting it wrong can mean missing a meeting, losing a deal or not getting the job done. Entry Ready removes the confusion, runs all the checks, and gives you exactly what is needed for that international meeting.“
Research shows that visa application remains challenging
Perk also released new research highlighting the challenges travelers face with visas.
A survey of 8,000 business travelers across Europe and the US found that 41% applied for a visa or ETA during the past year. Nearly half encountered problems, most commonly delays in approval. Almost half (47%) paid additional fees to expedite their applications, rising to 57% among US travelers.
The consequences were significant. More than one-third (36%) incurred additional travel costs due to visa issues, 34% experienced project delays, and 16% had to postpone or cancel a business trip.
The research also found that 32% of travelers submit visa-related expense claims at least once a month, yet many fail to recover legitimate costs because the reimbursement process is too cumbersome. On average, travelers miss reimbursement for up to two eligible visa-related expenses. Sixteen percent said reclaiming the costs simply was not worth the effort.
