Travel and Expense Trends to Watch in 2026

Succeeding in business is no longer about leading with certainty; it’s about navigating ambiguity. Both small organisations and global enterprises felt the impact of rapid economic and sociopolitical changes in 2025, and change shows no signs of slowing any time soon.

As 2026 approaches, adaptability will be just as critical as strategy. For finance and travel leaders, that means tracking emerging trends—from breakthroughs in agentic AI to ongoing industry consolidation—anticipating how they may shape travel and expense (T&E), and being prepared to pivot as needed.

Here are the trends that SAP Concur executives say will define the next chapter of travel and expense (T&E).

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How will AI and technology drive business value in Travel & Expense (T&E) in 2026?

In 2026, SAP Concur expects meaningful progress in personalisation across the travel journey and through suppliers, enabled by AI and predictive analytics. Leaders will also need to pair innovation with stronger data, security, governance, and human oversight to reduce emerging risks.

In 2026, advances in AI and predictive analytics are expected to make travel and T&E experiences:

• More personalised and intuitive
• Beneficial across HR, finance, and procurement
• Valuable for end-to-end T&E processes

AI is only as strong as the data behind it. At the same time, technology can introduce risks—such as deepfakes, threats to data privacy, and fraud—that are changing how companies approach T&E policies.

These risks elevate the importance of the next wave of travel innovation, including:

• Interoperability
• Common data standards
• Security measures
• Authentication
• Governance
• Human oversight

All eyes will also be on how organisations approach talent and staffing in response to AI adoption. Establishing trust and ensuring transparency will be critical to progress in the year ahead.

The consolidation that the travel industry has experienced during the past two years will continue into 2026. SAP Concur expects more partnerships—such as the strategic alliance SAP Concur announced with American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT)—and a co-developed solution intended to redefine the corporate T&E experience for businesses and their travellers.

We’re in a very dynamic period of change in the travel industry—one that is driving unprecedented innovation. While the industry has traditionally been slower to adapt to new technology, any growing pains that we may experience now will be far outweighed by this exciting opportunity to shape the future of T&E.
— Charlie Sultan, President of Concur Travel, SAP Concur

How can organisations balance efficiency, compliance, and traveller experience with AI in 2026?

In 2026, SAP Concur expects AI-powered solutions—and the people deploying them—to support an ecosystem where technology, safety, and traveller experience can coexist more seamlessly. The focus will be on modernising the travel ecosystem while meeting rising expectations for speed, security, and better information access.

Technology modernisation has become non-negotiable for airport and airline resiliency and responsiveness. In 2026, the ecosystem is expected to evolve to move faster and more securely through developments such as:

• More biometric checkpoints
• Predictive maintenance powered by AI

This shift aligns with customers’ expectations of rapid, direct access to information and the fastest security processes possible.

In 2026, organisations will continue exploring where AI can make the biggest impact. They will use AI to enhance duty of care by predicting risks and personalising safety alerts to individual travellers.

Travel managers will also use AI and automation to balance efficiency, sustainability, and empathy within travel programs. Expected outcomes include:

• Personalised recommendations
• Simplified expense management
• Tools that help business travellers feel heard and supported

With virtual cards and mobile payments, it’s never been easier to hit the road.

2025 may have started with some healthy gen AI skepticism among travellers, but these technologies are now widespread and show no signs of slowing. Travellers will start trusting AI with more than generating trip ideas or booking basic travel.

They’ll use AI to manage entire journeys and adapt to disruptions in real time. And when they get home, the expense report will be infinitely easier.

These evolutions will transform the travel experience in 2026 to be more intuitive, frictionless, and enjoyable.
— Jen Moyse, Vice President of Product and Head of UX, SAP Concur

How is AI transforming expense reports and business travel processes in 2026?

In 2026, SAP Concur expects T&E management to increasingly happen outside traditional applications, as AI becomes embedded in collaboration tools employees already use. At the same time, as data becomes more connected, organisations will need to stay vigilant on security and compliance.

With AI integrated into collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, tasks such as approving an expense report or booking a business trip will increasingly happen where employees already work.

AI’s value multiplies when it can connect and validate data from multiple sources. When systems are connected, AI will create a more intelligent and trusted view of every transaction using information from:

• Travel itineraries
• Expense reports
• Payslips
• Invoices
• Other relevant sources

As spend management expands beyond traditional tools, organisations must remain vigilant about maintaining data security and compliance. SAP Concur notes that AI introduces new methods for potential misuse, but it isn’t necessarily increasing fraud—it’s changing how fraud occurs.

For example, SAP Concur reports that roughly 1% of receipts reviewed by the new AI-generated receipt checker in Verify are potentially generated by AI. These early examples reinforce why continuing to innovate is essential.

The emphasis will remain on automating manual processes and leveraging AI-infused services to drive efficiency and deliver safeguards. In a few short years, the concept of an “expense report” may be obsolete altogether.

SAP Concur anticipates this could be replaced by agentic AI with the autonomy to audit, reconcile, and reimburse automatically in the background—so employees can focus their time on delivering greater strategic value to their organisations.

— Christopher Juneau, SVP and Head of Product Marketing, SAP Concur

Why should small and midsize businesses invest in technology and T&E in 2026?

SAP Concur expects SMBs to prioritise cash buffers while funding a tight set of growth bets in 2026—including investments in technology and business travel that delivers measurable ROI. The biggest gains are expected from automation, AI, and pre-spend controls that improve efficiency, visibility, and spend control.

Small and midsize businesses (SMB) are the definition of resilient. They can often pivot strategies faster than large, multilayered organisations, and they expect volatility will continue in 2026.

In response, SAP Concur observes that most SMBs are keeping strong cash and risk buffers while funding a focused set of growth bets. Those bets include investments in:

• Technology (from basic automation to agentic AI)
• Smart business travel

Continued technology adoption will help SMBs drive material, measurable improvements in:

• Efficiency
• Visibility
• Controls

SAP Concur also notes that organisations can reduce risk and accelerate adoption by starting with AI inside tools they already use, and by investing in applications that sit on top of relevant, reliable business data.

SMBs should invest in travel that delivers real ROI. They will look to technology to offer employees more choice and autonomy while prioritising safety, sustainability, and cost control.

SAP Concur highlights pre-spend controls—such as virtual cards and dynamic card controls—as game changers for controlling spend, lowering risk, and reducing the burden of cash outlay for business expenses.

Unpredictability will continue to drive SMBs toward cost control and stability wherever possible. SMBs see the highest ROI from initiatives that improve cash flow and automate business processes. T&E is a large, controllable spend category.

SMBs that continue to view it as an investment in business development and growth are likely to thrive in 2026.
— Kacey Flygare, General Manager and Global Business Head, SMB, SAP Concur

How can finance teams leverage AI with a growth mindset in 2026?

In 2026, SAP Concur expects finance organisations leading in AI adoption to embrace a failure-forward mindset—using iteration and experimentation to learn faster. As AI automates more number-crunching, finance teams are expected to differentiate through critical thinking, better questions, and faster learning from missteps.

SAP Concur argues that the shift to AI-enabled finance won’t happen without a cultural reset. Finance professionals are trained to eliminate errors, but AI innovation thrives on iteration and experimentation.

Leaders must lead by example and create an environment where:

• Taking calculated risks is encouraged
• Mistakes are examined without blame
• Learning is celebrated as progress

Only when failure becomes a data point, not a downfall, will the finance function fully unlock AI’s potential to reimagine decision-making, growth, and value creation across the business.

We want to drive change; we don’t want to be driven by it.
— Sonja Simon, Chief Financial Officer, SAP Americas

FAQs (Travel and Expense Trends in 2026)

1) What T&E trends does SAP Concur expect to define 2026?

SAP Concur executives point to increased AI-driven personalisation, deeper integration of AI into day-to-day workflows (including collaboration tools), stronger focus on governance and security, and continued travel industry consolidation and partnerships.

2) Why are data standards and interoperability important for AI in T&E?

Because AI is only as good as the data behind it. The article highlights the need for interoperability and common data standards alongside security, authentication, governance, and human oversight to manage risks like deepfakes, privacy threats, and fraud.

3) How will AI change the expense report experience?

The article says approving expenses and booking travel will increasingly happen outside traditional applications, in tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack. It also suggests that in a few short years, the concept of an “expense report” may become obsolete, potentially replaced by agentic AI that audits, reconciles, and reimburses automatically.

4) What does SAP Concur say about AI-generated receipt fraud?

SAP Concur reports that roughly 1% of receipts reviewed by the new AI-generated receipt checker in Verify are potentially generated by AI, reinforcing the need for ongoing innovation and safeguards. (Source: Verify reference in the article.)

5) Why should SMBs invest in T&E and technology in 2026?

SAP Concur says SMBs expect continued volatility in 2026 and are focusing on cash buffers plus a tight set of growth investments, including technology and business travel that delivers ROI. The article also highlights pre-spend controls like virtual cards and dynamic card controls as important for spend control and risk reduction.