Since the turn of the decade in 2020, we’ve seen many processes take a large shift from in-person to online. This certainly extends to training, as online training courses, while already prevalent, have become even more so. While in-person interaction at your organization will never be replaced, virtual training can deliver maximum benefits and require limited resources. Training employees on your card program policy is crucial, and so many organizations are adapting to online cardholder training programs.
Below are three key reasons why you should consider switching from in-person training to online training followed by some steps to help you transition.
Current Problems With In-Person Cardholder Training Programs
1. Scheduling and Organizing Can Get Hectic
In-person training comes with its challenges with scheduling being a main obstacle. In order to host a training session, you need to book a room and make sure the event is on everyone’s calendar. Scheduling the training itself may or may not be challenging when you factor in everyone’s unique schedules. You’ll need to work around other meetings that could pose a conflict. Then, also factor in the time and effort spent sending out calendar alerts and reminders.
2. Limited Ways to Track Employee’s Progress
Training employees in a conference room or classroom-like setting offers very little room to measure retention. Sure, people will be in the room attending the training. But how will you know if they’re really listening and understanding? Online training programs offer features like quizzes and scoring so you can test each person’s knowledge of the material they’re learning.
3. Few Options When Updating Training Material
One of the biggest drawbacks of in-person cardholder training is that it’s nearly impossible to update material without hosting another training session. If one of your suppliers changes or you want to improve certain aspects of the process, it’s not as easy as updating an online course or emailing everyone a training video. Online training programs can serve as a reference library where cardholders always have access to the latest card policies and procedures.
So how do you approach online cardholding training for everyone on the team?
Record an Online Event
This is one of the easiest ways to jumpstart a virtual training process. Simply take the material that you would have used for the in-person class and turn it into a video presentation that you can share in a webinar format.
Whether you’re using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another video platform, be sure to record the training session so you can send it to everyone and get their feedback.
Take It a Step Further With an Online Course
While recording a video training is a great start, it still does little to ensure that employees are taking the training seriously and retaining what they’re learning. This is why another great alternative would be to create a training e-course that people can take.
That way, you can upload videos, materials, examples, and more all to one platform. Some e-course platforms will even allow you to track each student’s progress and offer quizzes after each lesson.
Outsource Cardholder Training
Depending on the nature of your organization and the types of expenses that are monitored regularly, you may need different levels of training. Cardholders don’t necessarily need to know the same information as approvers or account managers.
Realize that you can always outsource cardholder training to a company like Card Integrity. In addition to Expense Monitoring services, we also create online Cardholder Training courses that are customized to fit your organization’s unique card program.
When creating an online training program, we look at all your policies and procedures and create comprehensive training materials. The training course is on-demand, so employees can take it at their own pace.
Let Us Take Cardholder Training Off Your Hands
Highly trained employees are less likely to misuse purchasing cards or make mistakes when reporting their expenses and turning in receipts. This can make life much easier for card managers. At Card Integrity, we can take the labor-intensive task of creating a cardholder training program off your hands.
Our Cardholder Training service provides a fully customizable online course to train your team on your organization’s card program policies so you don’t have to. Online training also allows cardholders to choose a time/day/place that is convenient for them to complete the course.
If you’d like to learn about some of the best practices we recommend putting in place to get an online cardholder training program off the ground, check out our free eGuide below. Included are 24 policy training tips, like:
- Additional tips to increase engagement
- Insights into tracking training outcomes
- Gamification and quiz examples
- And much more!
Article originally published June 14, 2021. Updated June 10, 2026 with newer resources and information.
