FAVR is an employee vehicle reimbursement method that combines a fixed payment with a variable per-mile rate. Rather than using the IRS mileage rate, which is based on a national average of driving costs, FAVR takes into account what it costs to drive for work at a local level.
For qualifying teams and drivers, FAVR can provide more accurate, tax-free reimbursements that save companies money. TripLog and Cardata are two FAVR providers available today, offering solutions with different approaches.
Cardata follows a more traditional managed-service model, which combines their reimbursement tools with ongoing program administration. TripLog emphasizes accessible pricing, flexible reimbursement options, and automation, with an account manager and experts to help companies build their program.
This guide explains what those differences mean for your budget, admins, and drivers.
Related: FAVR Reimbursement Explained (Simple Guide)
Key Points
- TripLog publicly publishes its FAVR pricing, with plans starting at just $19 per user per month for Teams and $24 for Enterprise. Both plans offer expert setup assistance and an account manager.
- Cardata uses custom quotes for an annual per-user subscription that includes managed services. While Cardata doesn’t publish their pricing, legacy FAVR providers often charge rates significantly higher than what TripLog offers.
- Both support FAVR and cents-per-mile reimbursement, though TripLog publishes its separate CPM pricing as well, starting at $8 per user per month. Some legacy FAVR providers may charge significantly higher prices for their CPM users.
- TripLog offers a wide variety of automatic tracking methods including car Bluetooth and optional mileage tracking hardware. Cardata provides automatic GPS tracking, scheduled tracking, and manual entry.
- Additional driver safety and risk-management services should be evaluated separately from the requirements of running a FAVR program.
TripLog vs. Cardata at a Glance
TripLog vs. Cardata Explained: Program Setup and Administration
Legacy FAVR providers like Cardata have built their offerings around managed programs, with software, account management, and ongoing administrative services packaged together. For companies comparing providers, a key question is how much of that structure they need and how straightforward the reimbursement process will be.
Cardata describes an approach that includes program design, ongoing reviews, and assistance adjusting the program over time. It says most implementations take about four weeks, including configuration, training, and launch support.
TripLog also provides expert help setting up a FAVR program and an account manager for ongoing support, though the approach centers on making the day-to-day work manageable through our software. Drivers record their mileage, managers review submissions, and our system handles reimbursement calculations, compliance checks, and reporting.
Legacy FAVR providers have historically emphasized the complexity of designing and administering FAVR programs, positioning extensive professional services as central to their offering.
TripLog takes a more modern approach, using software automation to simplify program setup, calculations, and making ongoing administration simpler for businesses while still providing expert support where necessary.
Related: FAVR Pricing Explained (Motus, Cardata, TripLog)
TripLog vs. Cardata Explained: Pricing and Program Costs
A customized reimbursement program doesn’t have to mean starting without a clear idea of the subscription price anymore. TripLog is unique among FAVR providers in that this information is available before companies even begin a sales conversation.
TripLog FAVR starts at $19 per user per month for Teams and $24 for Enterprise. Each includes the corresponding Teams or Enterprise Mileage plan’s features, plus FAVR compliance checks, reminders, and annual tax reporting.
Employees who are ineligible for FAVR can stay on TripLog’s standard Mileage plan, starting at $8 per user per month. An example team with 20 FAVR drivers and 30 CPM drivers would cost $620 per month in TripLog subscriptions.
Unlike TripLog, where plans are offered monthly or annually, Cardata advertises an annual-only per-user subscription. Its price depends on driver count, program type, and selected features, but it doesn’t publish dollar amounts. Each business gets a custom quote to establish their costs.
Thus, transparency is a key practical distinction. With TripLog, companies can easily model their subscription costs, whereas with legacy FAVR providers like Cardata, cost calculations depends on the proposal they offer.
When comparing quotes, ask what each driver group costs, what services are included, and whether additional features change the total.
FAVR and CPM Compatibility
Adopting FAVR can seem intimidating - and legacy FAVR providers are betting on companies believing that idea. That may be partially why they tend to offer CPM at significantly higher prices as well.
Because FAVR has historically been a large process involving many complicated systems, legacy FAVR solutions have relied on getting customers to use their products for their expensive FAVR offering, then charging high prices even for simpler CPM drivers once your company’s reimbursement processes are built around their system.
A customer told TripLog that one legacy FAVR provider was going to charge them over $80 per driver per month for CPM alone - 10x what TripLog’s CPM offering starts at. That customer-reported figure wasn’t independently verified, but it shows why buyers should look closely at what prices they’re being quoted.
Both Cardata and TripLog offer both FAVR and CPM, depending on driver eligibility. The key distinctions are that TripLog publishes its price for both FAVR and CPM while Cardata does not, and that TripLog is designed to be a more modern, streamlined solution that can help bring per-user FAVR costs down.
Related: Cents-Per-Mile Reimbursement vs. FAVR
TripLog vs. Cardata Explained: Mileage Tracking & Classification
Both TripLog and Cardata offer automatic GPS tracking as core functions, but TripLog gives drivers and companies significantly more options for how that tracking starts, stops, and is categorized. This flexibility allows employees to choose a method that fits their vehicle and driving habits, though these settings can be managed at a team or company-level as well.
Cardata lists three ways to log mileage - automatic tracking via vehicle movement detection, manual start and stop, and simply entering two addresses and calculating the distance. Drivers can also set a schedule to control when tracking is enabled.
TripLog offers several distinct automatic tracking options, including MagicTrip, Bluetooth, and Plug-N-Go. With these options, drivers can have tracking start when the app detects driving, when their phone connects to their car’s Bluetooth, or when they plug their phone into a charger and begin driving, respectively.
Optional hardware add-ons are also offered. TripLog Drive has its own GPS and internal storage, while TripLog Beacon is a simpler device that detects vehicle movement to initiate tracking, helping save on phone battery and data.
TripLog vs. Cardata Explained: Compliance & Additional Services
Compliance is an essential part of FAVR, but the term can also appear alongside a much broader collection of vehicle-management services.
TripLog supports FAVR through automated calculations, compliance checks, reminders, and annual reporting. Its experts help configure the program, so customers have both software support and someone to turn to for guidance.
Cardata also supports FAVR compliance, though it additionally sells things like continuous motor vehicle record monitoring and driver safety training.
Monitoring a driver’s record and administering their reimbursement serve different purposes. A company may want both, but additional risk services shouldn’t be treated as evidence that a reimbursement program needs a larger service package.
TripLog’s approach keeps the focus on making employee mileage and expense reimbursement accurate and manageable, without much of the bloat that legacy FAVR solutions try to sell companies on.
Related: IRS FAVR Guidelines
TripLog vs. Cardata Explained: Expense Management
TripLog offers a full-featured expense management solution alongside its mileage tracking within the same app. Cardata doesn’t offer built-in expense tracking, though it lists an integration with SAP Concur Expense.
Cardata users who need expense management thus need to use two applications - Cardata for mileage tracking and a separate app for other business expenses. Cardata sends calculated vehicle reimbursements and supporting trip records to Concur, where employees submit reports and managers review and approve them alongside other expenses.
TripLog also integrates with SAP Concur, but companies don’t need a separate expense provider to manage mileage and everyday business expenses together - they can add those capabilities within the app their employees already use for mileage.
Starting at $4 per user per month, TripLog Expense lets employees capture receipts and submit business expenses like parking, tolls, meals, and lodging. Admins can review submissions, set spending limits, and manage approvals directly within TripLog.
For companies that need both mileage and expense management, keeping them in one app means fewer tools for employees to learn and admins to manage.
TripLog vs. Cardata FAQ
Does TripLog provide an account manager for FAVR clients?
Yes. While their solution’s emphasis is on automation and making FAVR accessible to admins, TripLog provides an account manager and expert help in configuring its FAVR systems.
Why does Cardata require a quote?
Legacy FAVR providers like Cardata set their pricing around each customer’s driver count, reimbursement program, and selected services. In scenarios where custom quotes are involved, your company’s size may also help determine what the vendor may charge you.
Can I use TripLog for CPM before adding FAVR?
Yes. Companies can begin with standard cents-per-mile mileage reimbursement and easily introduce FAVR for qualifying drivers as needed, all within the same app and dashboard.
Does TripLog require separate mileage tracking hardware?
No, TripLog offers phone-based automatic tracking, though their optional Drive and Beacon hardware tools are available for employees or companies who have a need to track without a phone.
Do I have to calculate FAVR payments manually?
No. TripLog’s software supports reimbursement calculations, with experts helping configure your program. Admins can then focus on reviewing and approving submissions while TripLog handles the rest.
Choosing Between TripLog and Cardata
Legacy FAVR providers like Cardata have an interest in making FAVR seem bigger and more complicated than it needs to be in 2026. TripLog built its solution around making FAVR more accessible and easy to use, which is why they are able to make their pricing structure clear to prospects, offering FAVR at a significantly lower cost while still providing a similar ease of service.
Learn more about FAVR with TripLog by scheduling a demo to discuss your team’s needs today!
