The History Behind Commuter Benefits

Every company has its own story. When you look behind the logos, taglines, and descriptions of products and services, there’s the history, the culture, the people and the values that all combine to create the qualities in its service that makes it unique from all the others.
If you’re a curious employee who has spent some of your commuting time pondering, who it is that is helping you commute tax-free, or if you’re an employer digging deep in your research to choose the right partner to provide quality commuter benefits for the employees, then…
Here’s Our Story
Commuter benefits came into existence with Tax Reform Act of 1984, allowing employers to pay for their employees commuting costs as a fringe benefit for up to $15 a month.
We came into existence six years later as Commuter Check, becoming the first company to offer transit benefits in compliance with IRS 132(f). In major commuting markets, commuter benefits were the must-have offering for employers looking to attract, retain and reward employees.
It wasn’t until 1997 when technology and commuter benefits fused to enhance the convenience and compliance of commuter benefits when we introduced Wired Commute, allowing employees the ability to make online parking reservations. Wired Commute would become the technology platform that would include our transit benefits services and a wider range of flexibility and solutions to meet the needs of employers of all sizes.
In 2000, when it became mandatory for federal employees in DC (and ultimately nationwide) to have access to commuter benefits, we were there to help employers comply.
Joining an International Family
We continued to expand our commuter benefits services, improving our technology, and growing our base. Then, in 2005, we caught the attention of a large, European corporate services company called Accor Services who took us under their wing so we can grow and expand even more.
With the introduction of the industry’s most innovative tax-free payment method, the Commuter Check Prepaid Mastercard®, we brought program flexibility to a new level offering a solution for employers to meet the wide variety of commuting needs among employees while delivering convenience to both employers and employees.
A Commitment To Excellence
In 2010 we became part of another big change as Accor Services with operations in several industries around the world, committed to its core expertise and value by focusing in on its employee benefit programs worldwide. This announcement came with a change in our name and logo to Edenred, the world leader in transactional solutions, for companies, employees and merchants.
Today, as Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions, our world-class commuter benefits service is lead by a team of the industry’s leading experts. They are dedicated to the expansion of commuter benefits and to continue to innovate toward providing greater savings for employees and employers, and the effect that the benefit has on transit ridership which helps reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions’ mission is to make tax-free commuter benefits a staple in employee benefits packages nationwide.
If you want to learn more about commuter benefits, download the 101 Guide below: