Distance-Based Rate

Distance-Based Rate estimates the value of eligible business travel for a personal vehicle. Travel Logs matches each completed Business trip to a rate period, converts the distance to the rate's unit when needed, and multiplies the distance by the rate.

For example, 120 km at $0.88 per km produces an estimate of $105.60.

The result is an estimate, not tax or financial advice. Check the applicable rules and your records before using an estimate in a claim.

Before you begin

You need:

• A signed-in Travel Logs account.
• An existing personal vehicle that you can edit. Distance-Based Rate is not available for fleet-managed vehicles.
• Regional Settings with the correct country, currency, and stored distance unit.
• Completed trips classified as Business, with accurate dates and distances.
• An internet connection to enable the feature, change rates, or refresh estimates.

Open Settings > Regional Settings to review your country, currency, and stored distance unit. The stored distance unit must describe the unit already used by your trip and odometer values.

Changing the stored distance unit reinterprets existing distance values; it does not convert them. Changing regional settings can also disable existing vehicle rate settings until you review them.

Enable a distance-based rate

1. Open Vehicles.
2. Select an existing personal vehicle.
3. Tap Distance-Based Rate Settings.
4. Turn on Enable estimates.
5. Choose a rate mode and review its settings.
6. Tap Save.

The setting applies only to the selected vehicle. Repeat these steps for each personal vehicle that needs estimates.

Choose a rate mode

Official rate by trip date

For Australian accounts, Travel Logs can select the available official rate for each trip's date. Tap Current official rate to review the available rate periods, dates, and rates.

Official-rate estimates are uncapped. In particular, Travel Logs does not apply the Australian 5,000 km limit. Check the limit and all other eligibility requirements before making a claim.

Custom rate periods and rates

Use custom rates when the official mode is unavailable or when you need rates supplied by an employer, organisation, or other authority.

1. Select Custom rate periods and rates.
2. Choose Per kilometre or Per mile under Custom rate unit.
3. Tap Add custom rate period.
4. Enter a label, start date, end date, and rate.
5. Tap Add.
6. Add more periods when rates change over time.
7. Tap Save on the Distance-Based Rate screen to apply the rates to the vehicle.

Enter the rate as currency per selected distance unit. For example, enter 0.88 for $0.88 per kilometre, not 88.

Make sure the periods cover the dates of every trip you want to estimate. If no rate matches a trip's date, that trip is skipped and the report may show a warning.

How estimates are calculated

Travel Logs includes a trip when it is:

• Classified as Business.
• Completed rather than in progress.
• Attached to a personal vehicle with Distance-Based Rate enabled.
• Covered by an available official or custom rate period.

Personal trips do not contribute to the estimate. If a trip's stored distance unit and rate unit differ, Travel Logs converts the distance before applying the rate. Reports group totals by rate period when the selected date range crosses more than one period.

Changes to a trip's type, date, distance, or vehicle can change its estimate. Review the updated estimate after editing a trip.

Where estimates appear

• Overview shows a combined estimate for completed Business trips in the selected period.
• History can show an estimated amount beside eligible trips.
• Trip Details shows the estimated amount, converted distance, rate, unit, and matching rate period.
• Reports shows the eligible business distance, estimated total, and rate-period breakdown for a Trips report. The same summary is included in CSV and PDF exports.

Warnings explain when one or more trips could not be matched to a rate. Review warnings before relying on a total.

Offline use

An internet connection is required to save regional settings, change a vehicle's rate policy, manage custom periods, and calculate a fresh estimate.

Travel Logs may show previously saved settings or estimates while offline. A report made from saved results is marked Saved estimate - connect to refresh. Reconnect and refresh the screen before using the latest total.

If an estimate is missing

Check that:

• You are signed in and connected to the internet.
• The trip is complete and classified as Business.
• The trip belongs to the personal vehicle whose rate setting you enabled.
• The trip has synced and has a valid distance.
• The trip date falls within an official or custom rate period.
• A rate has been entered for that custom period.
• You tapped Save after changing the vehicle's rate settings.

If you change a trip or rate, reopen or refresh Overview, History, Trip Details, or Reports to request a new estimate.

See Vehicles for vehicle management and Reports and Export for creating CSV or PDF reports.