Employee benefits don't have to stop at health insurance and retirement plans. One of the most effective, and most overlooked, perks an employer can offer is travel. TripValet is a travel membership that costs just $9.97 per month (or $97 annually) per employee and delivers real, tangible value in the form of discounted travel worldwide. The centerpiece of the program? Dream Certificates.
What Is TripValet?
TripValet is a travel benefits membership offered through the Save.Build.Protect. portal. Employers enroll their employees directly through the SBP platform at $9.97/month or $97/year per employee. There are no tiers, no upsells, and no complicated pricing structures. Every enrolled employee gets the same access to discounted hotels, resorts, and vacation packages worldwide.
TripValet enrollment is handled entirely through the SBP portal. This is separate from Quantum Health Benefits, which has its own direct enrollment process. If your company is already enrolled in SBP benefits, adding TripValet to your package is straightforward.
What Are Dream Certificates?
Dream Certificates are quarterly travel vouchers issued to every active TripValet member. Each certificate provides access to deeply discounted hotel and resort stays at destinations around the world. These aren't vague "up to X% off" promotions. They're specific, bookable vouchers that members redeem through the TripValet platform for real stays at real properties. Each certificate requires a one-time $19.97 redemption fee at the time of activation.
Every quarter, enrolled employees receive a new Dream Certificate. Over the course of a year, that's four separate travel opportunities, each one offering rates that are significantly below retail. The properties span domestic and international destinations, so whether an employee wants a weekend getaway in Scottsdale or a week on the coast of Mexico, the certificates apply.
The Cruise Certificate: The 12-Month Milestone
Here's where TripValet gets particularly compelling as a retention tool. After 12 consecutive months of enrollment, every active member earns a Cruise Certificate. This is a voucher for a discounted cruise, a tangible, high-value reward that employees receive simply for staying enrolled in the program for a full year. Like Dream Certificates, the Cruise Certificate requires a $19.97 redemption fee at the time of activation.
The key word is "consecutive." If an employee drops out and re-enrolls, the 12-month clock resets. That's not a penalty. It's a built-in incentive for employees to stay, and for employers to keep their teams enrolled. The Cruise Certificate effectively turns a $9.97/month benefit into a loyalty mechanism.
How Redemption Works
Redeeming a Dream Certificate is straightforward:
- Receive your certificate. Each quarter, enrolled members get a new Dream Certificate delivered through the TripValet platform.
- Pay the $19.97 activation fee. Each certificate requires a one-time $19.97 redemption fee to activate. This fee is paid at the time of redemption through the TripValet platform.
- Browse available destinations. Log in to TripValet and browse the inventory of discounted stays tied to your certificate. Properties include hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals across hundreds of destinations.
- Book your stay. Select your destination, choose your dates, and book directly through the platform. The discounted rate is applied automatically. No promo codes, no hoops to jump through.
- Travel. Show up and enjoy. The booking is handled like any standard hotel reservation.
Cruise Certificate redemption follows a similar process, with cruise-specific inventory that becomes available once the 12-month enrollment milestone is hit. Members select from available sailing dates and itineraries, and the discounted pricing is applied at booking.
Why This Matters for Retention
The math on employee turnover is brutal. Replacing an employee costs anywhere from 50% to 200% of their annual salary when you factor in recruiting, onboarding, training, and lost productivity. A $9.97/month benefit that gives employees a concrete reason to stay, especially one they can see, plan around, and get excited about, pays for itself many times over if it prevents even a single resignation.
Travel benefits hit differently than a 401(k) match or dental coverage. Those are important, but they're abstract. A Dream Certificate is a trip to Cancun. A Cruise Certificate is a vacation your employee is actively counting down to. That emotional connection to a benefit creates stickiness that spreadsheet-level perks don't.
And because the Cruise Certificate requires 12 months of continuous enrollment, it creates a natural retention window. Employees who are six months in aren't going to walk away from a cruise they're halfway to earning. That's not manipulation; it's a benefit that rewards commitment.
Getting Started
If your company is already working with Save.Build.Protect., adding TripValet to your benefits package is as simple as enrolling through the SBP portal. If you're new to SBP, reach out to our team and we'll walk you through the full enrollment process, including TripValet and everything else we offer.
At $9.97/month or $97/year per employee (plus a $19.97 redemption fee per certificate), TripValet is one of the lowest-cost, highest-impact benefits you can add to your package. Four Dream Certificates a year, a Cruise Certificate at the 12-month mark, and a team that actually looks forward to the perks you're providing. That's the point.