In the year 2020, businesses are still selling and customers are still discussing non-automatic mileage trackers. Why?

People who benefit from a mileage tax deduction or mileage employer reimbursements are always on the lookout for tools that can save them some serious time recording their trips. The reasons behind it are good:

• it is fair that people get compensated for their mileage

• but this is not the primary focus of their work

• and it’s tedious boring work

So mileage “recording“ apps have existed for a long time. Apps where the users could input their trips manually, so that they don’t forget to write them down. But the truth is people still forget to record using those tools.

That’s why a number of companies are now producing mileage tracking tools that record trips automatically. Just like there are apps that track when you are running and cycling, some apps track when you are driving.

The question is why are some other companies still selling mileage trackers that are not automatic. Or mileage trackers that require the use of external hardware devices. It is the year 2020, this technology though not simple is not rocket science.

• MileIQ pioneered this technology in 2013. 2013!

• MileWiz came with automatic tracking in 2014, the second app on the market!

• Mileage tracking by Everlance was ready in 2015.

• Quickbooks self-employed in 2016.

• MileCatcher in 2017.

• SherpaShare in 2018.

The rest of the apps that claim to have automatic mileage tracking do not actually record trips automatically. And the one thing that I don’t understand is why are they still getting customers. The most obvious reason would be that customers are uneducated - when I go to search the AppStore or Google Play for “mileage tracker“ there are hundreds of results, but only the 6 mentioned above are doing the job as they are supposed to in 2020. And 3 of those are not even in top 10.