Frequently Asked Questions

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GeneralAbout the PlatformDónde and Your Company

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Dónde?
Dónde enables companies to offer travel as a benefit through varying reward types and a platform to plan and book travel. In the platform, we take care of the administrative tasks associated with offering the benefit, and employees get to set saving goals, track progress, and explore a wide range of travel options. They can book in the platform or with one of our travel designers.
Does this change our current PTO policy?
No, companies can offer Dónde whether they have a traditional accrual system, unlimited, flexible, or mandatory PTO. It doesn't matter. Dónde just takes a current policy and enhances it. We call it empowered PTO.
What is empowered PTO?
Empowered PTO means employees are encouraged to take time off. Empowered PTO means employees have enough money to use their time off to travel. Empowered PTO means employees have the tools to plan an amazing vacation. Empowered PTO means employees take time off, they love it, and they love you for it.
What are the tax implications with Dónde?
Tax implications vary depending on the state, but typically Dónde is taxed as a fringe benefit. The employer gets the tax benefit, while the employee is taxed in the same way as they would be for income. We recommend you consult with your accountant to determine how to structure this cost-effectively.
How does Dónde make money?
This cost is covered by the employer. We also receive commission on some of the bookings that occur within our travel marketplace. However, we do not increase the prices in our marketplace. There is price parity between our marketplace and other travel marketplaces you find outside of Dónde, such as Expedia, Priceline and more.
What is Dónde's mailing address?
26 Rio Grande St. Suite 2072
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

About the Platform

What travel is available?
In the Dónde app, users can search for and book flights, rental cars, hotels, and cruises. Users can also explore a wide range of experiences offered through our preferred partners. Our travel agent can book experiences through Acanela, Globus, Viator, and Virtuoso, as well as boutique vendors like Trove or Fort Desolation. You can also ask the agent to book any items from curators like Airbnb, VRBO, and RV Share that are not yet available directly in the platform. The sky's the limit.
What kind of deals can my employees find in the travel marketplace?
Because we operate in a “closed ecosystem” we are often able to provide discounted rates on flights, hotels, cruises, tours and experiences. We also enable all employees to book travel outside of the platform if they find a better deal or discount. This year, our focus is not only helping your employees through employer contributions, but also helping them save significant money during the booking process.
What if my employees want to book something travel-related outside of Dónde’s marketplace?
Your employees are able to book any flights, hotels, experiences, and more outside of the  Dónde  marketplace. They need to coordinate with our travel designers to complete bookings outside of the platform. Our travel designers can be reached at support@godonde.com or in the live chat on the Dónde  platform.

Dónde and Your Company

How are current Dónde customers evaluating the effectiveness of the benefit?
Customers are evaluating adoption rates first, where we average 70-80% within the first 60 days of launching with a company. Customers are also concerned about usage: are people spending money in the platform on travel and taking time off? Over the long term, we also help customers determine Dónde’s impact on talent acquisition, retention, usage of PTO days and more. We care about the metrics that matter to you, and we design evaluation plans based on it.
How do I measure ROI for a fringe benefit like Dónde? I travel?
There are qualitative and quantitative approaches to determine if Dónde helps improve company performance and relational dynamic between leadership and employees. Through surveys, interviews and data analysis, we will help you understand how Dónde produces a positive return on investment that goes beyond your bottom line. Whether it is accomplishing higher retention among employees who use Dónde, determining that  Dónde is helping attract a higher number of quality candidates to your company, employees satisfaction scores going up with qualitative evidence of  Dónde making an impact - we want you to feel great about the impact we have on your company and people.
Is Dónde a replacement for other core benefits?
401k is important. Health Insurance is important. We don’t view Dónde as a replacement to these vital benefits, but we certainly view it as complementary. Dónde is the type of benefit that gets your people EXCITED. We’ve had company leadership report back to us saying that the introduction of Dónde produced standing ovations. Will you get that reaction with a 401k? Probably not. But is it important? Sure it is.
How is Dónde different from other reward and recognition platforms?
Dónde is about making PTO more effective. It’s about amplifying the quality of the vacations your employees go on. We do that through an auto-match, bonus and reward program. It’s your choice. We offer complete flexibility on the design of your contribution plan. Most reward and recognition platforms are less about experiences and more about cash and things. A lot of them enable micro contributions that add up to something over time (lunch), versus more macro contributions in Dónde that get people on epic trips (like Hawaii with the kids). People want experiences. They want to make their vacation count. That’s why Dónde matters, and it’s why we often stand apart from other platforms.
How do companies afford the match?
We'd argue that a travel benefit will beat out all other perks. Don't get rid of healthcare and retirement, but beyond that, pick some other perk to replace. Maybe the company has gone fully remote this year. Great! Pull from the budget for office snacks. How much of the spend is dedicated to recruitment and retention? Try offering Dónde and see if people aren't stoked. If the company helps people go on an epic rafting adventure in Costa Rica or relax on the beaches of Bali, we bet they’ll stay longer at this job, productivity will increase, and satisfaction will improve.
Why should employees use Dónde to save?
Saving isn’t the easiest thing in the world. And travel is expensive. The intent with Dónde is to help employees set savings goals, to simplify the saving/spending process, and most importantly, to facilitate a way a company helps their employees travel without racking up debt. The match helps an employee achieve their goals faster so they can get out there sooner.
Can a user withdraw their funds?
A company is offering this benefit to help their employees travel, and Dónde facilitates that entire process for both parties. Similar to an HSA or 401k, the funds are earmarked for a specific purpose. It is up to the employer to dictate the specific withdrawal policy (e.g. the amount and reasons). But yes, a user can withdraw their funds. They will need to email Dónde support, and we will initiate the process in alignment with their employer’s policy.
How does this work when there are travel restrictions?
Travel is opening up, but there are still restrictions in place in some locations and the rules seem to change everyday. We can offer assistance in navigating the rules of your employees’ desired destination so they have a stress-free and successful vacation. Also, employees can recharge with a nearby adventure or staycation. They can take time off for a road trip, go camping, or visit a national park.
A beautiful view of an employee travel destination
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