How to pick the best mile tracker app

Keeping consistent, accurate, and properly kept records of trips, without a mile tracker app, can be a chore. Logging trips, checking the odometer, remembering what date it was and before you know it, your glove compartment has transformed into a filing cabinet and sorting out all the information takes way too much of your time.

Fortunately, a wide variety of car mile tracker apps make it simple to keep track of your travels. The best part is that many of those apps, such as Driversnote, have a free version which you can always try out to see if it is right for you, without committing in any way. 

Should I still keep my physical log book?

A mile tracker app often serves as a log book which means that if you get it, you can ditch your car log book and track and log your miles all at once. Apps that track your mileage can keep your trips, sort them out and apply the HMRC standard rates to generate reports for you.

If you wish, you can always keep your physical log book, but if you are using a mile tracker app, it may be unnecessary.

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Must-have features of the best mile tracker apps

Tracking

This may seem obvious but tracking mileage apps vary quite a lot when it comes to it. The best mile tracker options will have accurate tracking which can be triggered either with the press of a button or completely automatically. The tracked trip will then be kept in your car log book app for whenever you need it. 

Intelligent classification

To get mileage allowance or reimbursement, accurate classification of your trips is necessary. You should be able to classify a trip as business or private if you are driving the same vehicle for both. HMRC requires you to have a clear separation between the two in your logs.

Reports on the go

You need to find a mile tracker app that generates reports whenever you need them. Being able to customize reports can be a lifesaver since you wouldn’t want to get automatic reports only once a month if your boss requires them at another time. You also want an app that can generate those reports in a couple of different formats - for example as PDF or Excel.

Further, the correct amount for deduction or reimbursement should be visible in the mileage reports you generate from the app, as should all other necessary information for adequate records, such as the time and destination of your trips, as well as their purpose.

Extra features of the best mile tracker apps

Automatic tracking

While any mileage tracking app you choose has a tracking feature, not all of them have it automatically. The automatic tracking feature can save you a lot of time and trouble as it will never allow you to forget logging a trip. An extra perk that some mile tracker apps have is that they only automatically track relevant trips. That’s right - they don’t track when you walk, take the bus or your bike. That is usually accomplished with a small device installed in your vehicle. When you enter your vehicle, the device connects to your phone and prompts tracking to begin. When you exit the vehicle, tracking automatically comes to a halt and the trip is completed. This ensures that your mileage log contains only relevant trips.

Pick your mileage rate

While most mile tracker apps follow the general mileage rate set by HMRC for 2021, it is nice to have the option to change the rate to another one if you need to. If your boss reimburses you for a rate slightly higher than the standard, you will want to change it so that your reimbursement calculations are accurate. 

Picking the best mile tracker app

You should consider the above-mentioned features when you pick your mile tracker app. We recommend that you try Driversnote and a couple of other options as your vehicle log book before making your decision. We offer a free version that you can try with no binding of any kind - try it today! 

If you are not sure if you would get enough mileage reimbursement to commit to a log book, use our mileage calculator to estimate your reimbursement. We believe that you can get quite a lot in tax returns even if you only travel a few times for your work.

FAQ about picking a mileage tracking app