On Wednesday, the National Assembly authorized until the end of 2026 the possibility of paying with food vouchers for purchases of food products in supermarkets, and not only those for direct consumption. 5.4 million employees benefit from food vouchers. But how and where can they be used?
• What can you buy with it?
This question is the point of the current debate. By law, in supermarkets you can only buy ready-to-eat products with restaurant vouchers. But Parliament voted in favor of an exemption in August 2022, against a backdrop of rising inflation, that would allow employees to use these titles to purchase almost all food products. The exemption was due to end on December 31, 2025. has just been expanded for a period of one year. It will therefore always be possible to buy pasta, flour or butter with restaurant vouchers, to the dismay of restaurateurs.
Here is the list of what is possible to purchase with food vouchers:
- Fruits and vegetables and starchy foods: fruits, vegetables, potatoes, cereals, breads, pasta, semolina, rice.
- Fish, meat, eggs, shellfish: whether fresh, frozen, canned.
- Milk and dairy products: cheeses, yogurts, fermented milks, milk or milk-based preparations (creams and sauces), petit suisses, white cheeses.
- Sweet and fatty products: sweet and/or dairy desserts, pastries, pastries, sugar, chocolate, butter, crème fraîche, oil, margarine, fried and breaded preparations.
- Water and drinks: still and sparkling water, water derivatives (coffee, broths, tea, etc.), fruit juices and non-alcoholic beverages.
• What products are not eligible?
- alcoholic drinks
- Confectionery
- Children’s products
- animal products
- non-food product
• Where can these tickets be used?
Food vouchers are valid in restaurants (collective, fast or traditional catering), supermarkets, retail stores, local fruit shops, butchers or catering shops or even bakeries/pastry shops.
The Edenred website provides a map listing businesses that accept restaurant vouchers.
The merchant or supermarket must have obtained approval from the National Commission for Restaurant Vouchers (CNTR) to accept these vouchers.
Restaurants and merchants are not required to accept food vouchers. Each store brand establishes its own list of products to pay for a restaurant voucher. Therefore, there may be differences from one brand to another.
• Can they be used on Sundays or holidays?
In principle, restaurant vouchers can be used exclusively on working days (generally Monday to Saturday), but not on holidays, since they are intended for employees during their working day.
However, the Labor Code mentions that Sundays and holidays can be used only if employees must work on those days.
• Is there a quantity limit?
The maximum daily amount is 25 euros per day from October 1, 2022. Change cannot be given.
• Can you exchange or get a refund for your meal vouchers?
Good news: the Labor Code provides that titles not used during the validity period “and returned by the beneficiary employees to their employer no later than during the following fortnight are exchanged free of charge for an equal number of titles valid for the subsequent period” .
• How long are food vouchers valid?
Paper food vouchers are valid for 14 months. Therefore, it is possible to use them until January 31 of year N+1.
In the case of dematerialized food vouchers, the balance is valid for 14 months, so it lasts until the last day of February of year N+1.
Source: BFM TV
