Your 2021 guide to restaurant vouchers in France
Find out how to use them, where they’re accepted, and more.
4 min read
One of the perks of working for a French company, restaurant vouchers help employees offset the cost of eating out. But which restaurants accept them, and how much are they worth? N26 has the answers to all this and more with this handy guide to using your restaurant vouchers in France.Restaurant vouchers are essentially coupons employers give their employees to subsidize dining out during your working hours. Companies generally offer them when they have no on-site meal facilities—like a company cafeteria—for their employees. In French, they’re known as tickets restaurant—or, originally, titres restaurant. Restaurant vouchers are issued regardless of the type of employment contract you have— permanent, temporary, part-time, apprenticeship, and so on. Restaurant vouchers can have different names depending on who issues them, including:To use your restaurant vouchers properly, there are a number of conditions you should be aware of:Companies are free to set the amount that they subsidize. However, for companies to benefit from an exemption from paying French social security contributions, they must finance 50-60% of the voucher amount—up to a limit of €5.55 in 2021. The rest is paid by the employee—usually via a salary deduction. In practice, for a voucher worth €11, your company finances between €5.50 and €6.60, and you pay the difference—i.e., between €5.50 and €4.40. In 2021, the total value of restaurant vouchers varied between around €9.25 and €11.10, depending on the percentage paid for by the company. Want to learn to spot your deductions easily? Check out our article on how to read your payslip.Wondering where you can purchase meals with your restaurant vouchers? Rest assured—many places accept them, such as:While most companies offer restaurant vouchers in paper booklets, your company can also opt to give you a voucher card instead. In this case, the principle is the same, and you can use your card at all businesses that accept paper meal vouchers. Several companies issue restaurant voucher cards—such as Edenred, Apétiz (Natixis), Swile, etc. Note that the establishments accepted and options offered—like payment on meal delivery platforms—vary from card to card. To learn more about which cards are accepted where, visit this website.It’s perfectly fine to use restaurant vouchers at the supermarket, as long as you buy ready-to-consume products like those mentioned above. However, you likely won’t be able to use more than two meal vouchers at a time, up to a maximum value of €19.In addition, each brand decides on which of its foods are eligible to be purchased with restaurant vouchers, and supermarkets aren’t required to accept them. If you’re looking to cut back on costs, using restaurant vouchers at the supermarket can help you reduce your spending. Want to save even more on your shopping? Discover our 12 tips on how to save money on groceries!
N26 is the mobile bank that puts you in the driver’s seat, helping you manage your money on-the-go, no matter where you are. With N26, you’ll receive instant push notifications as soon as money enters or leaves your account. Plus, monitor your monthly spending at a glance with Statistics. Take your budgeting one step further and organize your money with N26 Spaces. These sub-accounts let you set money aside whenever you choose, like virtual piggy banks. Create a Rule to set money aside automatically, or turn on Round-Ups to round up each card purchase to the nearest euro and transfer the difference to your chosen space. Discover the N26 plan that’s right for you today.
What’s a restaurant voucher?
- Ticket-restaurant
- Chèque Apétiz
- Pass Restaurant
- Chèque déjeuner
- Checkbook-type paper booklets
- A card
- A mobile app
How do restaurant vouchers work?
- Meal vouchers are generally only valid on work days. They must be used during the calendar year in which they’re issued, with a maximum extension of two months—meaning until the end of February of the following year. If you haven't used them by then, you can ask to exchange them for valid ones.
- Employees can only receive one meal voucher per day worked—and only if their hours include a lunch break.
- You can pay up to €19 per day using your restaurant vouchers. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, however, the ceiling has been temporarily increased to €38 per day—and vouchers can be used on weekends and holidays until February 28, 2022.
- Restaurant vouchers can only be used within a limited geographical area—usually the location or dĂ©partement of your workplace and the surrounding areas.Â
How much are restaurant vouchers worth?
Where to use restaurant vouchers
- Restaurants and fast food restaurants (for both eat-in and take-away)
- Supermarkets, bakeries, and other food-service establishments where you buy prepared foods (like sandwiches, salads, and pre-cooked meals), or fresh fruits and vegetables
Where to use your restaurant voucher card
How many restaurant vouchers can you use at the supermarket?
Manage your finances the simple way with N26Â
Find similar stories
BY N26Love your bank
Related Post
These might also interest youLifestyle
8 spine-tingling money horror stories from the N26 team
From financial fraud to sneaky fees, these real-life tales will make you laugh, cringe, and double-check your bank balance.
5 min read
Lifestyle
Europeans prioritize daily spending and saving in 2024
We surveyed 6,300 Europeans across five countries about their approach to finances.
8 min read
Lifestyle
We need to talk about the pension gap
Ensuring your golden years are truly golden means not letting the pension gap derail your retirement.
5 min read