Two caps that get confused
When a customer mentions the luncheon voucher cap, they mean the 25 euro daily spending limit. When their employer mentions it, they mean something else entirely: the tax-exempt ceiling on the employer contribution. The two figures are different, and so are their effects.
The first cap governs how vouchers are spent in your dining room or in a shop. The second governs how vouchers are funded by the company and how that funding is taxed. Grasping the difference settles half the arguments at the till.
- Daily spending cap: 25 euros of vouchers per person, per day.
- Tax-exempt ceiling: the maximum employer contribution exempt from social security charges.
- Face value: the amount printed on or loaded onto the voucher, set freely by the company.
The tax-exempt ceiling on the employer contribution
How it works
The employer pays part of the voucher, the employee pays the rest. The employer's share is exempt from social security contributions up to a limit set each year. Above that, the excess is added back into the base for contributions and becomes a cost like any other.
The conditions to meet
Two conditions must both be satisfied to qualify for the exemption. The employer's contribution has to fall between 50% and 60% of the voucher's face value. And it must not exceed the ceiling currently in force.
One voucher per day worked, no more. Days off, holidays and absences carry no entitlement. Neither does an employee who eats in a company canteen.
The reference figures
The tax-exempt ceiling stood at 7.26 euros per voucher as of 1 January 2025. It is revalued every year, indexed to consumer prices excluding tobacco. For 2026, check the exact figure published by URSSAF before quoting it to a customer: the year-on-year change is only a few cents.
That ceiling dictates the most sensible voucher value for a company. With the contribution capped at 7.26 euros, the optimal face value lands between 12.10 and 14.52 euros, depending on whether the employer funds 60% or 50%. That explains the rise of the 11, 12 and 13 euro vouchers crossing your counter today.
In one city-centre brasserie, the average value of vouchers taken went from 8.50 euros to over 11 euros in five years. The average lunchtime spend followed almost automatically.
The spending cap: 25 euros a day
Since October 2022, an employee can pay up to 25 euros in vouchers per day. This limit is a daily maximum, not a weekly one. It applies in restaurants and supermarkets alike.
Vouchers remain valid on working days only. Not Sundays, not public holidays, unless the voucher is marked otherwise for employees who work those days. In practice, enforcement falls to you for paper vouchers and to the issuer for digital ones.
Restaurants, supermarkets and food items
Luncheon vouchers cover ready-to-eat meals, but also certain food items in shops. That extension, renewed by parliament, widened holders' spending power and diverted some of the volume to retail. One more reason to get your lunch offer right.
Acceptance rules for operators
Accepting luncheon vouchers is not automatic. You have to register with each issuer, or go through the central clearing body for paper vouchers. Every contract sets its own commission and payment terms.
- Check the validity date: paper vouchers expire on 31 January of the following year, with an exchange window in February.
- Give no change on a paper voucher: that is the rule, however awkward it feels.
- Watch the daily cap and the number of vouchers handed over for a single meal.
- Display the payment methods you accept clearly, just as you display your prices.
This is part of what the customer should find before ordering, alongside price display inside and outside the restaurant. An up-to-date menu prevents misunderstandings when the bill arrives.
Reimbursement: what it really costs
A voucher is not cash in hand. Between taking it and receiving the transfer sit a commission and a delay. That is where your real margin on lunch service is decided.
| Criterion | Paper voucher | Digital voucher |
|---|---|---|
| Average commission | 3% to 5% of face value | 2% to 4% of face value |
| Reimbursement time | 8 to 15 days after posting | 2 to 5 working days |
| Handling | Sorting, counting, remittance slip, posting | None, automatic transfer |
| Risk of error | Expired or rejected vouchers | Automated cap checking |
On 400 vouchers a month at an average value of 11 euros, a 4% commission comes to 176 euros a month. That is over 2,000 euros a year, to weigh against the covers those vouchers bring in.
Running lunch service as voucher values climb
A higher tax-exempt ceiling pushes face values up. Your customers therefore have a bigger lunch budget, but one capped at 25 euros. A 24.50 euro set menu still goes through in full; at 26 euros, the customer tops up by card.
Build your set menus just below that threshold rather than above it. And track your food costs alongside, because lunchtime margin turns on a few dozen cents. Disciplined stock control is often worth more than a price increase.
Front of house, a digital menu updated in real time lets you reposition a set menu in minutes when the caps move. No reprinting, and faster price testing.
The mistakes that cost money
First mistake: accepting vouchers beyond the daily limit. The issuer can refuse to reimburse the excess.
Second mistake: forgetting the dates. A batch of paper vouchers sent in late, after 31 January, will not be reimbursed, and nobody will warn you.
Third mistake: never renegotiating. Commissions are negotiable above a certain monthly volume, especially if you take vouchers from several issuers. Compare your statements once a year and ask for a review.
Finally, keep the roles straight. The tax-exempt ceiling, the employer contribution and the funding are matters for the employer and its works council. Your job is to take the vouchers, check the daily cap and keep an eye on your reimbursement times.