7 August 2025

Restaurant cheque: what it is and why today it is a digital card

hand holds a mobile phone to pay at a card reader, while someone holds a takeaway coffee.

The luncheon voucher It is the assistance with which a company finances its employees' meals during the working day. It is a term that is still used a lot, but it is worth updating: what was before a paper cheque Today is a digital card. At Edenred corresponds to Ticket Restaurant, exempt from personal income tax up to €11 per working day. We tell you what it is, how it has evolved and how to offer it in your company. 

Table of contents

What is a restaurant voucher?

cheque restaurante es un tipo de vale que las empresas dan a sus empleados para que lo utilicen en restaurantes o tiendas de comestibles adscritos a la red. benefit intended to cover work meals of employees. It allows the company to cover, in whole or in part, the daily meals of its workforce in a simple and secure way, and it improves the purchasing power of the worker without the need for a direct salary increase.

Although the name «cheque» comes from the original paper format, the product has changed: today it functions as a payment card linked to each employee. You can see What is it and how does it work in detail in the Ticket Restaurant Guide

From paper cheque to digital card

The traditional restaurant cheque was a physical booklet that the employee handed over to pay for their meals. With digitalisation, that format has given way to a 100 % digital card the card Ticket Restaurant – , which allows for:

  • Fence at the restaurant with the card or directly from the mobile.
  • Remote recharge, without receiving slips or physical deliveries each month.
  • Check balance and transactions from the app and locate the affiliated establishments.
  • Block the card immediately in case of theft or loss.

 

In other words, the idea of meal vouchers is still alive – the company pays for the team's meals – but with the convenience and security of the digital format. If you want to see Where can it be used?, you have it in Where to use Ticket Restaurant.

The company restaurant voucher

For a company, offering restaurant vouchers (now cards) is simple to implement and manage:

  • CustomisableDefines the daily amount, the number of cards, and the terms of use.
  • No fees or contractsOnly allocate the amount you decide to business meals.
  • Centralised management and 100 per cent tax-deductible expense % in Corporation Tax.

 

Have you got the Advantages for businesses and the Taxation in Personal Income Tax developed in their articles.

How to offer it in your company

Implementing it is quick, and it adapts to each company's characteristics: you define the parameters that best suit your team, and Edenred will assist you with the setup. All you need to do is Get in touch with the Edenred team To begin.

Would you like to see how I would fit into your company? Request a demo

We are a multi-solution platform offering services such as Edenred Mobility, Childcare, Health Insurance, and more, always adapting to society's needs to improve quality of life and enhance the joy of living.

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