Thanks to technology, methods of transactions are constantly evolving. From barter systems to cash payments, we’ve now progressed to digital transactions. Managing expenses when it comes to reimbursing employees can be a real hassle. Tracking email requests along with proof of expense can result in wastage of time. Corporates these days are opting for other methods such as meal vouchers for reimbursements. Meal vouchers also enable you to get tax benefits, as the amount distributed as coupons is not taxable.
Here's what companies are using to replace reimbursement with meal vouchers
Axis Bank offers a Prepaid Meal Card that can be used at any Visa enabled outlets. These Visa enabled food and beverage outlets include grocery shops, meat markets, supermarkets, bakeries, convenience stores, confectionery shops, dairy products shops, restaurants, among others.
These meal cards can be reloaded to a maximum of Rs. 3,000 per month, depending on the available balance in the card. At any point, the balance in these cards cannot exceed Rs. 10,000. The option of online payments has not been made available on these cards. On expiry, available amount on the card shall be refunded to the cardholder, provided the refund claim is made within 3 months from the date of expiry.
CINQO is a digital solution for employees to avail tax-free meal allowances. CINQO Digital Meal Vouchers are used via mobile wallet. These can be used for food and non-alcoholic beverages. These can be used across the country with any merchant. It can also be used at company cafeterias and have the affiliation process of the vendor handled by CINQO themselves.
Edenred is the inventor of Ticket Restaurant Meal Vouchers and Meal Cards. These meal vouchers and cards can be used at any of the fine dining restaurants, cafeterias, food courts, bakeries, and food outlets which are affiliated with Edenred. They’re easy to carry, reloadable, and have no administrative hassles. The meal vouchers come with corporate deals and discounts for the organization. These can also be used at the company’s cafeteria or food court.
Happay offers a wide range of unique features for the company as well as employees. Their web dashboard enables employers to distribute allowances to employees together. Since the entire process is digital, it helps you save up on overhead costs like printing and distribution. The cards are customizable to such an extent that companies can decide when and where the cards can be used.
Happay food cards can be used pan India at all outlets that accept Visa. These meal cards can also be used while ordering online. The balance on Happay cards are valid for as long as the card is kept active, or for a period of 5 years. Your money is secure with their 24*7 fraud monitoring security.
Say goodbye to time-consuming meal card top-ups. Simplify reimbursement.
ICICI offers meal cards to corporates for reimbursing employees. These can be used at over 50,000 merchants in India at outlets for food, beverages, and ready-to-eat items. They can be swiped like a debit card at any F&B terminal where Visa cards are accepted.
These meal cards are easy to track and can be reloaded quickly by simply putting in details to fund the card connected to the company’s current account. They’re also secured with signature-based security for point-of-sale purchases. Cardholders can receive alerts via SMS when the card is reloaded.
NiYO offers a Benefits Card that can be used to distribute allowances for meals, gifts, and also other reimbursements. They have a 30 second onboarding process done through a biometric system and aadhar card. Through a corporate portal, NiYO cards can be loaded with employee benefits. With over 1.5 million outlets online and offline, employees can start spending immediately anywhere. Using the NiYO mobile app, employees can also claim tax benefits. NiYO is also integrated with HR systems for efficient functioning. The mobile app can be used to change the PIN, and handle other details about the meal card.
7) Sodexo
Sodexo’s employee benefits and rewards services include – meal pass, meal pass card, cafeteria pass card, and resto pass card. Meal passes are prepaid vouchers that are accepted at over 19,000 outlets for food and non-alcoholic beverages. Meal pass cards are pin-based cards that can be swiped at any merchant affiliated with Sodexo. Cafeteria pass cards can be used at the company’s cafeteria or food court for cashless transactions on campus. Resto pass cards have a 5 year validity from the date of issue, just like other cards. These are accepted at prominent restaurants and also fast food joints, ice cream parlors, juice centres, cafes, etc.
Zaggle has a number of corporate rewards you can choose from. However, Zaggle’s Kuber card is the one that can be used as a meal voucher. This card can be used at over 11 lakh merchants in India. A maximum of Rs. 50,000 can be loaded to this card, which comes with variants for validity. Employers can choose from a 6 month validity, annual validity, and reloadable variants. Zaggle offers discounts based on the size of the order and variants.
9) Zeta
Zeta has a wide range of solutions for employee benefits. Zeta Optima offers e vouchers for meals to employees. These can be used in 3 ways – app, card, and NFC tag. The cards are completely digital and transfers can be made within seconds to all employees. They’re 100% compliant with RBI and Income Tax guidelines. Companies can customise rules for usage as per their policies. This solution also seamlessly integrates with company cafeterias.
Employees would largely benefit from this as they are accepted at over 3 lakh outlets. They can also save up to 30% in taxes on food purchases.
Meal cards are a great way to handle reimbursements. But you can eliminate the need to constantly keep track of every employee card by using a reimbursement management system.
