10 things you need to know about the Edenred meal card
11 de August, 2023
The Edenred meal card is a social benefit through which companies give their employees a meal allowance. The aim is to help them cover their food costs, thus helping them to have a proper meal during their working day.
Want to know more about this benefit? Find out 10 things about Edenred Meal.
1 – It’s not a means of payment, but a social voucher
Although it is an electronic card, pre-loaded by the company with the amount stipulated for the payment of the meal allowance, the truth is that Edenred Refeição is not a means of payment, but a social voucher.
The aim of this benefit is to guarantee workers access to nutritious food during their working day. To this end, it can be used to purchase meals or food products for cooking.
2 – Increases liquidity in food expenses
The payment of meal allowances by card is an option increasingly favored by companies, as it has several advantages associated with it. One of the main ones is the tax benefits.
Up to the amount of €10.20/day, the company is fully exempt from TSU and the employee is fully exempt from TSU and IRS. On the other hand, if the allowance is given in cash, these exemptions only apply up to a maximum of €6.00/day. This means that companies can allocate a higher amount without increasing the tax burden, thus increasing employees’ purchasing power when it comes to food expenses.
3 – Can only be used on national territory
One of the aims of social vouchers is to stimulate economic activity and generate a virtuous circle that boosts the local economy and contributes to society as a whole. For this reason, these benefits can only be used on national territory.
4 – It’s ecological and inclusive
Edenred meal cards issued from September 2022 are now more environmentally friendly, made of degradable PVC. In this way, they degrade more quickly in the natural environment and have a lower environmental impact.
At the same time, all the cards have also become more inclusive: the round notch on the right-hand side allows blind people to know the correct position of the card every time they make a payment.
5 – Can be customized with the company’s visual identity
Companies that provide the meal allowance via the Edenred meal card can choose to personalize it with their brand and visual identity. The cards can include the company’s logo, its color palette or other visual elements alluding to the brand, which can help reinforce its notoriety. At the same time, it can also be a way of increasing employees’ sense of belonging to the organization.
6 – It has the largest network of member establishments in the country
Edenred Refeição can be used in more than 38,000 establishments in mainland Portugal and the islands. These establishments include restaurants, cafés, bakeries and pastry shops, mini-markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, butchers, fishmongers, grocery stores and other food establishments.
Find out at any time if an establishment is part of the Edenred network on our website or in the MyEdenred App. If you want to use your card in a place that is not yet part of our network, you can also suggest that establishment.
7 – Can be associated with MB WAY
If you usually use MB WAY, then you should know that you can also link Edenred Refeição to this application. The linking process is done at an ATM, just like with bank cards.
After that, you can start making payments with your cell phone at establishments that accept Edenred Refeição.
8 – Can be used in physical and online establishments
As well as being able to use MB WAY to make contactless payments in physical establishments, you can also make online purchases on websites and platforms that have MB WAY as a payment method.
When finalizing the purchase and validating the payment in the MB WAY application, select the Edenred meal card.
9 – You’re just a click away with the MyEdenred App
Not yet registered with the MyEdenred App? By installing this app, available on iOS and Android, you can manage your Edenred Meal card and any other Edenred benefits you may have.
Check your balance and movements at any time, discover establishments near you that accept the Edenred meal card, suggest new establishments, access discounts at restaurants, block your card if it is lost or misplaced, among other features.
10 – Gives you access to advantages in dozens of brands
Also on the MyEdenred App, you can access the Discounts and Advantages Program. Edenred users can enjoy discounts on dozens of insurance brands , fuel, leisure, technology, health and wellness, mobility, energy and much more.
All you need to do is look in the “Advantages” section of the app to see how you can access each of the discounts.
Article updated in December 2024 (to take into account the new meal allowance rates in force).