Nearly six million workers in France receive ‘tickets restos’, which can currently be spent in restaurants or at the supermarket or other food shops. But, in 2025, changes are coming that may not be entirely welcome.
What are tickets restos?
As their name suggests, tickets restos were originally designed to help cover the cost of meals in restaurants, under certain conditions.
They are most commonly distributed to employees whose companies do not have a subsidised canteen. Employees could also, for example, buy sandwiches or other food for immediate consumption in food stores and supermarkets.
Does an employer have to offer these vouchers to staff?
No. They could provide a canteen, or pay a lunch allowance instead – but employers are required to use one of these options to cover the cost of meals during a worker’s shift.
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If they do choose to provide the ticket resto, each employee – whether full or part-time, permanent or temporary, experienced or trainee – is entitled to one voucher for each meal included in the daily work schedule.
Do employees have to accept them?
Employees do not have to accept meal vouchers, though a collective agreement may stipulate such an obligation. If this is not the case, and the employee prefers not to use them, they should inform their bosses in writing.
Do restaurants or shops have to accept them?
No – and they can also set a list of products that can be paid for with meal vouchers – so far example cafés may stipulate that only the menu du jour can be paid for with a ticket resto.
Can vouchers be transferred to other people?
No. The vouchers are personal. The employee is the only person who can use them. Employees can only pay for meals with meal vouchers in the département where they work, or in neighbouring départements – unless they are travelling on business.
Can they be used at any time?
They may use their meal vouchers on any day of the week except (usually) Sundays and public holidays – unless they are required to work those days.
And are they literal vouchers? In this day and age?
Some are. Employers can provide vouchers in several formats:
Paper tickets, similar to a chequebook
Prepaid and rechargeable chip card (usable in the same terminals as bank cards)
Access to an application on the mobile phone (smartphone )
When the employee has a card or an app on their smartphone, they can access the balance of their personal meal voucher account free of charge (by SMS for example).
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How much are they worth?
Employees may use their meal vouchers up to a limit of €25 per day. Be aware, if you use paper vouchers, the restaurant or store you visit is not obliged to give you change.
When using a card or smartphone app, the employee is debited for the exact amount to be paid. If the employee uses paper vouchers, the shopkeeper is not obliged to give change.
You said some changes were coming…
After the Covid-19 crisis, the government temporarily validated an extension of the vouchers’ use in supermarkets to buy foods not intended for immediate consumption – so they could be used to purchase ingredients for an evening meal, for example.
That right was due to expire on December 31st, 2024 – to the delight of restaurateurs, and the disappointment of consumers, who were quite enjoying being able to reduce the impact of their shopping habits by using subsidised tickets to subsidise their weekly food shop costs.
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But, in November, MPs listened to consumers, and voted to extend the right to use tickets resto in shops and supermarkets for another 12 months.
That’s good news isn’t it?
Not so fast… Unfortunately, before the law could be validated in the Senate, French MPs collapsed the government with a vote of no confidence, prompting the resignation of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after a mere 90 days at Matignon.
As a result, the bill that would have extended the use of tickets resto in stores has stalled.
It be could be reinstated some time in 2025, but as things stand the right to use tickets restos in supermarkets to purchase things other than sandwiches, pre-packed salads or prepared lunches expires on December 31st.