Eco-vouchers. We all know them. They sit somewhere on a card or in an app, assigned once a year, and then quietly fade into oblivion. The result? The budget expires. And the money? It goes straight back to the voucher provider. Not exactly the most impactful way to reward your employees. 💸
Good news: there’s a smarter way. And more and more sectors are discovering it.
Eco-vouchers: who or what? 🏳️
Eco-vouchers are the "greener," smaller sibling of the well-known meal voucher. They were made mandatory in certain joint committees — such as JC 200 (white-collar workers) — but they actually perform poorly on two fronts:
- Low usage. Eco-vouchers can only be spent on a limited list of "ecological" products. This restriction makes them less popular. Also, the network of merchants accepting them is significantly smaller than for meal vouchers.
- Expiration date. Every eco-voucher has an expiry date. Not used in time? The budget simply vanishes into the issuer's books.
Tip: Check the usage rate of the eco-vouchers assigned to your team... and try not to fall off your chair!
The construction sector leads by example: look at JC 124 👷
The construction sector (JC 124) recently decided to take the lead. In their latest sectoral agreement, they decided to abolish eco-vouchers and grant a mandatory increase in meal vouchers as of April 1, 2026. A concrete, tangible improvement in the employee's daily wallet, instead of an annual credit gathering dust in an app.
Smart. Simple. Effective. 💪Can you do the same in your joint committee? 🤔
Yes. And it’s easier than you think.
Employers in JC 200, for example, are legally required to offer eco-vouchers, but they are allowed to replace them with an "equivalent benefit of equal value." In other words: you swap the budget away from eco-vouchers and attach it to another benefit, such as a higher meal voucher value.
The procedure is remarkably straightforward:
- No union delegation? A simple communication to your employees is enough. An email or Slack message does the job.
- With union delegation? You sign a collective labor agreement (CLA).
⚠️ Take note: The deadline for the swap is October for vouchers issued in the following year. That’s why timing is everything: if you arrange this before the end of October 2026, you’ll already cover the next issuance in June 2027. Don't wait until the deadline is staring you in the face.
The ‘meal voucher maths’ add up 🧮
With meal vouchers rising toward €10 per day, the math becomes even more attractive. Suppose an organization decides to increase the meal voucher from €8 to €9.15 per day. At an average of 220 working days per year, this means an extra €250 gross in meal vouchers, just enough to compensate for and exceed the typical €250 in eco-vouchers.
Better purchasing power. Every single day. Instead of a once-a-year voucher for an eco-friendly kettle. 🍱 > 🌿
And the government? They agree 🏛️
The federal government has already signaled its intent to phase out eco-vouchers in the long run. While there is no formal law yet, the direction is clear: the system is past its prime. Swapping eco for meal vouchers is not just smart today - it’s future-proof.
Our advice: do the swap ✅
Eco-vouchers are a hassle to manage and less loved by employees. Swapping to meal vouchers offers:
✅ A better employee benefit (felt daily, not forgotten yearly)
✅ Less administrative burden
✅ A strong signal: you choose what actually has an impact
Want to know how to handle the swap in your organization? Get in touch with the Payflip team. We’ll guide you through the procedure, from communication to implementation.
Let's make salaries work. 💜
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