Among the measures of law of purchasing power voted on by parliament, there is one that concerns restaurant vouchers which are wrongly called restaurant vouchers. We will be able to use them more widely for shopping. With, in addition, a new daily limit who happened from 19 to 25 euros.

For the record, today, you can also use this payment method to pay the bill at the restaurant than paying for a sandwich at the bakery or buying food at a supermarket. Except that in the latter case, at the time of purchase, a distinction must be made between food products for direct consumption, which are “eligible” for payment with food stamps, and all other products for which the store does not You have the right to accept restaurant vouchers.

Everyone can also see this by looking closely at your receipt since the TRD mentions “eligible” products. Therefore, this rule is temporarily relaxed. Restaurant vouchers can be used to pay for all food purchases through the end of 2023.

Obviously, one might wonder why this law on purchasing power was necessary to challenge the hitherto intangible rule that prohibited the purchase of eggs, butter, fresh cream, flour, rice, onions or courgettes with restaurant vouchers…

First you have to see a clientelistic logic. Restaurateurs and bakers have a natural competitor: home cooking. Allowing consumers to buy something to prepare at home, for example a risotto or a courgette quiche, the legislator will mechanically lose business. But it was also about preventing this economic boost initially reserved for employees from being used for anything other than allowing them to have lunch in the absence of canteens.

In addition, the interest of the restaurateurs is linked to that of public finances. The addition of a lunch in a brasserie includes 10% VAT, while for almost all food products sold in stores, it is only 5.5%. Therefore, the tax authorities have a strong interest in ensuring that restaurant vouchers are not used for purchases.

Parliamentarians also wanted to ensure that the maximum nominal value of restaurant vouchers is increased to 15 euros. But the Minister of Economy opposed. Order too expensive.

On the food vouchers delivered to its employees, the employer does not pay social security contributions (unless it exceeds the authorized limit) and this economic support is not included in the tax base either. Raising the maximum ceiling would have increased, therefore, the State and Social Security deficit.

If the argument can be heard, it should be noted, however, that this ceiling is far from keeping pace with inflation. In 2017, the maximum amount of a food voucher was 10.76 euros. Five years later, it only increased by 5.7% to 11.38 euros, while in that period the price increase measured by INSEE exceeded 10%.