15.11.2023

WHAT GOODS CAN WE BUY WITH FOOD VOUCHERS?

Through food vouchers, employers provide employees and management contracts with food, separately from their remuneration.

The provided food vouchers are a means of exchange through which users receive food and food items against the face value of the vouchers at restaurants, fast food outlets, as well as food outlets including grocery stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, etc., operating in accordance with the requirements of the Food Law.

Food vouchers cannot be used as a means of payment for the purchase of wine, spirits, beer, tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, etc.), as well as being exchanged for money.

As it becomes clear, the law places restrictions not only in terms of in what establishments the food vouchers can be used, but also for what goods and services.

It has certainly happened to most people to enter a store and when they try to pay with a voucher, the cashier politely or not so kindly explains that the relevant goods cannot be purchased in this way and must be paid for separately in cash. Why are these examples so common and what exactly are the limits on the goods we can buy with food vouchers?

Surprisingly or not, the law has regulated what is included in the concepts of "food" and "food products", which are different in nature. "Food" means any substance or product intended or capable of being used for human consumption, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed within the meaning of the Food Act. "Food products" are all food raw materials, semi-finished products, finished products and meals, beverages, spices, flavoring substances, additives, auxiliary materials, etc., consumed by man to meet his energy and nutritional needs for life and growth.

The law in Bulgaria also regulates the conditions under which the respective food vouchers are provided and used. They are provided under conditions agreed between the employer and the representatives of the workers and employees and/or the representatives of the nationally representative trade union organizations in the enterprise.

Users who have received meal vouchers printed by one operator may only use these vouchers at a vendor outlet with which the relevant operator has a service contract.

When the amount of food or groceries purchased is lower than the nominal value of the voucher, the user is not entitled to receive the balance up to the nominal value of the voucher provided.

Any user who has received meal vouchers is required to return unused meal vouchers to the employer upon termination of employment or management contract.

Reference:

Art. 2, Art. 3, Art. 14 of Ordinance No. 7 of July 9, 2003 on the terms and conditions for issuing and revoking a permit to operate as a food voucher operator and to operate as an operator

Art. 2 of the Food Act.