Half of Belgian employees receive eco-vouchers: what can you buy with them? Is it deducted from your salary? † money

One in four employees today uses eco-friendly coupons for their daily shopping. In the past, ecocheques were often used for one big purchase. This is evidenced by data from VIA, the comprehensive organization of environmental and meal voucher publishers. Via Via has also experienced a shift in use, with food and craft categories becoming increasingly important.

About half of the wage workers in our country can rely on environmental vouchers. “This means about 2 million employees at more than 113,000 companies,” says Gert Vermeer of SD Worx. “There is no general legal right to environmental vouchers. However, there are many sectoral collective labor agreements, and agreements in joint committees, that award environmental vouchers. All companies in those sectors must then apply them. In addition, a sole proprietorship can also to decide to award environmental vouchers.” Read here who is entitled to it†

If a number of conditions are met, there are no tax and social fees or deductions from eco-vouchers. “One of those conditions is the maximum annual amount: €250 per employee,” Vermeer says. “So you can never receive more than 250 euros a year in the form of electronic checks. Sometimes it is also less, because you work part-time, or because you have not yet worked for a full reference period. The average amount paid in electronic checks is 190 euros per employee per year “.

Furthermore, eco-vouchers are a “group benefit”. It is given to all employees of the company, or to an objective group of employees. Unlike meal vouchers, employees are also not required to make a personal contribution or participation. The amount of the ecocheques is therefore entirely borne by your employer, and is on top of your salary.”

advice: Environmental vouchers can sometimes be exchanged for an additional fee. These are the conditions†

Since this year, ecocheques have become a completely electronic compulsion, Vermeir continues. They are deposited into the payment card, which is the same card that also contains electronic meal vouchers, if any. The issuer of checks – Edenred, Sodexo or Monizze – will send you an email when checks are loaded onto your card. You can also refer to the balance in an app or Via a secure web application. It is also included in your payment voucher.”

In 2020, eco-vouchers worth over €318 million were used. You can consume it on about 2,000 different products and services at nearly 11,000 points of sale across the country. You can only spend it in Belgium, on environmental goods or services, on merchants who are members of the network. The social partners of the National Action Council define what these goods and services are,” concludes Vermeer.

See here the products you can buy with ecocheques†

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