In short:
- The four main issuers of meal voucher cards in France (Edenred, Pluxee, Up and Swile) offer very similar services: payment to the cent, mobile payment, meal delivery and top-up payment by bank card.
- Their declared networks range from 220,000 establishments (Swile) to 300,000 partners (Edenred), according to the pages consulted on 17 October 2026.
- None of the four publishes an employer price: the price has to be requested from each issuer.
- The rules are the same for all of them: employer share of 50% to 60%, exemption up to 7.32 euros per voucher in 2026, use limited to 25 euros per day.
Comparison table of meal voucher cards
The information below was taken on 17 October 2026 from the issuers’ public French pages. “Not found” means the information did not appear on the pages consulted.
| Criterion | Edenred | Pluxee | Up | Swile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name of the offer | Ticket Restaurant® | Pluxee Restaurant | Titre déjeuner Upcoop | Titres-resto Swile |
| Declared network | 300,000 restaurants, shops, retail chains and delivery platforms | 260,000 shops and restaurants | More than 253,500 restaurants and shops | More than 220,000 eligible establishments |
| Formats | Physical or digital card, paper vouchers | Card, paper vouchers | Physical or virtual card, paper vouchers | Physical or virtual card (paper vouchers not found) |
| Mobile payment | Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay | Apple Pay, Google Pay | Apple Pay, Google Pay | Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Top-up by bank card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Meal delivery | Yes, partner platforms | Yes, partner platforms | Yes | Yes, partner platforms |
| Unspent balance | Automatic exchange for the next year’s vouchers, under the issuer’s terms | Automatic carry-over of credits at year end | Automatic carry-over of the balance | Balances carried over from one year to the next |
| Card validity | 4 years | 4 years | New card sent every 4 years | Not found |
| Employer price | Not published (quote request) | Not published (price request) | Not published (online budget simulator) | Not published (online request) |
| Key point | Largest declared network | Large network, from the first employee | Large network, from the first employee | One card for several benefits |
This comparison is not based on a test of the cards. Parole de RH has no commercial link with any issuer. Network and client figures are those declared by each issuer, and they are not calculated in the same way.
Meal voucher card: how this ranking is built
Choosing the best meal voucher card means comparing verifiable elements. Prices, which would be the first criterion, are not published by any of the four issuers. The ranking therefore uses two criteria.
- The declared acceptance network: the larger it is, the easier it is for employees to find somewhere to pay.
- The formats and services published: physical or virtual card, paper vouchers, mobile payment, carry-over of the balance.
| Rank | Issuer | Main reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edenred | Largest declared network, card and paper vouchers, three mobile payment options |
| 2 | Pluxee | Declared network of 260,000 shops, card and paper vouchers, automatic carry-over of credits |
| 3 | Up | Declared network of more than 253,500 shops, physical or virtual card and paper vouchers |
| 4 | Swile | Declared network of more than 220,000 establishments, but a card that combines several benefits |
The gap between the four is small. A larger declared network does not guarantee that a given restaurant accepts the card: each issuer offers a map of partner shops to check before choosing.
Edenred: the largest declared network
Edenred sells the Ticket Restaurant®. On its presentation page, the issuer announces 300,000 partner restaurants, shops, retail chains and delivery platforms, as well as 2.5 million “digital users”.
- Formats: physical or digital card, sent to the home, the office or by email. Paper vouchers are still offered.
- Payment: to the cent, up to 25 euros per day, with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
- Top-up: a bank card added in the Edenred+ app makes it possible to pay above the limit.
- Security: PIN code, card blocking, and no loss of balance if the card is stolen or lost, according to the issuer.
- Balance: vouchers loaded in a given year are automatically exchanged for those of the following year, under terms detailed by the issuer.
Pluxee: a large network and paper vouchers still on offer
Pluxee offers a restaurant card and paper vouchers. The issuer declares 260,000 shops and restaurants, 5 million beneficiaries and 25,000 client companies in France.
- Access: available from the first employee.
- Payment: to the cent, by card or mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay), including on partner delivery platforms.
- Top-up: unlimited payment by linking a bank card.
- Balance: automatic carry-over of credits at year end.
- Card: valid for 4 years, replaced automatically before it expires. If lost or stolen, it can be blocked from the personal account and a new card is sent within 3 weeks.
- Data: hosted in France, according to the issuer.
Up: the Upcoop lunch card
Up sells the Upcoop lunch voucher, as a card or paper voucher. The issuer declares nearly 40,000 client companies, more than 1.2 million users and access to more than 253,500 restaurants and shops.
- Access: vouchers offered from one employee, whatever the contract (permanent, fixed-term, work-study, internship).
- Formats: physical or virtual card, with the physical card distributed once every 4 years.
- Payment: contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, delivery to the office or home.
- Top-up: payment possible above the limit.
- App: tracking of overall and daily balance, 24/7 card cancellation, temporary blocking, PIN display.
- Balance: automatic carry-over through the client account and the app.
- Budget: an online simulator estimates the cost for the employer.
Swile: several benefits on one card
Swile stands out with the Swile Card, which combines meal vouchers, gift vouchers, mobility and culture vouchers on a single card. It automatically debits the right account depending on the purchase. The issuer declares 5.5 million employee users.
- Network: more than 220,000 eligible establishments according to the issuer, which presents its card as a Mastercard.
- Payment: contactless, Apple Pay, Apple Watch and Google Pay, online and on delivery platforms.
- Top-up: a linked bank card takes over beyond the balance or the limit.
- Management for the employer: cards sent to the office or home, top-ups, changing the face value, balances carried over from one year to the next.
- Virtual card: added to the mobile wallet, usable immediately.
Swile’s page promotes a “free offer” without detailing its conditions on the pages consulted. Paper vouchers are not mentioned there.
Meal voucher card: the rules shared by all issuers
Whatever the issuer, the rules come from French regulations, detailed in the article on meal vouchers. The points below come from the Service-Public guide checked on 8 July 2026.
| Rule | What the official guide provides |
|---|---|
| Employer’s share | Between 50% and 60% of the voucher’s value |
| Exemption from contributions | Employer’s share up to €7.32 per voucher for 2026 vouchers |
| Daily use | €25 maximum |
| Number of vouchers | One voucher per meal included in the daily working hours |
| Place of use | Department of work and neighbouring departments, except for business travel |
| Days of use | Working days, unless working on Sundays or public holidays |
| Validity | Calendar year of issue, plus January and February of the following year |
| Products | Food ready to eat or used to prepare the meal. Any food product until 31 December 2026 |
| Balance | Free access for employees with a card or an app |
The guide also states that the issuer reimburses shops within a maximum of 21 days. For its part, the employer pays for its voucher order no later than delivery, and for their full face value. An employer that offers meal vouchers must buy them from one of the specialised private issuers, such as the four compared here. The guide also points out that restaurants and shops are not required to accept meal vouchers.
Card or paper vouchers: what changes
The Service-Public guide provides for three formats of meal vouchers. The employer chooses the one it gives to employees, and three of the four issuers compared still offer paper vouchers.
| Format | How it works according to the official guide |
|---|---|
| Paper vouchers | Given as a booklet. Shops are not allowed to give change |
| Chip card | Prepaid and rechargeable, usable in the same terminals as bank cards. The employee is debited the exact amount |
| Smartphone app | The employee is debited the exact amount |
With a card or an app, employees can check the balance of their account free of charge, for example by text message. Issuers add their own services: Edenred, Pluxee, Up and Swile all highlight payment to the cent and an app to track the balance.
For the employer, the card removes the monthly distribution of voucher booklets. Up announces a single distribution of physical cards every 4 years and no monthly delivery fees. Swile states that it sends cards to the office or home free of charge. These conditions are those published by the issuers, to be confirmed in the offer received.
How to choose a meal voucher card
- Check the network around work sites: each issuer’s interactive map shows partner shops near the offices.
- Think about remote workers: remote workers receive meal vouchers like other employees, as the article on remote work in France points out. Meal delivery and the virtual card then matter more.
- Compare offers on a like-for-like basis: ordering, card delivery and management fees.
- Look at other benefits: an issuer that also manages gift cards or mobility can simplify management. Company health insurance, on the other hand, remains compulsory and falls under a separate contract.
- Plan for contract endings: an employee who leaves the company hands back unused vouchers, and the employer reimburses their contribution.
Limits of this comparison
- The cards were not tested: the comparison describes what issuers publish.
- Network, user and client figures are declared by each issuer and are not calculated in the same way.
- As no employer price is published, the real cost can only be compared from offers requested from each issuer.
- Other issuers exist and are not mentioned here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best meal voucher card in France?
There is no single best card. The four issuers compared (Edenred, Pluxee, Up and Swile) all offer a card that works with mobile payment, on food delivery platforms and with a top-up payment by bank card. On the criteria used here, declared network and formats offered, Edenred comes first, ahead of Pluxee, Up and Swile. None of the four publishes an employer price on the pages consulted on 17 October 2026.
How much does a meal voucher card cost the employer in France?
None of the four issuers compared publishes an employer price on its pages consulted on 17 October 2026: the price has to be requested from each of them, and Up also offers a budget simulator. The main cost remains the employer’s share of the voucher, between 50% and 60% of its value. It is exempt from contributions up to 7.32 euros per voucher for 2026 vouchers.
Can you pay more than 25 euros with a meal voucher card?
Employees can use their meal vouchers up to 25 euros per day. The four issuers compared let employees link a personal bank card to the meal voucher card: the part above the limit or the balance is then paid with the bank card.
Does a French meal voucher card work with Apple Pay?
Yes, with all four issuers compared. Edenred, Pluxee, Up and Swile state that their card works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Edenred also mentions Samsung Pay.
Sources
- Service-Public, Titres-restaurant, guide checked on 8 July 2026, consulted on 17 October 2026.
- Edenred, Ticket Restaurant, Ticket Restaurant salarié ou agent, Le paiement mobile and Durée de validité des cartes, pages consulted on 17 October 2026.
- Pluxee, Titres Restaurant Pluxee and help pages on validity, loss or theft and Apple Pay or Google Pay, pages consulted on 17 October 2026.
- Up, Titre restaurant Upcoop, page consulted on 17 October 2026.
- Swile, Les titres-resto and Swile Card, pages consulted on 17 October 2026.