French deputies make meal vouchers valid for all food in supermarkets

A permanent option for supermarket shopping

On Monday, 12 October 2026, deputies in the French National Assembly adopted a bill that makes permanent the use of titres-restaurant (meal vouchers, also called tickets-restaurant) to buy food in supermarkets. The rule would cover all food products, whether ready to eat, such as salads and sandwiches, or not, such as pasta or flour. Ouest France reported the vote as 87 in favour and none against. About six million employees receive the vouchers, which employers partly finance and which were originally meant to pay for lunch during the working day.

The supermarket option dates from 2022, when inflation was high, and it has already been extended twice. It is due to expire on 31 December. The bill provides for a one-year extension and then makes the rule permanent from 2028. Monday's debate was the third time since 2023 that the subject came before the chamber. The benches were relatively thinly filled, yet the topic drew sharp debate, and deputies largely agreed on the principle while disagreeing over its effect on restaurants.

Restaurateurs want fairer treatment

Restaurant owners argue that the rules favour large retailers, and they are asking for more favourable treatment. Figures cited in the chamber show that the share of grande distribution in voucher spending rose from 22% at the end of 2022 to 31% by mid-2024. To support restaurants, several deputies proposed two daily spending caps, one for restaurants and one for food shops, with a higher amount for restaurants. Those proposals failed. Ouest France wrote that the measure is meant to protect the purchasing power of French people but greatly displeases restaurateurs.

How issuers' fees work

Employers buy the vouchers from issuing companies, which make them available to employees. When an employee pays for a meal or groceries, the issuer reimburses the merchant and keeps fees that can reach 4 to 5% of the amount collected. Four historic players hold most of this market. In 2019 the Autorité de la concurrence fined them, together with their joint body, nearly 415 million euros for anticompetitive practices. After exchanges in the chamber, the text sets a new framework but no numerical cap on these commissions. It does allow the government to cap them later by decree.