With the amendments which come into force on 22 May 2018, amendments have been made with respect to commission, transfer balance and other matters in relation to the meal cards provided by the employers to their personnel. The most remarkable matters may be summarized as follows:

If the employers provide the meal service benefit outside the workplace to its personnel over the meal cards which may not be used in cash and that are issued by the meal card institutions and if this benefit is provided by the retail businesses which have contractual relations with the relevant institutions;

1) The commission rate to be applied by the meal card service providers to retail businesses such as diners and restaurants may not exceed 6%. The meal card service providers may not claim from the referred retail businesses any other amount other than the contractually determined commission.

2) The payment term by the employers to the meal card service providers and by these service providers to retail businesses may not exceed thirty days. This term will start on the date of the invoice issued by the relevant parties.

3) The balance in the meal cards as of the end of a month or a year will be unconditionally transferred to the subsequent month or year.

If there are any contradictory provisions in the agreements executed between the meal card service providers and the employers or the retail businesses with the amended article 12/A of the Regulation on the Principles and Rules to be Applied in Retail Trade, relevant provisions must be made compliant with the relevant article of the Regulation within six months as of 22 May 2018. If the necessary amendments are not made, the provisions of article 12/A of the Regulation will apply instead of the contradictory provisions in the agreements.



Author: Şan Akan Karaman