Meal card regulation sparks debate: Will cards still be usable in supermarkets?
The regulation regarding the use of meal cards has sparked debate due to some misunderstandings. Experts emphasize that meal cards are still valid for grocery shopping in supermarkets, while explaining that with the new regulation, the portion of the meal allowance exempt from premiums has been increased to 158 TL. What is the daily meal allowance? Is the meal premium included in the base earnings? How much of it is included in the base earnings? Here are the details...
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It was claimed that there would be restrictions on the use of meal cards starting from the new year. Questions such as 'Will meal cards be usable in supermarkets, will premium deductions be made from the employee or employer, and in which cases will the cards not be usable?' have sparked curiosity.
Noyan Doğan from Hürriyet clarified the issue in his article today.
HOW MUCH IS THE DAILY MEAL ALLOWANCE?
As of January 1, 2025, the daily amount of the meal allowance to be exempted from earnings subject to premiums will be 158 TL. Accordingly, if an employee works 24 days in a month, the 3,792 TL monthly meal allowance paid by the employer to the employee will be kept exempt from earnings subject to premiums, meaning it will be exempt from premiums.
In this case, if the employer pays the employee a monthly meal allowance of 5,000 TL, 3,792 TL of this will be exempt, and 1,208 TL will be included in the earnings subject to premiums, meaning it will be subject to insurance premium deductions.
IS THE MEAL PREMIUM INCLUDED IN THE EARNINGS SUBJECT TO PREMIUMS?
The meal allowance will be provided in addition to the minimum wage. The meal allowance amount will not be included in the gross minimum wage. If employers provide meals at the workplace using their own facilities, this situation will not be included in the earnings subject to insurance premiums. In other words, expenses incurred by the employer for meals provided to the employee at the workplace will not be included in the earnings subject to premiums. Similarly, if the employer makes an agreement with a catering company to provide meals to employees at the workplace, payments made to the catering company in this case will not be included in the earnings subject to premiums.
HOW MUCH IS INCLUDED IN THE EARNINGS SUBJECT TO PREMIUMS?
The situation changes if employers make cash payments to employees under the name of meal allowance. The daily amount of 158 TL will not be included in the earnings subject to premiums, but the amount above this will be included in the earnings subject to premiums. For example, the employer pays the employee a monthly meal allowance of 5,000 TL, and the employee works 22 days a month. Since the daily meal allowance amount is 158 TL, 3,476 TL will not be included in the earnings subject to premiums; however, 1,524 TL will be included in the earnings subject to premiums. Now, let's come to the most debated issue: meal cards.
The Social Security Institution (SGK) clearly states in its circular that the meal allowance amount loaded onto a meal card, check, or coupon will not be included in the earnings subject to premiums. For example, if an employer gives an employee a meal card worth 5,000 TL per month, this 5,000 TL loaded onto the meal card will not be included in the earnings subject to premiums.
WILL MEAL CARDS BE USED IN SUPERMARKETS?
To summarize; firstly, the SGK has exempted meal cards and a certain amount on these cards from premiums, which is a good thing. Secondly, meal cards will continue to be used in supermarkets just as they have been until today. Thirdly, since cash withdrawals cannot be made with meal cards and they cannot be used for non-food and non-meal needs, they will continue to be used in the same way as they were yesterday.