[mjothi]

Originally Posted by Bubby

Even our company uses HDFC Food Card, earlier they use to upload 1000rs a month, but effective April 1 they have started uploading 935rs a month.

They have started deducting 65rs as a service tax, I feel that company should be paying the same.

Is this from your salary (Tax benefit)? Or company provided benefit?

If its the later, then the deduction should be not service tax, but FBT. Hail our ex-Finance minister.

Other thing is, if its company benefit and you can PROVE that you had only meals for those money, you (read company) do not need to pay that FBT tax. But proving that is a big headache for any entity. So, they prefer to pay off the FBT

[Bubby]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Is this from your salary (Tax benefit)? Or company provided benefit?

If its the later, then the deduction should be not service tax, but FBT. Hail our ex-Finance minister.

Its part of our salary and not a company benefit, Mahesh you are right its a FBT that they have started deducting every month effective 1st April.

But shouldnt the company be informing the employees about the rs100/day thing.

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by Bubby

Its part of our salary and not a company benefit, Mahesh you are right its a FBT that they have started deducting every month effective 1st April.

But shouldnt the company be informing the employees about the rs100/day thing.

They should. A all-employee mail will do. Anyway, seems this restriction is only for some bank cards. Is it only enforced by HDFC meal cards? May be guys with restriction on teh amount can put it in here.

But still, I see no point in that restriction. Since its OUR money. Please re-check with your HR to make sure you can atleast get it back if unused.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by sushrutha

I hope he brought it through Sodexho gift pass(coupon). But we are talking about Sodexho food /meal coupons here.

no gift pass coupons, it was meal/food coupon.
i know this because i was present at the time of purchase.

[S_U_N]

Bumping up an old thread.
From 1 January 2012, most super-markets like More, Big Bazaar, Spar will stop accepting Sodexo completely. The reason is not known so far.
As the next move, Sodexo has invited inputs from end consumers under the "Make a Wish" campaign.

How will your HRD react? How will the employees react? Where will they utilize the coupons?

[bblost]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Bumping up an old thread.
From 1 January 2012, most super-markets like More, Big Bazaar, Spar will stop accepting Sodexo completely. The reason is not known so far.
As the next move, Sodexo has invited inputs from end consumers under the "Make a Wish" campaign.

How will your HRD react? How will the employees react? Where will they utilize the coupons?

I have heard that the reasons is that till now for every Rs 100, sodexho used to give the shop keepers Rs 97 in return.

Now that has come down to RS 93. Hence the protest by the supermarkets.

A 7% service charge does seem to be on the higher side.

[S_U_N]

^In my opinion, if what you have heard is true, then Sodexo have just killed the hen which laid golden eggs.
With the super markets gone out of scope, it will be very difficult for people to spend the coupons - in my case Rs. 2200 per month.
I don't see much future for Sodexo in India now.

[jp1]

No offense to anyone, but it is harrowing time for people standing in the queue in super markets to pay for their purchase when people one by one start giving these coupons. The guy at the counter keep counting and counting and end of it the customer also pay the little balance left out with a credit card or cash. The entire process takes quite a bit of time to complete. Every time I see someone with these coupons, i try to switch the queue. There should be a better way for the employers to manage privileges than giving these coupons to employees.

[skumare]

I wrote to Edenred (Accor) about a specific store near my house not accepting the tokens from Jan/01/2012 and here is the response:

From: Assist <assist-IN@edenred.com> Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 14:48
To: xxx
Dear Sir,

Greetings from Edenred!
============
Thanking you.
Best Regards,

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by jp1

No offense to anyone, but it is harrowing time for people standing in the queue in super markets to pay for their purchase when people one by one start giving these coupons. The guy at the counter keep counting and counting and end of it the customer also pay the little balance left out with a credit card or cash. The entire process takes quite a bit of time to complete. Every time I see someone with these coupons, i try to switch the queue. There should be a better way for the employers to manage privileges than giving these coupons to employees.

True. It take more than normal time if you were paying by cash. But there are also some other scenarios such as paying with credit card, where the transaction takes more time in certain cases.

The other day, I was at Star Bazaar and I had just two small items - apples and strawberries - the total was around Rs. 130 so I was ready with cash.

The guy in front had a bill of Rs. 670 and gave his HDFC card - the man at the counter swiped and waited for a minute. Nothing happened.
He swiped again and waited. After maybe twenty seconds or more, something happened and the receipt came out from the card reader. Then the man on the counter disappeared and came back after 30 seconds. I don't know what was the problem then.
Such instances are common coinsurance and they can happen without prior intimation. No ones at fault here, yet the guys waiting in the queue have to wait longer. At least with Sodexo in hand everyone else knows they can switch queues and save time - and this is probably the only wise thing to do.

Originally Posted by skumare

I wrote to Edenred (Accor) about a specific store near my house not accepting the tokens from Jan/01/2012 and here is the response:

I think this is an automated reply.

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by jp1

No offense to anyone, but it is harrowing time for people standing in the queue in super markets to pay for their purchase when people one by one start giving these coupons. The guy at the counter keep counting and counting and end of it the customer also pay the little balance left out with a credit card or cash. The entire process takes quite a bit of time to complete. Every time I see someone with these coupons, i try to switch the queue. There should be a better way for the employers to manage privileges than giving these coupons to employees.

I agree with this. I too use Sodex coupons at stores and have seen that it takes a lot of time to count, especially ones with multiple denominations. In my company, the amount is first loaded into a smart card, which we convert into Sodex coupons. It would have been much easier if we could use these smart cards at the store directly just like a debit card. As of now it works only in our office cafeteria and nowhere else.

[Digital Vampire]

I just don't understand why such coupons and middle businesses like sodexho should exist at all...

It should be so much easier if that 2.7K odd is just considered as tax-free in the monthly payroll and distributed as part of salary...An average household spends many times that amount on monthly grocery anyways.

[S_U_N]

I think the basic idea came from offering subsidized food/ meals to employees. This was happening in the govt. sector and then they wanted to extend it to the private sector as well. So the tax free component of salary for food came into picture and so Sodexo came into Indian market.
That is my understanding on this.

[msdivy]

Central Govt offer subsidized meals in their canteens. Not sure if the food grains & other raw materials for preparing food are subsidized. Earlier I had seen people buying toiletries with food coupons. Though it has stopped in super markets, there are still few shops which accept these coupons for all items.
My opinion is food coupons like Sodexho, Accord are source of corruption (since intent purpose is not served & there is possibility of misuse). Better do away with it.

[skumare]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

I think this is an automated reply.

I posted the full response in my post, but the Mods removed it while approving my post. Anyways, the summary is that Edenred is trying to negotiate with the stores to extend the tokens till Mar/31/2012. No definitive update in the response though.