This is a predefined daily, weekly, or monthly allowance that employees can use to purchase meals in a company cafeteria. With the menio allowance system, caterers and employers can configure these allowances digitally, automate redemption, and monitor usage in real time—all on a single platform.

More and more companies want to offer their employees digital and transparent meal allowances with minimal administrative effort. In many companies, however, these allowances are still managed manually or inconsistently, leading to cumbersome processes and limited flexibility.

Caterers therefore face a key question:
How can employee meal subsidies be efficiently managed across multiple locations while also providing a seamless guest experience?

With the menio platform, caterers can design meal allowances directly within their digital ecosystem. The allowance feature for the app and web offers flexible configuration options, ranging from fixed budgets per day, week, or month to targeted subsidies for specific product groups or items. Allowances can also be assigned to specific user groups, such as employees, guests, or trainees, and can be redeemed seamlessly across all digital touchpoints—such as the web and app.

In this best practice, an international caterer introduced a daily subsidy model. Employees receive one free main meal per day, which they are required to pre-order via the app. Prices are intentionally not displayed to keep the focus on the benefit and the food rather than on the price. A second order on the same day is automatically blocked to ensure consistent usage.

At the heart of this subsidy model is digital pre-ordering via the app, where users can select their meal each day. The process begins with an invitation to use the app. Employees receive an email asking them to activate their account. Only after successful activation is the daily budget unlocked, entitling them to a free meal.

Once the allowance system is active, the following rules apply:

• You can order one meal per day; additional orders are not possible.
• Once the order is placed, the button for selecting additional dishes is automatically disabled.
• Orders can only be placed through the app.
• Pickup is available via a QR code at the selected pickup time in the cafeteria.

This logic can be customized for specific locations or local regulations.
For example, you can configure the system so that additional purchases with a card are allowed once the subsidy budget has been exhausted—a setting that can be managed via the menio dashboard.

Staff:

• A simple, transparent, and digital benefits experience
• Convenient pre-ordering and payment via app or employee card
• Focus on the food—not the price

Caterer:

• Fully Automated Grant Management and Reporting
• No manual checks or post-processing required
• A scalable solution for multiple locations and customer groups

Employer:

• Tax-compliant meal allowances
• Strengthening employer branding and employee satisfaction
• Seamless integration into existing catering infrastructures

The menio Allowance feature demonstrates how digital tools can contract catering complex benefit structures in contract catering . From daily allowances to category-based allowances, caterers can offer customized, tax-compliant employee benefits that are transparent for employees, efficient for operators, and scalable to meet future needs.