From Saturday, workers in Brazil who receive meal or food benefits should be able to use their card at any participating establishment that accepts vouchers. The change, introduced by the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is intended to make the market more competitive and reduce food costs. Major voucher companies have criticized the rollout and sought more time, but the Ministry of Labour and Employment says the deadline will not be extended.
The reform introduces interoperability, ending exclusive arrangements under which a supermarket or restaurant might accept only a particular provider’s card, such as Alelo or Pluxee. The market is estimated to move R$150 billion a year and includes established brands such as VR, Ticket, Alelo and Pluxee, alongside newer benefits fintechs including Caju, Flash and Swile.
Opening the market could make it easier for newer providers to compete for employers’ business and offer more attractive agreements, while potentially lowering the fees merchants pay on voucher transactions. Separate rules introduced in 2025 capped those fees at 3.6% per transaction. Before the decree, rates could reach 8%. The Finance Ministry estimated in November 2025 that the new rules could save an average of R$225 per worker annually, or R$5 billion overall.
The Brazilian Association of Employee Benefits Companies, which represents major providers including Alelo, Pluxee, Ticket and VR, says the industry did not receive sufficient dialogue or clear technical guidance. It warned that uncertainty about how interoperability will work could create risks for workers and employers. The Labour Ministry responded that Brazil’s payment system already operates on an open basis, as with credit cards, and that implementing interoperability is the responsibility of companies participating in the payment arrangements. It said its role is regulatory and supervisory, and that no extension is planned.
Under the new requirements, operators serving more than 500,000 workers must move from closed to open payment arrangements by Saturday. Open arrangements accept different card brands, while closed arrangements may be limited to one provider or a retailer’s own cards. The Brazilian Association of Payment Institutions says the required migration has not yet happened and that interoperability will be difficult to implement until it does. The Brazilian Internet Association has also called for rules to allow individual merchants to accept vouchers, noting that current regulations require a company registration number for payments under the Worker Food Program.
Industry groups representing restaurants have differing views on readiness. The Federation of Hotels, Restaurants and Bars of São Paulo opposes any delay, saying the rules should enable broader card acceptance, faster payments to merchants and more competitive fees. The Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants supports interoperability but says payment systems are not yet integrated. Its president, Paulo Solmucci, also says some providers are moving clients to food-allowance products, whose fees may exceed the legal cap for meal and food vouchers. The association estimates that merchants pay an average 6% fee on transactions made with those allowances, compared with the 3.6% ceiling for vouchers.
The Worker Food Program currently covers 22 million workers and 743,000 participating establishments, according to Labour Ministry data. More than 500 voucher operators are estimated to be active in the sector. Companies that fail to comply with the rules may face fines of R$5,000 to R$50,000, with higher penalties for repeat violations or obstructing inspections, as well as possible loss of program registration and tax incentives.
Labour lawyer Alessandro Vietri advises workers whose cards are rejected at a location that should accept them to record the establishment’s name and the date, and to keep a photo of the payment terminal’s message. He says they should contact the card provider and their employer’s human resources department, and report persistent problems through the Labour Ministry’s official channels.
Sources: Folha Mercado.