Cheque Vacances Connect is a digital voucher program in France that allows employees to receive part of their remuneration in the form of vouchers to fund holidays and leisure activities. The vouchers can be used to pay for accommodations, travel, restaurants, cultural activities, sports equipment, and more. Cheque Vacances Connect aims to make holidays more accessible and affordable for employees.
How does Cheque Vacances Connect work?
Cheque Vacances Connect is an evolution of the traditional paper Cheque Vacances voucher system that has existed in France since 1982. With Cheque Vacances Connect, vouchers are completely dematerialized into a digital format.
Employers who offer Cheque Vacances Connect provide a portion of an employee’s remuneration in the form of digital vouchers that are credited to the employee’s personal online account on the chequevacancesconnect.com platform. The value of vouchers contributed by the employer is exempt from income tax and social charges.
Employees can then use the vouchers in their Cheque Vacances Connect account to pay for eligible holiday expenses from the platform’s network of 170,000 partner service providers, including travel agencies, hotels, campsites, restaurants, and cultural sites.
Vouchers can be spent directly through the chequevacancesconnect.com website and mobile app. Some partners also accept vouchers in-store through a dedicated mobile app. Unused vouchers remain valid for 2 years.
What are the benefits?
Cheque Vacances Connect offers benefits for employees, employers, and partner service providers:
For employees:
– Vouchers increase employees’ purchasing power for holidays and leisure activities.
– Vouchers are exempt from income tax and social charges.
– The dematerialized format is more convenient and secure than paper vouchers.
– Offers access to exclusive partner deals and offers.
For employers:
– Improves employee satisfaction, engagement, and wellbeing.
– Tax benefits – contributions are deductible from corporate taxes.
– No logistics costs of handling paper vouchers.
– Reinforces company branding and values.
For partner service providers:
– Generates additional business from Cheque Vacances Connect users.
– Dematerialized vouchers are more secure and convenient than paper.
– Access to large pool of consumers via the platform.
– Commercial benefits from partnership promotion.
What types of expenses are eligible?
Cheque Vacances Connect vouchers can be used to pay for a wide range of holiday and leisure-related expenses, including:
– Accommodation – hotels, holiday rentals, campsites, holiday villages
– Transportation – trains, planes, rental cars
– Restaurants – both everyday and gourmet
– Culture & entertainment – museums, shows, cinemas, theme parks
– Sports equipment – skis, rackets, bikes, wetsuits
– Wellness treatments – massages, spas
– Handicrafts, souvenirs
– Holiday childcare centers
Any business that provides tourism, travel, culture, sport, or leisure services can join the Cheque Vacances Connect network to accept the vouchers as payment. Vouchers cannot be used for routine everyday purchases like groceries.
What is the process to use Cheque Vacances Connect?
Here is an overview of the process to use Cheque Vacances Connect vouchers:
1. Employer offers Cheque Vacances Connect as an employee benefit
2. Employer allocates part of employee’s remuneration to Cheque Vacances Connect account
3. Employee registers on chequevacancesconnect.com to access online account
4. Employee browses catalogue of 170,000 partner service providers and exclusive deals
5. Employee selects partner and validates voucher payment for eligible services
6. Partner is instantly paid by ANCV, the Cheque Vacances administrator
7. Employee enjoys selected holiday service using vouchers
8. Any unused voucher credit remains available in employee’s account for future holidays
The online platform and app make it easy for employees to allocate, use, and track their voucher credits. Partners can be paid instantly with no waiting.
How popular is Cheque Vacances Connect?
Since the digital Cheque Vacances Connect program launched in 2015, it has grown steadily in popularity and market share. Here are some key statistics:
– Over 3 million employees have access to Cheque Vacances Connect through their employer.
– More than €1.3 billion in Cheque Vacances Connect vouchers were issued in 2021.
– Vouchers are accepted at 170,000 partner establishments throughout France and its overseas territories.
– 76% of users say the program encouraged them to go on holiday.
– The average transaction value is €110.
– Digital vouchers now represent 33% of total Cheque Vacances voucher use in France.
The ANCV agency aims to continue transitioning more users to the digital format. By 2023, the goal is for digital vouchers to surpass 50% of total Cheque Vacances voucher use.
Who manages and regulates Cheque Vacances Connect?
Cheque Vacances Connect is managed and regulated under the authority of ANCV, France’s National Holiday Voucher Agency. ANCV is a public interest consortium formed in 1982 between employer federations and the French government.
ANCV handles:
– Development and operation of the chequevacancesconnect.com platform
– Accreditation of partner establishments and management of the voucher acceptance network
– Collection of employer contributions and allocation to employee accounts
– Reimbursement of partner establishments for vouchers used
– Promotion and communication about the program
– Anti-fraud controls and compliance
– Reporting and analysis of program usage statistics
Cheque Vacances Connect follows French and EU regulations regarding digital vouchers, data privacy, corporate benefits, and tourism activities. ANCV works closely with employer federations, trade unions, the tourism ministry, and other stakeholders.
Conclusion
In summary, Cheque Vacances Connect offers a modern digital approach to increase French employees’ access to affordable holidays. For employers, it provides an attractive benefit that boosts employee satisfaction. The dematerialized voucher format brings convenience for users and partners. With high levels of uptake since its launch, Cheque Vacances Connect has become a popular staple in the French employee benefits landscape.