Can Sodexo Meal Passes Really Be Used to Buy a TV? Seeking Clarification!

Dear All,

I receive Sodexo meal passes every month valued at Rs 2600. Recently, upon moving to Gurgaon, a neighbor informed me that these passes can be used to purchase electrical items. With this in mind, I have been accumulating these vouchers since June 2009 with the intention of buying a television.

However, upon inquiring at Big Bazaar and Reliance Fresh, I was informed that these passes are not accepted for such purchases. The passes are valid until December 2010. Can someone please clarify this for me, as I am specifically looking to buy a TV.

Thank you.

Hello,

Yes, they do accept the coupons instead of money; however, the validity of the card always matters...

Hi,

Sodexo meal pass can only be used to buy food items, not any other items at all. Therefore, Reliance and Big Bazaar have disagreed on this. You can purchase your monthly rations using the coupons, and the money you would have spent on rations can be set aside to buy a TV.

Regards,

Hi,

I believe Sodexo passes can only be used for food items and cannot be used for retail outlets for anything other than that. I hope the members have clearly stated the same.

KB

Dear All,

There is a small correction in this. Sodexo pass is not a food pass. It is a prepaid coupon with denominations which can be used for purchases. Again, it has a valid expiry date which must be regulated. ;)

Thank you.

Dear friend,

Sorry to say, but people fooled you by saying that you can purchase electronics using Sodexo's meal pass. It is clearly written on Sodexo's pass that it is meant for purchasing all food items. What I can suggest is that you can ask any of your friends to exchange them for money, or you can use them to buy groceries. Lastly, you can even have a big party using those passes as they are accepted at Domino's, Pizza Hut, and a few other restaurants. I hope you get the best deal.

Please let me know if you need further assistance or clarification.

I agree with most of the opinions as Sodexo Pass is issued by your organization to optimize income tax as a meal voucher. You can exchange the coupons at supermarkets and other shops for food items and "other" items if they allow. You cannot redeem these coupons for non-food items as a right.

Dear Mr. Digarg,

I am working with Sodexo to provide benefits for the employees of my organization. Each employee in my company can use these vouchers to purchase items at malls or shops that accept them. I hope you can look into this matter and provide clarification.

Thank you.

Hi,

Sodexo/Accord Radhakrishna kind of coupons are only meant for food items. That is the reason deduction for Income Tax is also given. They can't be used for any other purchases. Of course, some outlets that deal with a variety of items, including food items, accept food coupons as a marketing strategy. Otherwise, strictly speaking, meal coupons are meant only for food items.

Regards,
Govind

I don't think you can use a meal pass to buy anything other than food items. It can also be used in restaurants that accept it. Electronic items cannot be purchased with a meal pass.

Sodexo coupons are essentially meal coupons which can be exchanged for the purchase of food items and other groceries such as rice, dal, oil, etc. However, Reliance Fresh and Big Bazaar accept these coupons only for food and grocery-related items, excluding non-food items clearly and requiring cash/card payment for those. Therefore, I think it is unwise to accumulate Sodexo meal coupons for purchasing a TV without conducting a thorough assessment and inquiries beforehand.

A one-off case, like what Mahr mentions, could be true, where an over-zealous dealer or hypermarket might accept coupons for all items, including durable goods, to boost sales. However, this practice is not applied uniformly across the country.

Hi!

First of all, you will have to obtain a list from your HR/Admin department of the stores or outlets in your area where these passes can be used. Sodexo representatives will provide the list for you. So plan accordingly and pay attention to the validity details. Be sure to check the validity on your card or coupon.

Sanjeev M Paliwal