How leading international caterers use qnips to introduce a flexible subsidy model for contract catering
This case study examines how leading contract caterers utilise the qnips Catering Platform to digitise meal allowances and subsidies across various workplace sites. It demonstrates how a flexible, app-based system can simplify administration, ensure tax compliance and enhance the experience of guests in company restaurants.
What are digital meal allowances in contract catering?
It is a predefined daily, weekly or monthly benefit that employees can use to purchase meals in a company canteen. The qnips Allowance System enables caterers and employers to configure these benefits digitally, automate redemption and monitor usage in real time, all on one platform.
The challenge:
Bringing flexibility and transparency to digital subsidies
An increasing number of companies want to offer their employees meal allowances digitally and transparently, with minimal administrative effort. However, many catering operations still manage subsidies manually or inconsistently, resulting in complex processes and limited flexibility.
Caterers therefore face a key question: How can meal benefits be efficiently managed across multiple locations while offering a seamless guest experience?
A major international catering provider sought to solve this by offering:
- one free main course per day,
- pre-ordered digitally,
- no price display,
- and no second order possible per day.
The objective: create a clear, digital, tax-compliant meal benefit that’s easy for employees and efficient for caterers.
The solution:
A modular digital allowance system
With the qnips Catering Platform, caterers can easily design and automate meal subsidies directly within their digital ecosystem. The allowance feature for app and web provides flexible configuration options —Key features include:
- flexible configuration of daily, weekly, or monthly budgets,
- definition of user groups (employees, visitors, trainees),
- category-specific subsidies (e.g. main dishes only),
- seamless integration into the digital canteen infrastructure.
Digital allowances in action: A scalable model for global catering providers
In this example, the caterer introduced a daily meal allowance model, offering employees one free main course per day, which they must pre-order via the app. Prices are not displayed to keep the focus on the benefit rather than the cost. A second order on the same day is automatically restricted to ensure consistent usage.
At the heart of this allowance model is the ability to pre-order via the app, where users can select one main course per 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 activated, entitling them to the free dish of the day.
Once the allowance is active, the following applies:
- The front end is focused on food selection and receiving a benefit, with prices
not being visible to users. - One meal per day can be pre-ordered; further orders are not possible.
- After ordering, the button for selecting additional meals is automatically deactivated.
- Orders can only be placed via the app
- Meals are picked up in the canteen at the pre-selected time via a QR code in the app.
This logic can be adapted for special locations or regulations. For example, if further purchases are permitted by card after the allowance has been used up, this can be controlled via a corresponding setting in the qnips dashboard.
Advantages at a glance
Employees:
- Simple, transparent, and digital benefit experience
- Easy pre-order and payment via app or employee card
- Focus on the meal, not on prices
Caterers:
- Automated allowance management and reporting
- No manual checking or control required
- Scalable setup for multiple locations and customer groups
Employers:
- Tax-compliant meal benefits
- Strengthened employer branding and employee satisfaction
- Seamless integration into existing catering infrastructure
Why use qnips for digital allowances?
The qnips allowance system demonstrates how digital tools can simplify complex benefit structures in company catering. From daily allowances to category-based subsidies — caterers can offer customised, tax-compliant meal benefits that are transparent for employees, efficient for operators, and ready to scale for future needs.
This solution is part of the qnips Catering Platform, a cloud-based system for menu management, pre-ordering, digital payment, reporting and more in contract catering.
