Key points at a glance
- A value voucher is for an amount of money and stays flexible, an experience voucher is for a specific offer such as dinner for two. For most venues the value voucher is the safe choice.
- Without an expiry date, vouchers in Austria are generally valid for 30 years; in Germany the three-year limitation period applies from the end of the year of purchase. Expiry periods in your terms that are too short are invalid.
- Sell vouchers online through a shop on your own website, a voucher module of your till or a platform. What matters: a clear button, instant delivery by email and a nice PDF to print.
- The Christmas season starts in November. Print-at-home vouchers keep selling until Christmas Eve.
- Vouchers sold but not yet redeemed are money you still owe the guest. When VAT is due depends on whether it is a single-purpose or multi-purpose voucher.
This post is general information and does not replace legal or tax advice. Rules change and some differ between federal states: check the details with your chamber of commerce (WKO) or IHK, the competent authority or your tax adviser.
Why vouchers pay off for your venue
Vouchers bring money into the till before a single dish has been cooked. That advance helps, especially in the quiet months after the holidays. On top of that comes the marketing effect: whoever gives a voucher recommends your venue personally. The recipient often comes for the first time, rarely alone, and frequently orders more than the voucher covers. Some vouchers are redeemed late or never. Do not plan on that, though: the guest has a claim for as long as the voucher is valid.
In the past the voucher pad lay next to the till, and anyone who wanted one had to drop by. Today many people look for a present on their phone in the evening, often at short notice. If your website then has a clearly visible "Buy a voucher" button and the voucher lands in the inbox as a PDF minutes later, you sell even while your venue is closed. Where the button works best on the website is covered in the guide to what belongs on a restaurant website.
Value voucher, experience voucher, promotional voucher
Before you start selling, decide which kind of voucher you offer. The type determines flexibility, validity and the tax treatment.
| Type | Example | Advantages | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value voucher | Voucher worth 50 euros | Flexible for food, drinks, rooms; no risk when prices rise | Long validity, decide on partial redemption |
| Experience voucher | Tasting menu for two, breakfast for two, one night's stay | Emotional present, good for specialities and experiences | Prices rise, the service stays the same; the offer must remain available for a long time |
| Promotional voucher | 10 euros off from 40 euros, a free drink on your birthday | Good for marketing, newsletters and regulars | Given away for free, so shorter periods are possible; no substitute for paid vouchers |
For most businesses the value voucher is the best basis. It works for every offer, and you need not worry whether the menu will still exist in three years. If you still want to make an experience giftable, combine both: "Voucher worth 120 euros, for example for our tasting menu for two". The present stays tangible and the value is unambiguous.
How long are vouchers valid in Austria and Germany?
Validity is the trickiest part of selling vouchers. The rules differ clearly between Austria and Germany, and courts have repeatedly struck down periods that were too short. The following points are general guidance and no substitute for legal advice.
- Austria: Without an expiry date a voucher is generally valid for 30 years, the general limitation period under § 1478 ABGB (Austrian Civil Code). According to the WKO (Austrian Economic Chamber), the Supreme Court has held expiry periods of three years or less for paid value vouchers in standard terms to be inadmissible. An invalid period simply falls away and the voucher is valid for 30 years again.
- Germany: The regular limitation period of three years under § 195 BGB (German Civil Code) applies. It starts at the end of the year in which the voucher was bought. A voucher from May 2026 can therefore be redeemed until the end of 2029. Shorter periods are possible, but according to the Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) a period that is too tight is invalid.
- Free promotional vouchers that you hand out as part of a campaign may have considerably shorter periods in both countries.
The simplest and most guest-friendly approach is not to shorten paid value vouchers artificially and to state only the date of issue on the voucher. If you want a shorter period for experience vouchers, for instance because the offer only exists for one season, get advice from the WKO or IHK (German Chamber of Commerce) first. In such cases the WKO recommends offering an exchange or a refund.
Selling vouchers through your website
There are three common ways to sell online. Which one fits depends on how many vouchers you sell and which till you use.
| Option | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Voucher module of your till | Many POS systems offer an online voucher shop that links sale and redemption directly with the till | Businesses that want to keep vouchers neatly in one system |
| Shop on your own website | A shop or voucher plugin with a payment provider automatically sends a PDF with a code after payment | Full control over design, prices and data |
| Voucher platform | A specialised provider takes care of shop, payment and delivery for a fee or commission | A quick start without technology, but ongoing costs |
Define the offer
Amounts, possibly two or three experience vouchers, validity and terms. Short and easy to understand.
Choose a solution
First check whether your till has a voucher module. It saves double entries when vouchers are redeemed.
Design
A PDF in the style of your venue with logo, amount, a unique code and the date of issue. Optionally a field for a personal message.
Legal basics
Legal notice, privacy policy, payment terms and information on the right of withdrawal. Many shop providers supply templates; check them anyway.
Make it visible
A "Buy a voucher" button in the menu and on the home page, a link in your Google Business Profile and in your Instagram bio.
Test purchase
Buy a voucher yourself on your phone and redeem it in the venue. Only then do you know that everything works.
An online shop is a distance sale. Whether and when buyers have a right of withdrawal depends on the type of voucher and your terms; if in doubt, have it confirmed by the WKO, IHK or your shop provider. What belongs in the legal notice is explained in the guides to the Impressum in Austria and the Impressum in Germany. You can create the legal notice itself in a few minutes with the legal notice generator.
What a good voucher needs
Digital or printed, a voucher is a present and at the same time a document your team has to check when it is redeemed. It should do both jobs well.
Essentials and useful extras
- Name, address and contact of the venue, so it is clear who issues the voucher
- Value in euros or an exact description of the service
- A unique voucher number or code that is issued only once
- Date of issue and, if a valid limit applies, the expiry date
- A short note on redemption, such as "Please mention when booking"
- Whether partial redemption is possible and whether it is transferable
- Space for a personal message
- Design in your venue's colours and typeface
For vouchers you sell in the venue or over the phone, you need an attractive print template. Our gift voucher generator creates a print-ready voucher for free with your name, amount, a random code and expiry date. Empty fields print as lines to fill in by hand.
Design a voucher in two minutes
Choose colours, motif and amount and download your voucher as a print-ready PDF. Free and without sign-up.
Planning Christmas and other occasions
In many venues a large share of voucher revenue falls in the weeks before Christmas. If you plan in good time, you sell far more than with a note on the door in the last week.
October
Test the shop, adapt the voucher design for Christmas, order printed vouchers and envelopes.
Early November
Announce vouchers on your website, Google profile and social media. Company Christmas parties are a good opportunity to offer corporate vouchers for staff.
December
Reminder in the newsletter, a stand at the counter, a note on the bill. The team knows how to sell a voucher.
Last days before Christmas
Promote print-at-home vouchers. They arrive by email right away and rescue everyone who is running late.
January
Vouchers are redeemed, often in quiet weeks. Plan staff and bookings accordingly.
There are good occasions throughout the year as well: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day, Easter, weddings, company anniversaries. A short mention in your newsletter a few days beforehand is often enough. Vouchers also work well for regulars; how to keep guests coming back with stamp cards or rewards is covered in the guide to loyalty programmes.
Bookkeeping and VAT: the basics
Vouchers are not complicated for tax purposes once you know the basic idea. Since 2019, Austria and Germany have distinguished between single-purpose and multi-purpose vouchers under EU law. In Germany this is set out in § 3 (13) to (15) UStG (VAT Act); in Austria the tax authorities follow the same principles.
- Single-purpose voucher: The place of supply and the VAT are already fixed when it is issued. VAT is due on the sale, even if the voucher is never redeemed.
- Multi-purpose voucher: Everything else. VAT only arises on redemption. In hospitality, a value voucher for food and drinks is usually a multi-purpose voucher, because food and drinks are taxed at different rates and it is still open what the guest will order.
- An experience voucher for a precisely described offer can be a single-purpose voucher. Whether that applies to your offer is something to clarify with your tax adviser.
For your bookkeeping this means: vouchers sold but not yet redeemed are not final revenue, but a liability towards the guest. Keep a list of all vouchers issued with number, amount, date and redemption status, ideally automatically in the till or shop system. Sale and redemption also have to be recorded correctly in the till. How this works with the cash register in Austria is explained in the guide to the Registrierkassenpflicht, for Germany in the guide to the POS system.
Redeeming in the venue without trouble
The best online shop is of little use if redeeming at the table leads to discussions. Your team should know how a voucher is checked and booked, and treat the guest as a special guest while doing so. After all, they often get to know your venue on exactly this evening.
How to get it right
- Check every code in the system before redeeming it and mark it as redeemed
- Offer partial redemption and record the remaining balance on the voucher or in the system
- Welcome voucher guests warmly and ask for a review just like everyone else
- State the terms briefly and visibly in the shop and on the voucher
Better not
- Limit paid value vouchers to a few months
- Exclude vouchers on certain days or for certain dishes without saying so clearly beforehand
- Number codes sequentially so they are easy to guess
- Turn away expired vouchers without checking
A website that sells vouchers too
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