Who's got a Salary Packaging Dining Card?

[vetrade]

Some of you must work for Not-For-Profits and take advantage of pre tax contributions to a Dining Card (N.B. nothing to do with Diners Club CC) which can be used at restaurants etc. For all practical purposes it's a debit card with some restrictions.
Would like to know what expenses others have found they are able to pay with this card.

To explain: The banking industry worldwide uses a 4 digit Merchant Category Code (or "Merchant Code") to classify a merchant's primary business (this applies to all CC transactions too). Some examples are that Hyatt Hotels are 3640; bakeries are all 5462, petrol stations are 5541 and restaurants are 5812. Where the merchant carries on more than one type of business the code supposedly reflects the merchant's primary line of business.

This is relevant because in the case of a Salary Packaged Dining Card the card is programmed to only recognise certain codes (to stop people using it for purchases other than the designated ones) e.g. dine-in meals with drinks OK, take-aways / fast food not; venue hire OK, convenience stores and liquor stores not.

Does anyone know what the business types and their codes are which are recognised by these Dining Cards? The salary packaging companies and the bank issuing the card (ANZ) say they don't know (or more likely, won't tell) so I've hit a brick wall.

Especially interested whether some businesses might have different codes for different sections of their business. One that comes to mind would be, say, a hotel which has a restaurant and accommodation. Card has never been rejected when paying for meals in hotel restaurants but the only time I tried to pay for a room (in the same hotel) it wouldn't process the transaction, which suggests the use of different codes. Would love to know if anyone has de-coded (pun intended) the mystery. Anyone?

Edit: If anyone's reluctant to post info publicly, PM's would be appreciated too.

 

[coles525]

Partner has a meal card: I will ask her more tonight (as i can't remember), but Mac D, ice cream shop (Dairy Bell) a few more other retailers if I remember.

Also works overseas for dinner 99% of time

 

[alieninperth]

NFP's can offer their employees a number of salary sacrifice options; cars, meals, computers, phones (tech generally), but a little known provision is for housing (rent/mortgage) and utilities. Noting that salary sacrificing caps at $30k. I would look at directing most of that to mortgage/rent then car/transport, utilities and then before I went to food. From my understanding you can use the food allowance as a prepaid credit card and it can be used in the supermarket. I got all my info from here Salary packaging and Novated Leasing - Smartsalary there are a huge range of options if you are employed by a PBI.

This in no way constitutes advice of any description. proper advice should be sought and of course YMMV

 

[vetrade]

NFP's can offer their employees a number of salary sacrifice options; cars, meals, computers, phones (tech generally), but a little known provision is for housing (rent/mortgage) and utilities. Noting that salary sacrificing caps at $30k. I would look at directing most of that to mortgage/rent then car/transport, utilities and then before I went to food. From my understanding you can use the food allowance as a prepaid credit card and it can be used in the supermarket. I got all my info from here Salary packaging and Novated Leasing - Smartsalary there are a huge range of options if you are employed by a PBI.

This in no way constitutes advice of any description. proper advice should be sought and of course YMMV

Thanks alieninperth. Yes I agree that food is down the pecking order when it comes to priorities for salary packaging, but we (I'm not the employee) are already maxing out the others! Plus the contributions to the dining card are not capped so we're finding it hard to eat our way through the balance that's accumulating. Would need to eat at Vue Du Monde every week!
I do know that the options available depend on what the employer chooses to offer and also varies from one salary packaging company to another, so not everyone on a SP deal will have the same benefits.

 

[alieninperth]

That is true vetrade. Also, I was a bit confused with the food/dining. I was mixing up the dining out and general living expenses. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Jurahn]

NFP's can offer their employees a number of salary sacrifice options; cars, meals, computers, phones (tech generally), but a little known provision is for housing (rent/mortgage) and utilities. Noting that salary sacrificing caps at $30k. I would look at directing most of that to mortgage/rent then car/transport, utilities and then before I went to food. From my understanding you can use the food allowance as a prepaid credit card and it can be used in the supermarket. I got all my info from here Salary packaging and Novated Leasing - Smartsalary there are a huge range of options if you are employed by a PBI.

This in no way constitutes advice of any description. proper advice should be sought and of course YMMV

The $30k cap only applies if you're working for certain entities i.e. aged care facility, medical research institute or a charity. If you're working in public hospitals for example, the cap is $17k, and that's the grossed-up amount, the actual amount you can package is $9,010. The meals and entertainment card is over and above this cap, as well as a few others things such as superannuation superannuation contributions. As both you and vetoed have mentioned, there are a wide variety of options and it differs from employer to employer and form one salary packaging company to another, and the restrictions for the meals and entertainment card also vary widely.

I don't have the M & E card, as we hardly ever eat out, but I'd certainly get it if we could use it to buy food at the supermarket (which of course we can't, as you've mentioned in your recent post). There was a big furore in WA a few years ago over this card, as a number of people (doctors in particular, apparently) were going out to dinner, photocopying the receipt for the group and then several of them were claiming the total amount for the same meal ... and of course, they got caught - Perth isn't THAT big a place, so it's only a matter of time before SmartSalary cottoned on to what was happening!! Just because these idiots wanted to be greedy, it nearly ruined it for everyone else who uses the card, as the whole scheme was almost canned. As it is, a cap has now been applied rather than it being unlimited.

 

[Jurahn]

Partner has a meal card: I will ask her more tonight (as i can't remember), but Mac D, ice cream shop (Dairy Bell) a few more other retailers if I remember.

Also works overseas for dinner 99% of time

That's interesting! With our salary packaging arrangement, it specifically excludes meals purchased overseas (as well as a whole lot of other things LOL).

 

[Wannabee]

I worked for a charity until recently and received the 30k grossed up amount (around 16k net). On top of this we were offered a Meal Entertainment card and/or an Accommodation card. These cards are additional to the 30k.

The important thing is that it is not meal card. Is it for Meals for the purpose of entertainment. You can use it at a supermarket. Just say you are having a few people over to watch a sporting event. Buy what you want to have (some employers even allow alcohol). Just as long as you can justify the meal was for entertainment purposes you are fine. Going out to a nice restaurant with you other half. Same deal. We could even claim a taxi to from the restaurant (I did ask if I could claim a flight if I wanted to go to Vue De Monde or Noma but was told no). Others asked if you have both cards can you use it for a cruise. Apparently not. A lot of the acceptable uses are set by the employer.

Anyway, it was a good perk when you are working in a sector that generally pays lower

 

[defurax]

The last budget introduced a cap on Meal&Entertainment and Accommodation&Venue hire to 5K grossed up amount (approx 2.5K) to start from April 2016. I wonder if there will be a limit in time to spend the money already on the M&E card? If not I might put my whole salary on the card until April.

 

[suze2000]

IME, it's a hit-and-miss affair. You hand over the card in trepidation, as you never know where it's going to pass or fail, or even the balance of your card! I find I need to be prepared to be told that the card's been declined and to hand over another instead. I often warn the waitstaff so we're all not embarassed, but TBH, they never seem surprised anymore, so it must be a common thing. Also I have been told that the card will be fine, they've had others through, no worries, and it doesn't pass. And I've even had it happen that it has been accepted once in a place, and not the second time I use it. Which is why I'm a suck-it-and-see girl, because there's really no other choice.

 

[suze2000]

The last budget introduced a cap on Meal&Entertainment and Accommodation&Venue hire to 5K grossed up amount (approx 2.5K) to start from April 2016. I wonder if there will be a limit in time to spend the money already on the M&E card? If not I might put my whole salary on the card until April.

I have wondered about that as well. The lack of information is appalling.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have a Westpac Meal Entertainment card. Used it at multiple cafes, restaurants both here and overseas and never any issues.
IIRC the Fed Gov announced capping of the amounts which could be claimed in the last budget ??

 

[vetrade]

That's interesting! With our salary packaging arrangement, it specifically excludes meals purchased overseas (as well as a whole lot of other things LOL).

I think that shows how the benefits from different SP providers can vary quite a bit. We used our Dining Card (for all intents and purposes it's an ANZ Mastercard) extensively on a recent OS trip without any problems but you do lose out because of currency conversion fees etc. Our card is also supposed to have a $20 minimum spend per transaction - but one for $16 did process OK in Canada.

 

[vetrade]

As it is, a cap has now been applied rather than it being unlimited.

No mention of a cap for our card and I do know a surgeon who used it to pay for his daughter's wedding!

 

[vetrade]

The last budget introduced a cap on Meal&Entertainment and Accommodation&Venue hire to 5K grossed up amount (approx 2.5K) to start from April 2016. I wonder if there will be a limit in time to spend the money already on the M&E card? If not I might put my whole salary on the card until April.

We were away when that was announced but have heard since that it's not confirmed yet, although we fully expect it to be, Defurax. Also been told that if those changes do come in any balance already on the card will be unaffected.

 

[defurax]

I have wondered about that as well. The lack of information is appalling.

Actually, if I were to believe this site (Remunerator News | Federal Budget effects on Salary Packaging Meal Entertainment and Holiday Accommodation Benefits) it means that all money on the card should be spent before April 1,2016.

 

[Jurahn]

No mention of a cap for our card and I do know a surgeon who used it to pay for his daughter's wedding!

For WA Health employees, a cap of $10,000 per FBT year has been in place since 2010 - since then, employees have also only been able to use the card at restaurants (as per the SP companies' definitions), and catered events at somewhere like a function centre or venues not classed (by them) as a restaurant are no longer eligible claims.

 

[vetrade]

The important thing is that it is not meal card. Is it for Meals for the purpose of entertainment. You can use it at a supermarket. Just say you are having a few people over to watch a sporting event. Buy what you want to have (some employers even allow alcohol). Just as long as you can justify the meal was for entertainment purposes you are fine. Going out to a nice restaurant with you other half. Same deal. We could even claim a taxi to from the restaurant (I did ask if I could claim a flight if I wanted to go to Vue De Monde or Noma but was told no). Others asked if you have both cards can you use it for a cruise. Apparently not. A lot of the acceptable uses are set by the employer.

Another case of different cards; different conditions, Wannabee. Have tried, but transactions at our local supermarkets have been universally declined - this goes back to the reason for my original post in that usage obviously relates to the merchants' codes which are either allowed or blocked. Maybe there's going to be too much variation between the conditions of use from different SP providers/employers for others to be really able to help me with this info.

FWIW we can also claim holiday packages (direct flights, accommodation +/- meals) provided it's marketed as an all inclusive price and the various components aren't itemised. This has to be claimed separately to the Dining Card though.

 

[vetrade]

IME, it's a hit-and-miss affair.

Ah yes, can relate to that 100% suze2000. You've had similar experiences to us.

 

[vetrade]

I have a Westpac Meal Entertainment card. Used it at multiple cafes, restaurants both here and overseas and never any issues.
IIRC the Fed Gov announced capping of the amounts which could be claimed in the last budget ??

Yes, it was in the budget, Princess, and I think capping is inevitable but according to employer the new amounts are yet to be confirmed.