The portability of food and meal vouchers is one of the points of new PAT that can benefit workers. The possibility of choosing the operator of food and meal vouchers was provided for in the Law nO 14.442, approved in 2022, but is not yet valid.
To come into force, this new portability still needs to be regulated, so that the necessary rules for it to come into operation are detailed — such as how this balance migration will be carried out and by whom.
The initial deadline for this regulation was May 2023, but that month the federal government extended the date until May 2024 through the MP 1,173/2023.
What changes with the portability of the voucher?
What changes with portability is that workers will be able to choose their benefits provider — unlike what happens today, when all employees adhere to the one chosen by the company.
“With portability, workers will be able to change the operator through a simple procedure”, explains Luiz Guilherme Paiva, head of public policies at iFood.
“Even if the company hires just one operator, workers will be able to transfer the food and meal voucher credit to another operator of their choice, as is currently the case with their cell phone number or salary account.”
When it is in force, workers will be able to choose the operator that offers the best conditions according to their interests.
“The original objective of PAT is to benefit workers, who will gain decision-making power with portability”, adds Luiz. “This way, everyone will be able to choose the card that is accepted in the restaurants and supermarkets they frequent, or that gives them the most benefits and ease of use.”
Today, portability is already valid in Brazil for those who want to receive their salary at their bank (and not the company's) or want to change cell phone operator without losing their number, for example.
