Flexible digital subsidies & user roles in the sizzly

The digitalization of company catering is progressing - and with it, the requirements for flexibility, transparency and automation are also increasing. Today, modern catering solutions must be flexible, digital and legally compliant - whether in companies, educational institutions or public administration. In times of skills shortages, employer branding and New Work, modern employee benefits are more important than ever. (Meal) allowances are among the most attractive fringe benefits - especially as they can be granted tax-free up to certain limits.

The sizzly canteen app intelligent management of subsidies and user roles—individually configurable, fully automated, and suitable for a wide variety of use cases. With the accompanying sizzly backoffice app , subsidiesbackoffice app be implemented easily, individually, and in a legally compliant manner—without any additional effort.

Before: Time-consuming manual allowance accounting - a real tour de force for HR departments

In many organizations, the allocation of meal allowances was previously organized manually and laboriously - a process that meant an enormous administrative burden for HR departments, accounting departments and catering managers:

• Maintenance and comparison of Excel lists for tracking subsidized meals
• Manual checking of receipts, e.g. for collective orders
• Complex individual calculations of subsidies per user group
• Error-prone reconciliations with the accounting department for payroll accounting
• Difficulties in complying with tax guidelines and subsidy limits
• Previous partial exclusion of external workers from the range of meals on offer, as temporary workers, for example, are not legally allowed to be subsidized and no differentiation was possible in existing processes

Especially in larger organizations or facilities with several user groups and sales outlets, this system quickly reached its limits - high time expenditure, low transparency and hardly any scalability were the result.

sizzly makes it easy: manage user roles yourself

Using the sizzly backoffice app , authorized persons—e.g., from the secretarial or human resources department—backoffice app independently create and manage users without any IT knowledge.

Create & combine unlimited user roles as required, e.g:

• regular employees
• Apprentices, working students or interns
• Students, pupils or kindergarten children (may be eligible)
• Teaching staff
• Minijobber
• External staff (e.g. temporary workers, temporary staff, maintenance and cleaning services)

The number of user roles is unlimited and each role can be individually linked to allowances, limits and rules. This offers maximum flexibility when mapping the organizational structure.

Customize subsidy models - legally compliant & flexible

A key feature ofcanteen app sizzly canteen app subsidy management, which allows companies to digitally map their existing subsidy models 1:1—without having to introduce new models. The sizzly allows you to map simple to highly complex subsidy systems—with a connection to payroll accounting if desired.

Subsidies can be both:

• absolute (e.g. € 1.00)
• as well as in percentage terms (e.g. 10 %)

awarded. The integrated grant rules can be used to extend e.g:

• Daily, weekly or monthly limits can be defined,
• the number of subsidized articles per period can be limited,
• individual subsidy amounts can be stored for each user role,
• grant roles for a limited period of time . It is easy to schedule in advance, including determining what happens after this period.

Tax guidelines can be adhered to, e.g. by complying with statutory maximum amounts. The system remains fully flexible and can be used internationally - ideal for organizations with different requirements depending on location/country.

Apply subsidies at all points of sale - including external providers

The sizzly platform makes it possible to integrate all relevant points of sale into the subsidy structure:

• Classic company canteens
• Vending machines (e.g. with NFC payment via student or employee ID cards)
• Bistros, school kiosks, cafeterias
• External partner such as bakeries, butchers, snack bars, or restaurants in the vicinity (e.g., via collective orders)

The result is a holistic catering concept that extends beyond the traditional canteen boundaries - and yet remains centrally controllable via the sizzly app and fully integrated into the subsidy accounting.

Subsidies regardless of the means of payment - full flexibility in practice

Regardless of how payments are made within an organization, the subsidy structure in the sizzly canteen app seamlessly across all payment options. Whether via payroll, (collective) invoicing, in-app credit, or real-time payment (e.g., credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, etc.), the subsidy is automatically taken into account correctly. Even when multiple payment methods are used in parallel within an organization, the system remains reliable and transparent.

Only one thing is important here: the user assignment. This is because the subsidies are always awarded via the respective user account - regardless of whether the payment or collection is made with the NFC employee or student ID card or via smartphone. This ensures maximum flexibility, simple integration and a smooth user experience.

Practical example: Flexible allowances in a company with several locations

A company operating throughout Europe would like to introduce standardized but locally adapted meal allowances for different countries. The aim is to establish uniform processes across all locations and at the same time to make optimum use of the respective tax subsidy limits (as of 2025).

• 🇩🇪 Location Germany: Monthly max.112.50 € tax-free allowance, daily limit 7.50 €, allowances only apply to internal canteen & vending machines.
• 🇦🇹 Location Austria: max. $8.00 tax-free subsidy per working day, monthly limit $160 (for 20 working days), subsidies also available for breakfast offers, vending machines, and partner.
• 🇬🇧 Location United Kingdom: Tax-Free Meal Benefit max. £15 per week, daily limit £3.00/day for 5 days/week, allowances for canteen only.
• 🇨🇭 Location Switzerland: Monthly max. CHF 180 tax-free allowance, limit CHF 9.00/day for 20 working days, valid for orders in the canteen, as well as regional cooperation partners such as a bakery and a butcher. Allowance rule: maximum 5 items per week.

All employees pay across all locations using their NFC employee ID card. The allowances are calculated automatically, displayed on the order overview and exported to the respective payroll accounting system if required - taking into account country-specific tax conditions.

Practical example: Subsidy model for a German medium-sized company

A medium-sized company would like to offer its 250 employees and 30 trainees a modern catering concept - tax-free and flexible.

The following configuration iscanteen app with the sizzly canteen app :

• Employees receive an allowance of €2.50 per working day, up to a maximum of €50 per month.
• Trainees receive an allowance of €3.50 per day, up to a maximum of €70 per month.
• External temporary workers are (legally) excluded from the subsidy.
• Food is available from our own cafeteria, two vending machines, and a partner(with collective orders).
• Employees simply pay using their NFC employee ID card.
• The allowances are automatically transferred to payroll accounting and settled tax-free.

The result: an attractive benefit solution with minimal administrative effort - legally compliant and fully digitalized.

Practical example: School with a social support concept

A general education school wants to use the sizzly canteen app to implementcanteen app fair, digital catering system that also takes into account full reimbursement for eligible children under the Education and Participation Package (BuT). The subsidies are managed automatically and in a legally compliant manner via the app—without any additional effort for the school office.

• Students - regular price (no subsidy, regular billing via the student account)
• Pupils eligible for BuT - 100% reimbursement for one hot lunch per school day
  • Reimbursement is automated via the "BuT-Kind" user role
  • The school or the provider settles the expenses collectively with the responsible job center or social welfare office
• Teachers - 10 % subsidy, no quantity limit
• External cleaning staff - no subsidy

Payment is processed digitally for all groups, e.g. via NFC student ID or in-app credit. The BuT grants are automatically applied only to eligible children with appropriate proof. Billing and traceability are legally compliant and GDPR-compliant.

Advantages for users and organizations

Meal allowances as a modern benefit system

In times of increasing competition for skilled workers, rising living costs, and growing demands on employer attractiveness, benefits that offer real everyday value are becoming increasingly important. Meal allowances are among the most efficient and popular forms of additional benefits—across all industries types of organizations.

Why? Because everyone benefits:

Conclusion: Digital grant management that thinks for itself

Whether it's a cafeteria, bakery, or vending machine, the sizzly canteen app your catering strategycanteen app a real benefit boost. Catering subsidies are not only a sign of appreciation, but also an economically sensible tool for making organizations more attractive. The combination of flexible user roles, smart subsidy rules, and simple back-office administration makes the sizzly the ideal platform for modern organizations.

Request advice now & implement grant concept digitally

Would you like to digitize your canteen subsidies in a legally compliant manner and offer attractive benefits at the same time? Contact us - we will show you how simple modern subsidy models can be today.