Starting July 1, food vouchers in Bulgaria will be exclusively electronic, marking the end of the transition period where both paper and electronic vouchers were accepted. Tanya Obushtarova, the general secretary of the Association of Food Voucher Operators in Bulgaria, said on the national radio that traders will still accept paper vouchers until their printed expiration date.

Obushtarova explained that if a voucher indicates validity until 2025, the funds are secure until then. Both paper and electronic vouchers share the same one-year validity period from the date of issue, so users should monitor these dates. Operators typically provide ways to check validity through mobile apps or phone services, ensuring that the funds with the shortest validity are used first.

There are over 750,000 users of this social benefit, supported by 11 licensed voucher operators. The state budget allocates an annual quota for their issuance, with up to BGN 200 per month per employee exempt from taxation.