Banca Transilvania is launching the BT Meal Card, designed for grocery shopping and paying for restaurant meals within the bank’s partner network. It is a Visa card, available exclusively via employers in Romania that offer meal cards as a non‑salary benefit. BT’s newest card is the digital equivalent of printed meal vouchers.

The new product complements BT’s card portfolio and is a natural step for the bank, given its focus on digital, the significant number of customers who have their salary paid with Banca Transilvania, and the many employers who use BT to process payroll.

The BT Meal Card is contactless and can be used anywhere in Romania to pay for groceries and restaurant bills at merchants in Banca Transilvania’s partner network. It offers flexibility at checkout, whether the amount is lower or higher than a traditional meal voucher. It is also reloadable: employers top up employees’ meal cards each month with the amount corresponding to meal vouchers. Funds on the Meal Card cannot be withdrawn or transferred. The card is automatically renewed every 3 years and is received directly from the employer.

Companies that offer employees the BT Meal Card benefit from:

• A tax advantage through profit tax exemption on the amount represented by meal vouchers;
• Easy administration and the ability to monitor them;
• Operational efficiency: thanks to card reloads, the equivalent of meal vouchers reaches employees quickly;
• Low costs for managing the distribution of funds.

BT Meal Card details:

• On receipt, the card must be activated at any Banca Transilvania ATM using the activation code received by SMS.
• The PIN can be set/changed free of charge at BT ATMs.
• For individual customers holding a BT Meal Card, issuance/reissuance, maintenance and payment fees are zero.
• Customers can check the available balance on the meal card at Banca Transilvania ATMs or via Livia from BT, which provides information through Facebook Messenger, Skype or by phone (0264 308 028, *8028).
• For contactless payments with the meal card, PIN entry is required regardless of the amount.
• The BT partner network where the BT Meal Card is accepted can be found on the BT website, here.
• 24-hour assistance: 0800 80 CARD (2273); 0264.594.337.

Banca Transilvania is the largest player in Romania’s cards market, with over 3 million cards issued. The portfolio includes credit and debit cards, as well as shopping cards, travel cards, cards for physicians and, most recently, meal cards.