> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help-empuls.xoxoday.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Multi benefits card

> Use your Empuls Multi-Benefit Card to spend tax-free across meals, fuel, books, telecom, and more, boosting your take-home salary under the w.e.f. 1 April 2026 income-tax rules.

Tax-saving benefits are financial benefits your employer offers to maximise your savings by reducing your taxable income. By spending eligible amounts on meals, fuel, books, telecom, and similar categories through the Empuls Multi-Benefit Card, you lower your taxable income and increase your take-home salary.

The Empuls Multi-Benefit Card consolidates every tax-saving allowance onto a single virtual and physical RuPay card. It replaces traditional methods like food coupons and fuel cards, so you can spend tax-free electronically across categories your employer enables. Under the updated income-tax limits w\.e.f. 1 April 2026, the card unlocks over **₹1.93 lakh of tax-free spending each year** across meals, fuel, telecom, and books, which translates to roughly **₹60,000+ in annual tax savings at the 30% slab**.

## What the Multi-Benefit Card replaces

A single card replaces food coupons, fuel cards, and paper reimbursement claims. Funds your employer loads to each category are tax-free under Indian income-tax rules, and you spend them at participating merchants or upload bills for reimbursement.

| Allowance               | What you can spend on                      | Example merchants                   |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| **Meal allowance**      | Dining, groceries, food delivery           | Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Domino's     |
| **Fuel allowance**      | Fuel and driver salary                     | HP, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum    |
| **Books & periodicals** | Books, journals, learning platforms        | Online learning vendors, bookstores |
| **Telecom allowance**   | Mobile and broadband bills                 | Airtel, Jio, BSNL, ACT              |
| **Reimbursement**       | Eligible work expenses with bills uploaded | Per your organization's policy      |

<Note>
  Your employer chooses which categories to enable and how much to allocate per category. If a category isn't visible in your card view, it isn't part of your program.
</Note>

## What changed w\.e.f. 1 April 2026

India's updated income-tax rules raised the tax-free ceilings for several benefit types your card supports. Higher ceilings mean more of your salary lands as tax-free spending power instead of being taxed at your marginal slab rate.

| Benefit                                   | Before           | w\.e.f. 1 April 2026 | Annual impact                                                   |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Meal vouchers                             | ₹50/meal         | ₹200/meal            | Up to \~₹1.05 lakh/year (2 meals × 22 working days × 12 months) |
| Gift cards & vouchers                     | ₹5,000/year      | ₹15,000/year         | 3× more tax-free gifting                                        |
| Children education allowance (old regime) | ₹100/month/child | ₹3,000/month/child   | ₹36,000/year per child                                          |
| Hostel allowance (old regime)             | ₹300/month/child | ₹9,000/month/child   | ₹1.08 lakh/year per child                                       |

## Why the Multi-Benefit Card

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Instant activation" icon="bolt">
    Your individual wallet activates as soon as KYC is approved with zero waiting period.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Digital and physical RuPay cards" icon="credit-card">
    Spend online using the virtual card and in-store or at-pump using the physical RuPay card.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Real-time balances" icon="chart-line">
    See per-category balances and every transaction live on the dashboard.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Mobile app" icon="mobile">
    Access the digital card on the go, freeze it instantly, and review transactions. Available on iOS and Android.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Before you start

* Your employer must have a tax-benefit program enabled and you must be added as a beneficiary. If you don't see a benefit program in your account, ask your HR admin whether you're enrolled.
* You must complete KYC with the card provider before your card can be used. KYC is fully digital and takes a few minutes.

## What you can see

Once enrolled, your benefits view shows:

* **Card status**: Active, KYC Pending, or Blocked.
* **Per-category balance**: available amount for each enabled category (for example, ₹2,000 in Meals, ₹1,500 in Fuel).
* **Transaction history**: every credit (when your admin allocates funds) and debit (when you spend) with date, merchant, amount, and category.
* **Virtual and physical card**: virtual card details for online spending and the physical RuPay card for in-store and at-pump use.

{/* TODO: screenshot of employee tax-benefit detail view with per-category balance */}

## Complete KYC

When you're enrolled as a beneficiary, the card provider sends a KYC link to your registered email. Follow the email instructions to verify your identity and activate the card. Until KYC is complete, your card status shows **KYC Pending** and transactions are declined.

## Spend your benefit balance

Use your virtual card for online purchases or your physical RuPay card at participating merchants. The card provider routes each transaction to the matching category wallet automatically. If the merchant category does not match the benefit category, or you don't have enough balance in that category, the transaction is declined and shown on your transaction history with a reason.

<Tip>
  Use the mobile app to view your virtual card on the go, freeze it instantly if you misplace your physical card, and check balances before you spend.
</Tip>

## Track your transactions

Your transaction list shows credits, debits, and declines. Use the search and date filter to find a specific transaction. If a transaction was declined, the reason appears next to the row. Common reasons include insufficient category balance or a merchant category that doesn't match the benefit type.

## Limits and gotchas

* Balances roll over according to the rules your employer sets. Ask your HR team if you're unsure when a category resets.
* Lost or stolen cards must be reported through the card provider, not through Empuls.
* Unused balance does not convert to reward points or cash.
* Tax-benefit balances are independent of your reward points and cannot be redeemed in the [Empuls store](/employees/redemption/redeem-points). They follow the income-tax rules for each benefit category.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Perks store" href="/employees/benefits/perks-overview">
    Discounted gift cards and exclusive deals available to all employees.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Redeem reward points" href="/employees/redemption/redeem-points">
    Use the reward points you've earned through recognition.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>