No new budget. No additional effort.
€50 tax-free. Every month. Even in public service.
With the HERO Card, you give your employees up to €50 monthly, tax and social security exempt. Legally compliant according to Section 18a TVöD-VKA and Section 8 (1) Sentence 3 EStG.
TVöD and TV-L determine your salaries. Private employers offer flexible increases and poach your skilled workers. Non-cash benefits are one of the few levers public employers have:
up to €50 monthly, tax and social security exempt. Most administrations are not yet using it.
Financed from existing performance-related pay
Section 18a TVöD-VKA allows municipal employers to use the existing performance-related pay budget, as per Section 18 (3) TVöD-VKA, in whole or in part for tax-free benefits. No new budget item. No additional applications.
One platform. Fully automated.
Monthly top-up, digital billing, no paper receipts. No manual steps. No follow-up.
Visa acceptance everywhere in the region
Your employees pay directly at the checkout. The HERO Card automatically handles the billing. No receipt submission, no reimbursement.
Three ways, one budget.
Each administration decides how it uses the budget. Three scenarios are possible:
1
Existing LOB system maintained
No change to the company or service agreement. Performance-related pay continues according to §18 TVöD. Regional Hero complements the system as a separate benefit solution.
2
Partial reallocation
A portion of the budget goes into benefits according to §18a TVöD-VKA, the rest remains in the LOB system. For example: 25% benefits, 75% LOB.
3
Full conversion
The entire performance-related pay budget goes into benefits. No evaluation cycle. No documentation effort.
§18 and §18a TVöD-VKA in comparison.
What really changes, and what stays the same?
Feature
18 TVöD, previous LOB
§18a TVöD, Benefits
Basis
Individual performance evaluation
No evaluation process: everyone benefits equally
Payout
Once annually as a cash bonus
Monthly, directly to the HERO Card
Budget utilization
Fixed to the LOB process
25%, 50%, or 100% freely selectable
HR effort
Annual review cycle
One-time configuration, then automated
Employees
Often perceived as unfair
Transparent, everyone gets the same
With HERO Ride
§18 TVöD, previous LOB
Flexibility
Decide anew every day
Just one car
Employer costs
Fixed budgets instead of leasing costs
High fixed costs
Net benefit for employees
Promotion of public transport and sharing services
1% rule diminishes the benefit
Sustainability
Promotes public transport and sharing services
High CO₂ emissions
Fairness in the team
Accessible to all employees
Usually only for executives
Administrative effort
Digital, automatic, transparent
Logbook, Billing, Administration
All Benefits
One card. All benefits.
Combine multiple tax-free benefits on a single HERO Card.
HERO Base
Tax-free benefit in kind
up to €50 / month
Tax-free benefit in kind according to §8 Para. 1 Sentence 3 EStG. Directly onto the HERO Card, automatically topped up monthly. Redeemable for purchases and fuel.
Shop now
HERO Eats
Meal allowance
Daily tax-advantaged
Daily meal allowance, tax-advantaged. Redeemable in restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets.
Eat smarter daily
HERO Ride
Mobility budget
Incl. Deutschlandticket
Mobility allowance including Deutschlandticket reimbursement. Tax and social security exempt according to Section 3 No. 15 of the Income Tax Act.
Be sustainably mobile
HERO Care
Health promotion
up to €600 / year
Health budget up to €600 annually tax-free. For fitness, prevention, and health care.
Promote well-being
Legally compliant for the public sector.
Section 8, Paragraph 1, Sentence 3 of the Income Tax Act
The tax-free non-cash benefit applies to public and private employers alike: up to €50 monthly, without income tax and social security contributions.
HERO Card: technical implementation
The HERO Card automatically restricts redemption to defined postal code areas, categories, or merchants. Tax compliant. No manual effort for HR.
§18a TVöD-VKA
The budget according to §18 para. 3 TVöD-VKA (2% of the previous year's gross remuneration sum) can be used entirely or partially for benefits.
Before implementation, please have it legally reviewed for tax purposes to ensure that the HERO Card, in your specific application, complies with §18a TVöD-VKA. This page does not constitute legal advice.
All you need to know.
Simply explained, here you'll find answers to the most important questions.