Bernkastel-Kues has replaced its former local gift voucher with a digital Stadtgutschein system, according to the development agency that operates the scheme. The change took effect on October 1, 2026, with a transition arrangement that preserves the value of still-valid older vouchers. [S1]
The new product can be held digitally, as a PDF or as a printed plastic card. It can be reloaded and spent in partial amounts across participating retailers, restaurants and service businesses. The issuer’s current terms provide for cent-exact deductions and online balance enquiries. [S3][S4]
The two systems will overlap for the rest of this year. Old vouchers can still be redeemed at the former acceptance locations through December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027, holders can exchange an older voucher that remains valid at the Mosel-Gäste-Zentrum tourist information centre. Its remaining value transfers into the new system; expired or otherwise invalid vouchers are excluded. [S1]
The switch follows an earlier funding decision by the City of Bernkastel-Kues. Its report of the March 17 council meeting assigned EUR23,300 to digitising the municipal gift voucher, including a EUR20,970 Rhineland-Palatinate state grant and a EUR2,330 city contribution. The council directed the earmarked funding to the existing development agency so it could continue operating the programme. These are approved implementation costs, rather than the value of gift cards bought by customers. [S2]
Funding approved for Bernkastel-Kues voucher digitisation
Earlier project-funding decision reported from the March 17, 2026 council meeting. The agency subsequently dates the new system’s introduction to October 1.
EUR
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
The two contributions total EUR23,300, or 90% state and 10% city funding. Approval is not evidence that every payment has been disbursed. These figures describe the digitisation project, not gift-card face value, sales, balances or realised merchant revenue; they are not a new October grant announcement.
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| Category | Approved project funding |
|---|---|
| Rhineland-Palatinate state grant | 20,970 EUR |
| City contribution | 2,330 EUR |
Entwicklungsagentur Bernkastel-Kues e. V. is named as the issuer in the new consumer terms. The platform identifies stadtguthaben as its technology system. Its current directory lists 42 merchants, an observation of the network now rather than a verified count on launch day. The council described the project as a way to simplify purchasing, redemption and settlement while improving the voucher’s reach. [S2][S3][S5]
The issuer’s terms also set conditions for holders. The current terms let merchants refuse a mixed payment where the remaining voucher balance does not cover the bill. They prohibit redemption for other vouchers or e-money products and set validity separately for each load at three years after its year of issue. Online processing or delivery charges may apply, although the terms do not specify a tariff; participating shops cannot add a surcharge simply for accepting the voucher. [S3]
For local businesses, the system provides a shared, reloadable spending balance with partial redemption, supported by an approved public digitisation project. The available launch and funding records do not establish how much money customers have loaded, whether merchant participation has grown, or what additional sales the new system has generated.
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Suzie Elis
Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News.