Höhr-Grenzhausen plans to turn its paper Kannenbäcker voucher into a digital balance and reusable physical gift card from November 1, 2026. The September 21 announcement promises flexible loading and partial spending across participating businesses. The existing product provides a concrete baseline: paper vouchers with face values of EUR 10, EUR 15 and EUR 25. [S1] [S2] [S3]
Flexible balances replace three fixed paper values
The official product page and the operator’s April 2026 leaflet agree on the three paper denominations. Those vouchers are sold locally through Sparkasse Westerwald-Sieg, Nassauische Sparkasse and Westerwald Bank; the latter two sales routes are described as available to their customers. The chart shows the product values being replaced, rather than treating them as limits on the planned digital balance. [S2] [S3]
The paper scheme offers three fixed voucher values
Face values in the municipality’s existing product page and April 2026 partner leaflet, before the planned November conversion.
EUR
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Sources
These are the existing paper-voucher denominations. They are not the new digital product’s loading limits, sales mix or redemption amounts.
Show data tableHide data table
| Category | Voucher face value |
|---|---|
| EUR 10 paper voucher | 10 EUR |
| EUR 15 paper voucher | 15 EUR |
| EUR 25 paper voucher | 25 EUR |
The municipality says buyers will be able to choose an amount and obtain the new voucher online or locally. Recipients will be able to spend smaller portions at different participating businesses instead of using the available value at once. A September 22 follow-up describes a reusable card in credit-card format and an entirely digital online version. Neither announcement specifies a minimum or maximum load, a technology supplier, an expiry rule or how unused paper vouchers will migrate. [S1] [S5]
The current paper scheme was established by Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Kannenbäckerstadt mbH and the municipality. Its existing merchant form directs businesses to redeem collected paper vouchers at the municipal administration’s central office. For the digital system, the September announcement instead describes QR-code redemption, digital recording, and automated settlement and payouts, with no additional technology required. This is the announced change in merchant handling; the reviewed sources do not provide a payout timetable or measured processing-time saving. [S2] [S4] [S1]
The municipality is recruiting retailers, restaurants, service companies and other local businesses, and says participation is free. It scheduled a September 23 breakfast briefing to demonstrate sales, redemption and settlement. The April leaflet lists the existing paper-voucher partners in Höhr-Grenzhausen, Hillscheid and Hilgert, but it does not establish which businesses have joined the November digital system. [S1] [S3]
Keeping gifted spending within the local economy is the programme’s stated purpose. The September releases describe a planned conversion and recruitment effort, without reporting completed digital issuance, redemption or additional sales. November 1 remains the announced implementation date, and the earlier denomination schedule should not be read as confirmation that the new system has already launched. [S1] [S5]
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Suzie Elis
Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News.