Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/

---
description: Oberhof, Schleusingen, Suhl and Zella-Mehlis announced a shared network with 27 registered acceptance points and vouchers worth €10 to €250.
title: Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card
image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-9ab03743914c9198685b7a29b3c4a640.jpg
---

1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/)
2. [Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/)

# Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card

Oberhof, Schleusingen, Suhl and Zella-Mehlis announced a shared network with 27 registered acceptance points and vouchers worth €10 to €250.

By [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) September 4, 2026 3 min read [ Google News ](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=giftcard.news&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) 

Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Four+South+Thuringian+cities+join+forces+on+local+gift+voucher+and+employer+card&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Four+South+Thuringian+cities+join+forces+on+local+gift+voucher+and+employer+card+https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "WhatsApp") 

![Wir 4 logo for the shared gift voucher of four South Thuringian cities](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir-w1280.webp) 

 The joint municipal program combines a consumer voucher with a local employer benefit card. Photo: KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen 

[Oberhof](https://giftcard.news/organization/oberhof/), [Schleusingen](https://giftcard.news/organization/schleusingen/), [Suhl](https://giftcard.news/organization/suhl/) and [Zella-Mehlis](https://giftcard.news/organization/zella-mehlis/) have introduced a shared gift-voucher programme for spending across the four South Thuringian cities. Their joint municipal organisation announced the arrangements on September 4, 2026, with a September 11 sales start. The scheme also includes a Jobkarte for employer-funded local benefits. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1)

## A wider listed network, with redemption charges to consider

At the pre-launch press briefing, 27 acceptance points were registered; further businesses had expressed interest but were still being added. On October 19, the programme’s live website advertised 60 participating shops. These are two dated snapshots of the same scheme at different stages: registered acceptance points before launch and businesses listed afterwards. They do not measure purchases, successful redemptions or additional sales. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) [\[S02\]](#article-source-2)

The data behind the story 

### Reported acceptance network before launch and in October

Pre-launch registrations reported by the municipal organiser and the later public programme-directory total.

 Reported acceptance points / listed shops 

locations

Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.

Sources 

KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen launch announcement, September 4, 2026; Vier-Städte-Gutschein live programme website, accessed October 19, 2026

Different reporting stages: 27 registered acceptance points versus 60 publicly listed shops. The later number is the website’s stated total, not an independently audited count or proof of active redemption. No sales-growth inference.

Show data tableHide data table 

Scroll left or right to see all columns 

__Reported acceptance network before launch and in October (locations)__
| Category                                  | Reported acceptance points / listed shops |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Pre-launch briefing, reported September 4 | 27 locations                              |
| Public programme website, October 19      | 60 locations                              |

The shared balance can be used in parts at participating retailers, hospitality businesses and service providers across the four cities, irrespective of where it was purchased. Buyers can choose EUR 10 to EUR 250, add a personal message and image, then send the voucher digitally or print it. Physical voucher cards are also available through local sales outlets. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) [\[S02\]](#article-source-2) [\[S03\]](#article-source-3)

The municipal announcement calls participation free. The programme’s merchant page gives a narrower explanation: registration and the business listing are free, with no recurring charge, but voucher redemption attracts a processing fee of 2.20% of the redeemed amount. It also says merchants need no additional hardware or software and describes a 30-day commitment period. The redemption charge matters when judging the economics of acceptance; free registration does not mean every transaction is free. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) [\[S04\]](#article-source-4)

The Jobkarte creates an additional route for employers to issue local benefits. The operator offers automated allocations, employee records, reusable physical cards and digital wallets. Neither the launch announcement nor the pages reviewed publish employer take-up, issued balances or redemption volumes. The provider’s general tax-benefit claims are not evidence that any particular employer arrangement qualifies. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) [\[S05\]](#article-source-5)

Launch events were announced for September 11 in Schleusingen and Zella-Mehlis, followed by September 19 in Suhl and Oberhof. The subsequent directory establishes a broader publicly listed network, while the commercial effect still depends on buyers loading credit and recipients using it. No attendance, sales or local economic-impact result is inferred from the launch timetable. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) [\[S02\]](#article-source-2)

## In this article

### Organizations

* [IHK Südthüringen](https://giftcard.news/organization/ihk-sudthuringen/)
* [KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen](https://giftcard.news/organization/kag-oberzentrum-sudthuringen/)
* [Oberhof](https://giftcard.news/organization/oberhof/)
* [Schleusingen](https://giftcard.news/organization/schleusingen/)
* [Suhl](https://giftcard.news/organization/suhl/)
* [Zella-Mehlis](https://giftcard.news/organization/zella-mehlis/)

### Sources and documents

* [\[S01\] Original primary announcement](https://oberzentrum-suedthueringen.de/vier-staedte-ein-gutschein-jetzt-geht-das-gemeinsame-projekt-an-den-start/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen
* [\[S02\] Live programme website and stated 60-shop directory total](https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle
* [\[S03\] Consumer usage and delivery information](https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/st/congratulators?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle
* [\[S04\] Merchant participation and redemption fees](https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/st/retailers?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle
* [\[S05\] Employer programme features](https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/community/industry?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle

Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Four+South+Thuringian+cities+join+forces+on+local+gift+voucher+and+employer+card&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Four+South+Thuringian+cities+join+forces+on+local+gift+voucher+and+employer+card+https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "WhatsApp") 

![Portrait of Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) 

About the author

## [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/)

Journalist — Gift Cards & Digital Gifting

Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News.

From reading to building

## Your next move in gift cards.

Tell us what you’re building. We’ll help you explore suitable providers.

[Find a provider ](https://giftcard.news/find-a-provider/) 

## Related articles

[Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) News 

### [La Quinta opens a second local gift-card round with a 50% match](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/la-quinta-second-local-gift-card-match-holiday-2026/)

[Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) November 1, 2026 2 min 

[Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) News 

### [Plano plans a second holiday gift-card bonus round](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/plano-downtown-holiday-gift-card-bonus-2026/)

[Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) October 29, 2026 2 min 

[Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) News 

### [Lakewood launches community gift card with a 50% city bonus](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/lakewood-community-gift-card-city-bonus-launch/)

[Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) October 28, 2026 2 min

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher","name":"Gift Card News","url":"https://giftcard.news/","description":"News and analysis covering gift cards, retail, loyalty, rewards and payments worldwide.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/icon-512.png","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/icon-512.png","width":512,"height":512,"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#logo"},"publishingPrinciples":"https://giftcard.news/editorial-policy/","correctionsPolicy":"https://giftcard.news/editorial-policy/"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#website","url":"https://giftcard.news/","name":"Gift Card News","description":"News and analysis covering gift cards, retail, loyalty, rewards and payments worldwide.","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://giftcard.news/search/?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/#person","name":"Suzie Elis","url":"https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/","description":"Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News.","jobTitle":"Journalist — Gift Cards & Digital Gifting","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait.webp","width":1254,"height":1254,"caption":"Illustrated portrait representing the Suzie Elis editorial profile.","@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait.webp#image","encodingFormat":"image/webp","description":"Illustrated portrait for Suzie Elis, a Gift Card News editorial pen name","creditText":"Gift Card News / AI-generated illustration"}},{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"The joint municipal program combines a consumer voucher with a local employer benefit card.","@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp#image","encodingFormat":"image/webp","description":"Wir 4 logo for the shared gift voucher of four South Thuringian cities","creditText":"KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen","isBasedOn":"https://oberzentrum-suedthueringen.de/vier-staedte-ein-gutschein-jetzt-geht-das-gemeinsame-projekt-an-den-start/"},{"@type":"Dataset","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#dataset","url":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/","name":"Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card: figure data","description":"Tabular data for the figures accompanying \"Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card\". Sources, units and limitations are documented with each figure.","inLanguage":"en","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#article"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":[{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#article-figure-1-dataset"}],"distribution":{"@type":"DataDownload","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/download.csv?article=%2Fgift-cards%2Fsouth-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026%2F","encodingFormat":"text/csv","isAccessibleForFree":false}},{"@type":"Dataset","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#article-figure-1-dataset","url":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#article-figure-1","name":"Reported acceptance network before launch and in October","description":"Tabular values displayed in the figure \"Reported acceptance network before launch and in October\" and its accompanying data table.\n\nPre-launch registrations reported by the municipal organiser and the later public programme-directory total.\n\nDifferent reporting stages: 27 registered acceptance points versus 60 publicly listed shops. The later number is the website’s stated total, not an independently audited count or proof of active redemption. No sales-growth inference.","inLanguage":"en","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#dataset"},"isAccessibleForFree":true,"variableMeasured":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"Reported acceptance points / listed shops","unitText":"locations"}],"isBasedOn":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen launch announcement, September 4, 2026","url":"https://oberzentrum-suedthueringen.de/vier-staedte-ein-gutschein-jetzt-geht-das-gemeinsame-projekt-an-den-start/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Vier-Städte-Gutschein live programme website, accessed October 19, 2026","url":"https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/"}]},{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#article","url":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/","headline":"Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card","description":"Oberhof, Schleusingen, Suhl and Zella-Mehlis announced a shared network with 27 registered acceptance points and vouchers worth €10 to €250.","datePublished":"2026-09-04T00:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T15:46:17.362Z","inLanguage":"en","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#website"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":[{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".reader-restricted"},{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#dataset"}],"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"The joint municipal program combines a consumer voucher with a local employer benefit card.","@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp#image","encodingFormat":"image/webp","description":"Wir 4 logo for the shared gift voucher of four South Thuringian cities","creditText":"KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen","isBasedOn":"https://oberzentrum-suedthueringen.de/vier-staedte-ein-gutschein-jetzt-geht-das-gemeinsame-projekt-an-den-start/"}],"articleSection":"Gift Cards","keywords":["IHK Südthüringen","KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen","Oberhof","Schleusingen","Suhl","Zella-Mehlis"],"mentions":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/organization/ihk-sudthuringen/#entity","name":"IHK Südthüringen","url":"https://giftcard.news/organization/ihk-sudthuringen/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/organization/kag-oberzentrum-sudthuringen/#entity","name":"KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen","url":"https://giftcard.news/organization/kag-oberzentrum-sudthuringen/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/organization/oberhof/#entity","name":"Oberhof","url":"https://giftcard.news/organization/oberhof/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/organization/schleusingen/#entity","name":"Schleusingen","url":"https://giftcard.news/organization/schleusingen/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/organization/suhl/#entity","name":"Suhl","url":"https://giftcard.news/organization/suhl/"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/organization/zella-mehlis/#entity","name":"Zella-Mehlis","url":"https://giftcard.news/organization/zella-mehlis/"}],"wordCount":460,"citation":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"[S01] Original primary announcement","url":"https://oberzentrum-suedthueringen.de/vier-staedte-ein-gutschein-jetzt-geht-das-gemeinsame-projekt-an-den-start/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"KAG Oberzentrum Südthüringen"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"[S02] Live programme website and stated 60-shop directory total","url":"https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"[S03] Consumer usage and delivery information","url":"https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/st/congratulators","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"[S04] Merchant participation and redemption fees","url":"https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/st/retailers","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"[S05] Employer programme features","url":"https://www.vierstaedtegutschein.de/community/industry","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Vier-Städte-Gutschein / zmyle"}}],"author":[{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/#person"}],"publisher":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#webpage","url":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/","name":"Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card","description":"Oberhof, Schleusingen, Suhl and Zella-Mehlis announced a shared network with 27 registered acceptance points and vouchers worth €10 to €250.","datePublished":"2026-09-04T00:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T15:46:17.362Z","inLanguage":"en","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/#website"},"mainEntity":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#article"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#breadcrumbs"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://giftcard.news/images/four-south-thuringian-cities-join-forces-local-gift-voucher-employer-card-wir.webp#image"}},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/#breadcrumbs","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://giftcard.news/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gift Cards","item":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Four South Thuringian cities join forces on local gift voucher and employer card","item":"https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/south-thuringia-four-cities-gift-voucher-employer-card-2026/"}]}]}
```
