Edenred Japan Strengthens Strategic Partnership with Welfare Giant Ewell, Accelerating Nationwide Expansion of Meal Benefits on the Occasion of the First Tax-Exempt Limit Increase in 42 Years

Edenred Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "our company"), which operates the welfare meal benefit service "Ticket Restaurant," will strengthen its strategic partnership with Ewell Co., Ltd., a provider of welfare outsourcing and health support services and consulting, taking advantage of the planned expansion of the tax-exempt limit for meal benefit systems, scheduled to take effect on or after April 1, 2026. Through this strengthened partnership, "Ticket Restaurant" will be offered free of initial costs for a limited time to companies using Ewell's "Cafeteria Plan." Seizing this historic turning point, the first in 42 years, we will powerfully promote the widespread adoption of meal benefits throughout Japan by integrating our meal benefit solutions with Ewell's robust administrative support infrastructure.

Background of This Partnership: Strengthening Ties Between Ewell, Strong in Operational Support, and the Pioneer of Meal Benefits, Driven by the Expansion of the Tax-Exempt Limit While the adoption rate of meal benefits in Europe and other foreign countries reaches 50-70%, with tax-exempt limits around ¥25,000 to ¥30,000 per month, in Japan, it has remained stagnant at "¥3,500 per month" for 42 years. The prolonged divergence between the system and reality has contributed to a low domestic adoption rate of around 14%*. Particularly, the traditional image of "meal benefits = company cafeteria" has been a barrier to adoption for small and medium-sized enterprises lacking the capacity for such facilities. To address this issue, our company has been persistently advocating for an increase in the upper limit to the government for many years. These efforts have spurred discussions, and a historic revision is scheduled to be implemented on or after April 1, 2026 (Wednesday), finally doubling the tax-exempt limit to ¥7,500. This revision will allow companies to significantly expand both employees' actual "take-home pay" and food support without increasing their tax burden, leading to comprehensive employee lifestyle support. Taking advantage of this historic revision, we have strengthened our strategic partnership with Ewell, which possesses extensive experience and an administrative infrastructure in operating cafeteria plans, to accelerate the nationwide adoption of meal benefits. *: Edenred estimate ■Main Partnership Details For companies using Ewell's "Cafeteria Plan," we have prepared a special limited-time offer that allows them to introduce "Ticket Restaurant" with no initial costs. By establishing a dedicated subsidy menu for "Ticket Restaurant" within the cafeteria menu, employees can charge their cards by applying their existing cafeteria points to this menu. This has achieved an unprecedented level of smoothness in balancing "ease of introduction" and "simplicity of operation." 【Sales Overview】 Sales Start: Application acceptance begins April 1, 2026 (Wednesday) Target: Users of Ewell's "Cafeteria Plan" 【Special Offer Overview】 Special Offer Target Period: Users who apply between April 1, 2026 (Wednesday) and June 30, 2026 (Tuesday) Benefit: Initial costs* free (card issuance/delivery fees, initial setup fees) *: Users who newly apply by June 30, 2026 (Tuesday) will be eligible for our "Tax-Exempt Limit Doubled! Meal Benefit Introduction Support Campaign - Up to 50% OFF ~ Bringing Japan's Meal Benefits to Global Standards ~" and will receive up to a 50% discount on fees throughout 2026. 【Benefits for Adopting Companies】 (1) Addressing Diverse Employee Needs Through Enhanced Welfare Benefits