Something similar is extremely common in Israel. I think they evolved from lunch vouchers issued by companies to their employees and accepted by local restaura

Something similar is extremely common in Israel. I think they evolved from lunch vouchers issued by companies to their employees and accepted by local restaurants. At this point they are basically currency accepted at at restaurants, supermarkets, clothes shops and issued by issuing companies. I think it's driven by a combination of tax reasons and differentiation from cash.