Flight Compensation · Your Rights
Cash vs Voucher: Don't Sign Away Your Flight Compensation
When a flight is disrupted, airlines love to offer a voucher — because a voucher is cheaper for them and can quietly waive your right to cash. You are almost always entitled to money, not credit. Know the difference before you accept anything.
.jpg?width=1400)
The rule of thumb: statutory EU261 compensation is payable in cash (bank transfer or cheque). You can choose a voucher if you prefer, but you never have to — and you should never sign anything labelled "full and final settlement" without checking what it waives.
What money gets you
- The full €250–€600 statutory amount, no strings
- Spend it anywhere — not locked to one airline
- No expiry date and no fare restrictions
- Worth more than the face value of most vouchers offered
- Explicitly the default entitlement under EU261
What credit costs you
- Often offered instead of — and to replace — your cash right
- Usable only with that airline, sometimes on limited fares
- May carry an expiry date you'll forget
- Accepting one can be framed as "settlement" of the claim
- Cheaper for the airline than paying you the cash it owes
Take the cash you're actually owed.
AirHelp pursues the statutory cash compensation, not a voucher, and tells you the amount for free. If you were pushed toward credit, it's a strong sign you were owed money instead.
Claim cash, not credit →Claiming yourself? Insist on cash in writing — see the step-by-step guide.
Care and assistance is different — accept that
There is an important distinction. During a disruption the airline must provide care: meals, refreshments, phone access, and a hotel if you're stranded overnight. Accepting those does not affect your compensation right — take them freely. What you must watch is the separate offer of a voucher or goodwill gesture presented as settling your compensation claim. Care is a right on top of compensation; a settlement voucher is a substitute for it. Our guide to cancellation rights spells out what care you're owed regardless.
The wording to watch for
Be alert to anything that says "in full and final settlement", "as a gesture of goodwill in lieu of compensation", or asks you to tick a box waiving further claims. Verbally accepting a rebooking or a meal voucher does not waive your rights; signing a document that explicitly does can. If you're unsure what a form gives up, don't sign it at the desk — you can claim the cash later, and the underlying entitlement doesn't expire because you declined a voucher.
If you already accepted a voucher and now suspect you were owed cash, it's worth a free assessment — depending on what you signed, the cash claim may still be open. We cover the routes to pursue it in the companies comparison.
Straight answers
Do I have to accept a voucher instead of cash?
No. EU261 compensation is payable in money — bank transfer or cheque — and you can insist on it. A voucher is only binding if you actively choose it; the airline cannot force credit on you in place of the cash you're owed.
Why do airlines push vouchers so hard?
Because a voucher is cheaper for them: it keeps your money within the airline, often on restricted fares, sometimes with an expiry, and it can be framed as settling your claim. Paying cash costs them more, which is exactly why cash is the entitlement worth defending.
If I took a meal or hotel voucher, did I waive my compensation?
No. Care such as meals, refreshments and accommodation is a separate right you're owed during a disruption, and accepting it does not affect your cash compensation. Only signing a document that explicitly settles or waives your claim does that.
I already accepted a compensation voucher — can I still get cash?
Possibly, depending on exactly what you agreed and signed. If you accepted credit under the impression it was your only option, or the terms didn't clearly waive your statutory right, the cash claim may still be open. A free assessment will tell you where you stand.
What wording should make me pause before signing?
Phrases like "full and final settlement", "in lieu of compensation", or any tick-box waiving further claims. Verbally accepting rebooking or a meal is fine; signing away your rights is not. If a form is unclear, don't sign at the desk — the cash claim keeps.
Is the cash always worth more than the voucher?
Usually. Vouchers are often offered at or below the cash value, then restricted to that airline and sometimes to certain fares or dates. Cash is unrestricted, doesn't expire, and can be spent anywhere — so like-for-like, money is nearly always the better deal.
Disclosure. Uncompromised Travel earns a commission if you start a claim through the AirHelp link on this page, at no extra cost to you. You can always claim for free directly with the airline. General information on passenger rights, not legal advice; read anything before you sign it.