Want €200 of shopping for €100? Alcoy’s half-price vouchers go on sale, and are open to non-residents too

Residents of Alcoy and even shoppers who don’t live in the area can still pay €100 and get €200 back to spend in the town’s shops, bars and restaurants. However, the offer has a short shelf life, with vouchers going on sale on Monday October 26 and only valid until Sunday November 15.

Pay €10 and get €20 to spend 

Each voucher costs €10 and comes loaded with €20 of spending credit, with the Diputación de Alicante (the provincial government) covering the difference. Shoppers can buy up to 10 vouchers, which turns €100 into €200 to spend in Alcoy. 

Alcoy’s commerce councillor, Àlex Cerradelo, presented the campaign on Monday October 19 alongside the Diputación and the town’s Chamber of Commerce. The Diputación is putting in €742,000, and shoppers’ own money takes the total to nearly €1.5 million for local businesses. More than 350 businesses are expected to take part, including shops, bars and restaurants.

You don’t have to live in Alcoy

That’s the big draw for anyone elsewhere on the Costa Blanca. The scheme’s official website says both residents and non-residents of Alcoy can take part, as long as they’re over 18.

It sets the offer apart from Almoradi’s latest Bono Consumo campaign, which is only open to people registered as residents there. 

How to buy the vouchers

Sales open on Monday October 26. Online, vouchers are bought through the scheme’s app from 9am, while the Chamber of Commerce’s offices in Alcoy will sell them in person from 10am, although that route is mainly aimed at people over 60 and people with disabilities.

There’s one rule to get right before you buy though. Only one purchase is allowed per DNI or NIE (your Spanish identity or foreigner’s identity number), no matter how many vouchers are in it, so you can’t come back later for more.

Where you can spend them

Vouchers work at the Alcoy businesses that have signed up, and the scheme’s website lists them under its Comercios adheridos (participating businesses) section. That list hadn’t been published at the time of writing, though.

Shoppers have to show their NIF or NIE before paying, and the voucher can be used either digitally or on paper. Everything has to be spent between October 26 and November 15. 

The scheme’s customer page doesn’t say whether there’s a minimum spend or whether shops give change, so it’s worth asking a business before you head out. And before October 26, work out how many vouchers you’ll realistically spend by November 15 and have your ID number ready, because you only get one go at buying them.