Below you will find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. Please check to see if your query is answered here. Each individual case will differ but this information is suited to many circumstances.

• Does CVS take my money from my wages?

No, your employer deducts the value of your Vouchers from your salary before tax and National Insurance contributions; we do not take money directly from you.

• What do you mean by Voucher funding?

Your employer gives us the money to fund your Voucher order. When we have received this payment from your employer and the funds have cleared, you will either receive your Voucher in your preferred format (electronically or paper) or we will pay your carer for you as arranged.

• When will you release my employee's Childcare Vouchers?

You must first have paid us the balance of your organisation's Voucher value for that pay period. When we have received funds, you must allow the following clearance days (please refer to table below). When your payment has cleared, we will release your employee's Childcare Vouchers in their preferred format (paper, electronic or we automatically pay their carer on their behalf).

• I have regular childcare arrangements. Can I set up automatic payments to my carer?

Yes, absolutely, it's the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way to run your Voucher account. All you need to do is choose AutoPay when you log into your CVS online account, or, if you don't have internet access, call us and we can set up a Standing Carer Payment for you. Just tell us which carer you'd like to pay, how much and which date you would like to pay them each month. The payment will leave your account automatically on the same day every month. Please note, we pay your carer using secure BACS transfer, which means it will take three to four working days for payment to clear/appear in their account. They choose the frequency of payment, so if they have selected to be paid just once a month, they will receive your payment into their bank account on the date they have specified.

• What is my ID number?

Whether you're a carer, parent or employer, you have been allocated a unique ID number by CVS. You will need to quote this each time you contact us so that we can access your records, process your order or change any of your details. If we do not have your correct ID number, actions may be delayed – including the funding, distribution and payment of Vouchers.

• Why is my employer's payroll cut-off date important to me?

Your payroll cut-off date is essentially the most important date of the month when participating in a voucher scheme. If you want to join the scheme or make an amend to your order – such as change your carer, the value of your Voucher or how you receive it – you need to ensure your changes are submitted before your employer's payroll cut off date. Your payroll department will be able to advise when your cut-off date is, or you can call us on 0845 002 1111. If you miss the date, your changes cannot be implemented until the next pay period.

• I want to switch to e-Vouchers to do my bit for the environment. How do I arrange this?

Great news! We're very conscious of our carbon footprint so we offer e-Vouchers as an alternative to paper Vouchers. To switch your order from paper to e-Vouchers, all you need to do is log into your online account, click on scheme details and then amend details. The drop down box will give you the opportunity to switch to e-Vouchers. If you don't have internet access but want e-Vouchers, please call us on 0845 002 1111 and we'll set up a regular, automatic carer payment for you over the phone (similar to a standing order).

• How do I get my Voucher refunded?

When your employer signs up to the CVS scheme, they choose whether they will allow any unused Vouchers allocated to their employees to be refunded. As Vouchers are tax-free and National Insurance exempt and given to you through a salary sacrifice arrangement between you and your employer, any refunds will need to go back through your payroll department. This means the value of the Voucher you would like to be refunded will be subject to tax and NI deductions.

• I just called your Customer Service team and I am unhappy with the way my call was handled.

CVS is committed to providing quality service all of the time, every time, and we have a number of procedures in place to help us with this. All of the calls we receive into our Customer Service team are recorded for monitoring and training purposes using "NICE" recording software. We also have an internal QA (Quality Assurance) team, which randomly checks calls handled by all Customer Service Representatives every day for quality purposes. Furthermore, each member of our Customer Service team takes part in an on-going rigorous training programme, to determine their skill sets and ongoing quality.

When we receive comments, positive or negative, about the way a call was handled by one of our Customer Service Representatives, we always investigate the matter fully and take appropriate action. We will always let you know the result of our investigation.

• My Voucher was made out to the wrong carer, what do I do?

Give us a call and we can cancel the Voucher for you, so no-one can use it. Please destroy it and we will re-issue a new Voucher with the amended details. If you need to change your carer at any time, you can either call us on 0845 002 1111 and we'll amend your details or you can visit the relevant section of your online account and make the change yourself. Please note, if you make changes after your payroll cut-off date, they will not take effect until your next pay period.

• I'm a carer and haven't received payment yet.

There are numerous reasons why this could have happened. It could be that the parent hasn't yet received their Voucher; they have amended the way they pay you (for example, changing from paper to electronic Vouchers) but it hasn't yet taken effect; they have cancelled their Voucher; they have missed their employer's payroll cut-off date; they haven't been included in their employer's payroll schedule; or their employer hasn't funded the Vouchers, so we have not been able to release them to the parent. It is also worth checking the frequency of payments you have elected – if you chose monthly, you will get paid on the same day each month. By selecting daily, you will receive payment three to four days after a parent has paid you.

• I haven't received my paper Voucher

Again, there could be numerous reasons for this. It could be that you have moved home and not informed us; you may have been missed off your employer's payroll schedule this month; your order, or amended order, may not have been placed before your payroll cut-off date. By switching to e-Vouchers, or choosing to pay your carer automatically via a Standing Carer Payment if you don't have internet access, you will not only receive your order electronically but you will also not need to worry about postal strikes or delays.

• I've given a paper Voucher which has been cancelled/refunded to my carer in error.

Once you ask for a paper Voucher to be refunded or cancelled, it is invalidated and should not be given to a carer. You should, instead, destroy the Voucher immediately. If a paper Voucher that has been cancelled or refunded is given to a carer in error, we will not be able to pay the carer when they try to redeem it since it no longer has a face value. The carer will then need to contact you to ask you to make payment by other means.

Please email us if you have a question that you would like to see included on this page.

Still got a query or issue?

If these FAQs haven't answered your query, please click here to fill in a short form and we'll respond to you within 24 hours. Alternatively you can call us on 0845 002 1111 and one of our Customer Service Representatives will be happy to help.

If you wish to make contact with our Customer Relations team, please click here.