How State Cashback Works

Maximum 3 thousand euros of expenses, 1,500 every six months to get a refund of 10%. How to register for the program to relaunch digital payments

(Photo: Artur Debat / Getty Images) Among the measures envisaged by the government to combat tax evasion and above all to encourage digital payments, the one that is taking shape more and more defined is the solution outlined through the cashback bonus, which together with the so-called Cashless Plan also ended up in the update note to the Economics and Finance Document, with allocations of 1.7 billion euros for 2021 and 3 billion for 2022 from allocate part of the purchases made to reimbursements.

The cashback system identified by the executive provides for the reimbursement of 10% of the amount of the transaction envisaged for expenses made with credit or debit cards, ATMs, bank transfers and also payment platforms installed on smartphones. In general, it is specified that the traceable payment method must be used for in-store expenses. On the other hand, purchases made online are excluded from the measure, in cases where it is not possible to pay with cards or electronic tools. However, no limits have been placed on the categories of purchases.

How much can you spend

Waiting for the first of December, when the measure will officially start, let's try to clarify some points better. First of all, the confirmation of the expense thresholds. Those who manage to spend at least € 3,000 per year (€ 1,500 per semester) by paying with traceable methods will be entitled to a maximum of € 300 in total reimbursement, ie 10% of the expected expenditure.

And to encourage the use of digital payments even in small expenses, it will probably be necessary to carry out a minimum number of transactions that will entitle you to a 10% cashback. According to some estimates, this involves at least 50 transactions in the first six months, reaching the threshold of 1,500 euros of expenditure, and another 50 in the second half, so as to reach the annual threshold of 3 thousand euros.

How access the service

To participate, citizens must register for the cashback program on the Io app for public administration services by accessing through the Spid digital identity and indicating their tax code, information relating to the chosen payment methods and the Iban of the current account on which to receive the reimbursement every six months.

At that point, a qr code will be generated to be presented to the merchants, so as to uniquely identify the transaction. The PagoPa platform will manage the rewards, while the refunds will arrive they will be credited to the current account. The same qr code will then also give the right to participate in the receipt lottery introduced together with the obligation of the electronic receipt, which provides for a first prize of 5 million euros. cashback, which provides a premium of 3 thousand euros but only for the first 100 thousand citizens who will make the largest number of purchases by paying with electronic tools.