There is great interest in cashback, the state reimbursement system that is obtained on expenses made with ATMs, credit cards and other digital payment instruments (Satispay or BancoPosta or Poste Pay, to name a few). According to the numbers of Palazzo Chigi, a few days before Christmas, on December 22, the number of subscribers to the program had risen to 5.4 million with 8.7 million payment systems activated and 24.4 million transactions processed and acquired. to the system.
This month, the initiative, which started on 8 December, takes the form of the “Christmas Extra Cashback”, an enhanced incentive that aims to give greater vigor to holiday shopping and to make the novelty take root among consumers. The maximum amount of the reimbursement that can be reached by participating in the program, 150 euros, can be obtained with transactions made with electronic money until 31 December.
Once fully operational, i.e. from 1 January 2021, this bonus can be accumulated with the expenses paid over the six months. It will therefore take longer to get to the discount of 150 euros (and 15 minimum transactions while this month 10 are enough). The totalized figures will be paid directly to the current account of the registered user, two months after the program closes. This means that the money will arrive in February for the December period and at the end of September for the first half of 2021.
Payment methods, criticism of the shops
The 10% refund is recognized for all purchases made in stores. Not only. Even payments to freelancers, such as plumbers, doctors, taxis, as long as they are made with authorized payment methods (such as Satispay) and through a physical acceptance device, such as the Pos, which allows you to participate in the initiative and therefore has an agreement with PagoPa. On the other hand, all purchases made online are excluded.
Then there are a series of recurring transactions that contribute to obtaining the bonus that few know. This is the case with the payment of car tax and car liability.
On the front of the shops there are reports from consumers. Many merchants are obstructing cashback by refusing to accept card payments. This is what Consumerismo No Profit reports, a consumer association that is recording the protests of citizens from various parts of Italy. “We note how many merchants and managers of public places, at the time of payment by their customers, refuse to accept cards and ATMs, due to the interchange fees charged to them – explains the association -. In particular, the greatest obstacles are encountered for small transactions (for example coffee at the bar or purchases for amounts of a few euros), for which numerous merchants ask customers to pay in cash, or claim to have the Pos temporarily out of use, in some cases even going so far as to propose mini-discounts on prices to discourage the use of electronic payment instruments ».
A practice that in fact damages the cashback and limits the right of users to access the refunds provided for by the Government program, also nullifying the fight against tax evasion. “We ask the Government to monitor the behavior of merchants, and to postpone the Christmas extra cashback to January 6, considering the limits in force linked to Covid and the inefficiencies recorded last December 8 close to the start of the program, and which slowed down strongly the adhesions of consumers. We also remind citizens that it is also possible to pay for car tax and TPL policies by card, and thus obtain reimbursements up to 15 euros »- concludes Luigi Gabriele, President of Consumerismo No Profit.
The discount on Rc car and road tax
It should be remembered that online payments do not contribute to the formation of the bonus. As for the car tax, which many now pay via the web, to get the 10% discount from cashback, the payment must be made through the Aci services on the IO app. The application has a section dedicated to this expense. The bonus is also accrued by paying at the tobacconist’s or in the affiliated shops, the important thing is to make the transaction with electronic money. This will save 15 euros on one of the two recurring car expenses.
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