Want to know whether you have been allocated a Carta Dedicata a Te and where to collect it? Start with your Comune's beneficiary list: there is no application for the 2026–2027 programme. INPS and municipalities select households using the conditions and the available cards.
The first payment is €500 from 4 November 2026; the 2027 payment is scheduled from April. This guide explains ISEE checks, exclusions, collection documents and spending deadlines. A low ISEE or a card from an earlier year does not confirm a new allocation.
What to check first
- Application
- None: INPS and municipalities identify beneficiaries.
- ISEE
- Ordinary ISEE, valid on 3 August 2026, no higher than €15,000.
- First payment
- €500 from 4 November 2026.
- First purchase for 2026
- By 16 December 2026, including if you already have a card.
- 2027 payment
- Scheduled from April 2027; check official updates.
Section 1
Carta Dedicata a Te 2026–2027: payments and deadlines
Separate the top-up, first purchase and final spending deadline.
| When | What it means | Your next check |
|---|---|---|
| 3 August 2026 | Reference date for registered residence and ordinary ISEE. | Check the certificate that was valid on that date. |
| From 4 November 2026 | First €500 payment for allocated beneficiaries. | Check your municipal notification and card balance. |
| By 16 December 2026 | First purchase required to keep the 2026 payment. | Collecting the card without using it does not replace a purchase. |
| From April 2027 | A second €500 payment is scheduled using the same two-year list. | This is not a monthly payment; no single credit date is specified. |
| 1 April–31 August 2027 | Window to collect or activate, with a purchase, cards not collected or activated in 2026. | Only for allocated beneficiaries' 2027 payment; it does not recover 2026 funds. |
| By 10 October 2027 | Final deadline to spend credited funds in full. | Keep this separate from the first-purchase deadline. |
The decree provides €500 for each year, giving an expected €1,000 over the programme. It also allows the 2027 payment to be recalculated according to residual resources: check any updates before planning your spending.
Section 2
Requirements: ordinary ISEE and residence on 3 August 2026
Check the certificate type and reference date as well as its amount.
Initial checks
- Your household must reside in Italy.
- Every member must be registered in the Anagrafe della popolazione residente, the municipal population register.
- An ordinary ISEE certificate must have been valid on 3 August 2026, with a value no higher than €15,000.
ISEE stands for Indicatore della situazione economica equivalente, a measure of your household's financial circumstances. Exactly €15,000 is within the threshold. The decree requires an ordinary ISEE: do not assume a different indicator can replace it because it gives a lower figure.
Section 3
NASpI, Assegno di Inclusione and other exclusions
Incompatibilities concern the household, not just the person collecting the card.
The decree excludes households with recipients of
- Assegno di Inclusione, Carta Acquisti or other national, regional or municipal cash benefits for social inclusion or poverty support at the decree's entry into force.
- NASpI, unemployment benefit for employees, or DIS-COLL, unemployment benefit for eligible collaborators.
- Mobility allowances, solidarity-fund income support, Cassa integrazione guadagni (CIG) or other state wage-support and involuntary-unemployment benefits.
For the listed income-support benefits, one recipient in the household is enough to trigger the exclusion. If support started, ended or changed close to the relevant dates, ask your Comune: this guide does not assess your individual compatibility.
| Benefit | Access | Reference amount |
|---|---|---|
| Carta Dedicata a Te | INPS and municipal selection, without an application. | €500 for 2026 and an expected €500 for 2027. |
| Carta Acquisti | An application and its own conditions for people aged at least 65 or children under three. | €80 every two months. |
Section 4
Ranking: why a low ISEE does not guarantee a card
Cards are limited; municipalities apply priorities to the prepared lists.
One list covers both years. The ranking considers households of at least three people and gives lower ISEE values priority within the listed groups. The table keeps the birth-date cut-offs stated in the decree and INPS message.
| Order | Household composition as stated | Financial priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | At least three people; at least one born on or before 31 December 2012. | Lower ISEE. |
| 2 | At least three people; at least one born on or before 31 December 2008. | Lower ISEE. |
| 3 | At least three people. | Lower ISEE. |
The sources use 'entro' for the birth cut-offs, translated here as 'on or before'; we do not replace them with different age limits. Your Comune must confirm the applied group and outcome.
Section 5
How to check your allocation: the Comune's list and notification
Your municipality handles allocation questions and missing entries.
Open your Comune's official website
Search for 'Carta Dedicata a Te 2026' in news, notices or social services. Check that the notice concerns the current programme.
Read how beneficiaries are identified
Lists must protect personal information and may use codes rather than names. Follow the notice's key and ask your Comune which identifier to use if you cannot recognise your entry.
Check the outcome and collection instructions
Keep the notification and confirm the cardholder, responsible office and any booking requirement. You need confirmation of an allocation, not just an ISEE within the threshold.
INPS manages the lists and exchanges with municipalities; Poste handles card operations. Going straight to a post office does not replace allocation checks. Do not pay intermediaries for a supposed Carta Dedicata a Te application.
Section 6
Collection, authorisation and first purchase: what to bring
Use the municipal notification and prepare the cardholder's documents.
To collect a new card
- Your allocation notification.
- A valid identity document.
- Your codice fiscale, the Italian tax code.
- Your Comune's instructions on collection groups and bookings.
The card is personal. To keep the 2026 payment, make a purchase by 16 December 2026: collection alone is insufficient. Use eligible shops, keep your PIN separately and check that the payment succeeded.
If someone must collect on your behalf, use the authorisation form currently linked by Poste. Both people must sign it, with copies of both identity documents and tax-code or health cards attached. Confirm the documents for your circumstances with the post office before the appointment. Collection authorisation does not permit unrestricted transfer of the card to other people.
Section 7
What you can buy and where the discount applies
The 2026–2027 payment covers the Annex 1 food categories.
| What you want to do | The programme's rule |
|---|---|
| Buy bread, pasta, rice, milk, eggs, fruit or vegetables | These are examples of the food categories in Annex 1. |
| Buy food for infants, including formula milk | This category is included in Annex 1. |
| Buy alcohol, non-food items or medicines | These are outside the Carta Dedicata a Te food benefit. |
| Buy fuel, transport passes or pay utility bills | These are not covered uses for 2026–2027. |
| Shop online or use the card abroad | Prohibited by Poste's information sheet. |
| Withdraw cash or add your own money | Not permitted: Postamat ATMs are for balance and transaction checks. |
You can pay at food retailers enabled for Mastercard that meet the programme's requirements. Use is free: no payment commission is due for using this card.
Retailers participating in the agreements apply a 15% discount, combined with other promotions. Do not assume every Mastercard retailer participates: ask the shop before buying whether it is included and how the discount is applied.
Section 8
Balance, PIN, declined purchases and lost cards
Use official Poste channels for card-operation problems.
| Situation | Check | Who to contact |
|---|---|---|
| No top-up visible | Confirm allocation, payment year and expected date; check a Postamat balance. | Comune for allocation; Poste for the card. |
| Payment declined | Check balance, PIN, allowed items and retailer. Record the error without sharing the PIN. | Poste if the problem continues. |
| PIN lost | Poste describes a replacement PIN through customer service, or replacement of the card with a new PIN at a post office. | Customer service or a post office. |
| Card damaged or faulty | Request replacement and check which documents to bring. | A post office. |
| Card lost or stolen | Block it immediately, report the loss or theft and request replacement. | Poste and the public-security authorities. |
Use a Postamat ATM with your card and PIN for balance and transaction information. This is not a withdrawal: the benefit cannot be converted into cash.
Section 9
Checklist and a clarification request to your Comune
Use this reminder without sending personal information to Percorso Cittadino.
Before collection or an information request
- I have read my Comune's notice for 2026–2027.
- I have checked the ordinary ISEE and the 3 August 2026 reference date.
- I have checked incompatible cash benefits within the household.
- I have allocation confirmation and know whether to use an older card or collect one.
- I have the notification, valid ID and tax code ready; the official authorisation form too, if needed.
- I have noted the first purchase by 16 December 2026 and final spending deadline of 10 October 2027.
Illustrative example: ISEE within the threshold, no confirmation
A household with an ISEE of €9,000 cannot find its code. The useful next step is asking the Comune whether the list is final and which information was considered: the ISEE alone does not prove an error or entitlement.
Illustrative example: an older card
A person has kept last year's card. Before using the new benefit, they check confirmation in the lists, the balance and the first-purchase requirement for 2026. An older card does not establish a new allocation.
Section 10
Frequently asked questions about Carta Dedicata a Te
Answers on applications, ISEE, exclusions and the second payment.
How do I apply for Carta Dedicata a Te in 2026?
You do not submit an application. INPS and municipalities identify beneficiaries; your Comune publishes its list and explains collection. The INPS list-management portal is for municipal staff.
Does an ISEE of exactly €15,000 qualify?
The financial threshold includes €15,000 for an ordinary ISEE. This does not guarantee a card: the 3 August 2026 reference date, other conditions, exclusions and ranking within the available municipal allocation also matter.
Can we receive the card if someone in our household receives NASpI?
The decree excludes households where at least one member receives NASpI, DIS-COLL or the listed income and unemployment benefits. If a benefit started or ended close to the relevant dates, ask your Comune to check your circumstances.
Can people living alone or households without minor children be included?
Do not treat a minor as a universal condition based only on the campaign summary. The decree prioritises households of at least three people and allows municipalities to allocate any remaining cards, within the prepared list, to households in genuine need, including one-person households. This does not guarantee an allocation.
I have an older card: do I need to collect a new one?
Older cards remain valid if the beneficiary is confirmed in the new lists. Check your new allocation and municipal instructions. Having an older card alone does not guarantee a top-up; contact Poste if it is lost or faulty.
What if I do not make the first purchase by 16 December 2026?
You lose the benefit for 2026 only. For allocated beneficiaries, Article 10 allows collection or activation for the 2027 payment alone by making a purchase from 1 April to 31 August 2027. This does not recover the 2026 €500 or open a new application to join the list.
When is the second payment due, and when must I spend the balance?
The 2027 payment is scheduled from April 2027; the sources consulted do not specify one day for everyone. The decree provides €500, with scope to recalculate that payment according to residual resources. Credited funds must be spent in full by 10 October 2027.
Can I buy fuel, pay bills or shop online?
For 2026–2027 the benefit covers Annex 1 food items, excluding alcohol. Fuel, transport and utility bills are not covered. Poste's information sheet prohibits online purchases, overseas use, cash withdrawals and self-funded top-ups.
How do I check the Carta Dedicata a Te balance?
Poste identifies Postamat ATMs as the channel for checking your balance and transactions with your card and PIN. You cannot withdraw the benefit as cash. Use official Poste support if your PIN or card is lost.
Are Carta Dedicata a Te and Carta Acquisti the same benefit?
They are separate benefits. Carta Acquisti provides €80 every two months, requires an application and has its own conditions for people aged at least 65 or children under three. Receiving Carta Acquisti is one of the decree's exclusions from Carta Dedicata a Te.
- INPS — Carta Dedicata a Te 2026–2027 guidance (Italian)
- INPS — Message 2906 of 22 September 2026 (MASAF PDF, Italian)
- Interministerial decree of 24 June 2026, no. 305967 (PDF, Italian)
- Poste Italiane — Collection, balance and card support (Italian)
- Poste — Card usage information, September 2026 (PDF, Italian)
- Poste — Carta Acquisti: a separate benefit (Italian)
Section 11
Official sources, scope and verification limits
Relevant passages were consulted on 4 October 2026; local notices must be checked with your Comune.
- INPS — Carta Dedicata a Te 2026–2027 guidance (Italian)Italy, 2026–2027: one beneficiary list, no application, payments, 4 November launch, first purchase and municipal responsibilities. News item dated 24 September 2026. A national summary: the message and decree also support dated requirements, priorities and 2027 deadlines. This does not check an individual's allocation. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- INPS — Message 2906 of 22 September 2026 (MASAF PDF, Italian)Italy: requirements on 3 August 2026, exclusions, amounts, existing cards, priorities, the municipal deadline and responsibilities were read. This is the official copy hosted by MASAF. Birth cut-offs use the wording 'entro' and are not replaced with inferred age bands. The municipal application was not accessed. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- Interministerial decree of 24 June 2026, no. 305967 (PDF, Italian)Italy, 2026–2027: Articles 2–11 on requirements, priorities, residual cards including one-person households, loss of the 2026 payment, the 2027 window and 10 October 2027 deadline. The 4 November operational date comes from later INPS guidance rather than the decree's general October reference. Article 5(3) allows the 2027 payment to be recalculated; individual allocations were not checked. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- Poste Italiane — Collection, balance and card support (Italian)Italy: collection documents, eligible retailers, PIN, Postamat balance, blocking lost or stolen cards, replacement and PIN recovery. Bookings, POS purchases, Postamat operations and telephone calls were not tested. The attached information sheet was read for online and overseas restrictions. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- MASAF — Annex 1: eligible food categories (PDF, Italian)Italy, 2026–2027: eligible essential food categories, including infant food and DOP/IGP products. The guide's examples do not replace the full list; individual products and retailer codes were not checked. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- Poste — Card usage information, September 2026 (PDF, Italian)Italy: points 3–12 on the first purchase, personal use, PIN, retailers, online and overseas restrictions, withdrawals and self-funded top-ups, blocking and remaining balance were read. This sheet does not replace Articles 10–11 of the decree for the 2027 window and final deadline. The procedures were not performed. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- Poste — Collection or replacement authorisation form (PDF, Italian)Italy: the form linked by the current page, signatures of both people and copies of both identity documents and tax-code/health cards. The form is dated July 2023 but remains linked by the page consulted. Acceptance of an individual authorisation at a post office was not tested. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- MASAF — 2026–2027 programme and discounts (Italian)Italy: the two-year programme, two €500 payments, launch and a 15% discount at participating retailers, combined with other promotions. The summary mentions a minor and also uses 'below' €15,000. The guide follows the decree and INPS for the inclusive threshold, priorities and households without minors; not every retailer was checked. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
- Poste — Carta Acquisti: a separate benefit (Italian)Italy: Carta Acquisti features, target groups and application process were read to distinguish its €80 every two months from Carta Dedicata a Te. This is not a complete Carta Acquisti guide: its financial thresholds, citizenship and other conditions are not reproduced here. Relevant passages checked on 2026-10-04.
Section 12
Related guides
If you need help with the certificate or residence information, use the relevant guide.