If the future is cashless, PostePay is in pole position. And the government’s cash back scheme is also a driving force for the more innovative and experimental systems of the payment giant Poste. According to statistics, Italy has lost approximately €390 billion in VAT revenue over the last ten years and is the country with the highest levels of tax evasion in Europe. With digital payments, the scope of this scandalous behaviour could be reduced. Electronic money, wrote economist Emiliano Mandrone, is not a balm for criminal behaviour, but it certainly creates some complications for those who want to evade taxes. It is in this context that the openness to experiments on new digital payment models, such as Postepay Code, is also crucial, the digital payment service in the PostePay app that works via QR Code or geolocation, which is an important step in Poste Italiane’s digital transformation and innovation path.

How it works

Customers with PostePay or BancoPosta cards enabled in the app can pay for their purchases simply by scanning the QR Code — displayed at points of sale — with the PostePay app or by using the geolocation services in the app. You enter the amount and authorise the purchase in the PostePay App to complete the transaction and also participate in ScontiPoste, the loyalty programme for customers with  PostePay prepaid or Carte BancoPosta prepaid cards, which provides cash back discounts at participating businesses. In addition, since last July, payment by QR Code has been implemented at all post offices, and it is therefore possible to pay with a PostePay Code for transactions made at the counter. The solution has also been integrated into the handheld devices letter carriers use.

The new systems

PostePay has been investing in digital payments since their inception and has always developed the theme of understanding how in-app payments could evolve in different ways, managing the possibilities offered by new technologies. In this way, you can pay not only at a normal till with POS, but also with QR Code technology, which can become a way of expanding the customer base and merchants by representing an entry point for those who have no digital payment system or a complement to traditional tools. In addition, the QR Code is suitable for an easier and more direct payment experience.