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PhrasesAt the TobacconistVendete carte prepagate Postepay?
B1

Vendete carte prepagate Postepay?

Do you sell Postepay prepaid cards?

Pronunciation

Po-ste-PAY — the stress falls on the final syllable because 'pay' is an English word used as a brand suffix.

When to use it

Use this when you need a prepaid debit card for online shopping or cash management. Postepay is Italy's most popular prepaid card and is sold at authorised tabaccherie.

What it means

'Carte prepagate' (prepaid cards) is plural feminine. Postepay is issued by Poste Italiane and functions as a Visa prepaid card. It can be used online and in shops. Authorised tabaccherie can sell and reload Postepay cards. An identity document is required to purchase.

Variations

Posso ricaricare la mia Postepay qui?

Can I reload my Postepay here?

Many tobacconists can top up existing Postepay cards

Quanto costa attivare una Postepay?

How much does it cost to activate a Postepay?

There is a one-off activation fee plus annual fee

Qual è la differenza tra Postepay e Postepay Evolution?

What is the difference between Postepay and Postepay Evolution?

Evolution has an IBAN and allows direct debits

Mini Dialogue

— Vendete carte prepagate Postepay? — Sì, ma ho bisogno di un suo documento. — Ecco il passaporto. — Perfetto. La carta base costa cinque euro di attivazione. Vuole caricarci qualcosa subito? — Sì, cinquanta euro.

— Do you sell Postepay prepaid cards? — Yes, but I need your ID document. — Here's my passport. — Perfect. The basic card costs five euros to activate. Do you want to load anything on it straight away? — Yes, fifty euros.

Cultural Note

Postepay was launched in 2003 and became enormously popular in Italy, particularly among young people and those without a traditional bank account. It played a crucial role in enabling Italians to shop online at a time when credit card penetration was low. Today over 12 million Postepay cards are in circulation.