Can I top up my bus card?
tes-SE-ra — three syllables; stress on the second. The double 's' is a geminate — hold the 's' briefly.
Use this when you have an electronic transit card (like Rome's Metrebus card or Milan's ATM Mi Muovo card) and need to add credit to it.
'Ricaricare' means to top up / recharge. 'La tessera del bus' refers to a reloadable transit card. Many authorised tabaccherie in Italian cities are equipped with POS terminals that can read and reload transit cards.
Posso rinnovare l'abbonamento sulla tessera?
Can I renew my subscription on the card?
Renewing a monthly pass on an existing smart card
La tessera non funziona — può controllare?
The card isn't working — can you check it?
Asking for help with a malfunctioning transit card
Quanti viaggi posso caricare?
How many trips can I load?
Asking about the top-up unit structure
Italian cities have invested significantly in contactless transit card infrastructure. Rome's Metrebus card, Milan's ATM card, and Naples's Unico card are all rechargeable at authorised tobacconists. This decentralised network is essential in a country where transit office hours are often limited.