Can I top up my coffee card?
ri-ca-ri-CA-re — five syllables, stress on the fourth.
If the bar offers a loyalty or prepaid coffee card ('tessera'), use this to add credit to it.
'Ricaricare' means 'to top up/recharge'. 'Tessera' is a card — in this context a bar loyalty card. Many Italian neighbourhood bars offer a prepaid card where you pay for 10 coffees and get 1 free, or simply pre-load credit.
Ce l'ho la tessera — mi segna il caffè?
I have the card — can you mark the coffee?
For stamp-based loyalty cards — the barista adds a stamp each visit
Quanto manca alla pausa caffè gratuita?
How many more until the free coffee?
Check loyalty card progress
Posso fare un abbonamento settimanale?
Can I do a weekly coffee subscription?
Some modern bars offer subscription models — very trendy in Italian cities
The bar loyalty card ('tessera') is a fixture of Italian neighbourhood life. Regular customers often pre-pay for their monthly coffee supply, creating a financial bond with their local bar. It is also common for offices to have a collective bar account ('conto del bar') paid monthly.