The Purchasing Card will also return in 2026. In recent days the Ministry of Economy has made available on its website the forms for requesting the contribution which, created in 2008, has seen over six million beneficiaries to date.
Amount of the contribution and number of beneficiaries
The Purchasing Card is worth 40 euros per month and is loaded every two months with 80 euros, based on the allocations that are progressively made available. The recipients are citizens at least 65 years old and children under three years of age who, under a specific ISEE threshold, will be able to continue to receive the contribution for food, healthcare, electricity and gas bills.
According to MEF data, the total amount disbursed since the start of the program is close to 2.3 billion, distributed to 6.28 million people (2.3 million elderly people and almost 4 million children). In 2025 alone, over 135 million euros were paid to 351 thousand beneficiaries (more than 156 thousand elderly people and around 195 thousand children).
How to apply for the Purchasing Card
The application for the Card can be submitted at post offices using the forms available on the website of the Ministry of Economy (but also of INPS, Poste Italiane and the Ministry of Labour) and the necessary documentation certifying the necessary requirements.
Those who already receive the contribution directly or, in the case of children, through the parent and maintain the requirements of the program will not have to make a new request: the bimonthly credit of 80 euros will continue to arrive automatically on the electronic card associated with the program.
What is the Purchasing Card and where can it be used
The Purchasing Card is a normal electronic payment card, the same as those already in circulation and widely used in Italy. The main difference is that the expenses, instead of being charged to the card holder, are charged and paid directly by the State.
The Card can be used to make purchases in all food shops enabled by the Mastercard circuit. Stores, including pharmacies, displaying the program symbol will also give additional discounts to normal promotions.
The new ISEE limits updated to inflation
Starting from January 1st of this year, the maximum limit of the value of the ISEE indicator and of the total amount of income to obtain the benefit have been redetermined in light of the inflation trend: for children under 3 years of age the maximum value of the ISEE is equal to 8,230.81 euros; for citizens between 65 and 70, both the ISEE and income limit is 8,230.81 euros, while for those over 70, the maximum value of the ISEE is always equal to 8,230.81 euros but the total amount of income received is set at 10,974.42 euros.