Highway Cashback has been active since September 15: how to use the Free To X app to reimburse tolls paid
While the State Cashback is over, since September 15 Autostrade Cashback has started on an experimental basis. Travellers suffering delays of more than 15 minutes due to slowdowns caused by Autostrade per l'Italia construction sites and works will be able to request a refund of the toll paid.
In order to accumulate the refund, users will have to download the official app released by Autostrade: Free To X. The app allows you to check whether the unfortunate motorist has encountered heavy delays due to works on the freeway and defines the amount of toll to be refunded. All motorists are entitled to the Autostrade Cashback, regardless of the means of transport in which they are travelling and the reason for their journey. Whether it's a leisure trip, a vacation ruined by excessive delays or a missed business appointment, you can have the consolation of having the toll paid re-credited. Here's what you need to know about the initiative and how to use the Free To X app.
Motorway cashback: what it is and how it works
Toll cashback is the initiative launched by Autostrade per l'Italia for all motorists who encounter delays in their journeys due to delays caused by freeway worksites. The initiative's experimental period began on September 15, 2021 and will end on December 31, 2021, with the payment of the first reimbursements to those who are entitled to them directly via bank account transfer starting in January 2022. If the trial is successful, just as it had been for the State Cashback, the initiative on tolls will become definitive.
The reimbursement percentages are 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the toll and the calculation depends on two factors: the amount of delay that the motorist has accumulated and the number of kilometers traveled. To obtain a refund of 100% of the toll paid, it is necessary to accumulate at least 2 hours of delay over a distance of up to 349 kilometers. Or a delay of more than 15 minutes over a distance of 30 kilometers.
Let's take an example. A driver who travels 100 kilometers and accumulates a delay between 45 and 59 minutes, will be entitled to a refund of 75% of the trip. If, on the other hand, the delay accumulated over a distance of 100 kilometers is between 30 and 44 minutes, the reimbursement will only be 50%.
Toll Cashback: when it is due and to whom
The right to reimbursement is due to all motorists who travel on the Italian freeways belonging to ASPI and who find themselves facing a delay due to construction sites and works that affect the regularity of traffic, for example when a construction site requires the reduction of lanes that were originally available.
Motorway Cashback is not issued if the delay is due to traffic, weather events, accidents or any other reason that cannot be attributed to the presence of construction sites or works.
Free To X: how to use the Toll Cashback app
In order to calculate and request the Cashback on tolls, motorists must install the Free To X app on their smartphone, which is available free of charge for Android and iOS devices. The use is simple: the motorist who encounters a delay on the highway has to open the app and follow the procedure depending on whether he used an electronic toll device, or paid with cards or cash.
For those who use electronic toll, after opening the app you have to take a picture of the bill and confirm your data, register and confirm your identity. You will receive notifications for reimbursable transits, which are automatically calculated by the app, and which must then be confirmed by the user.
For those who use card and cash payment, you must collect the receipt at the toll booth, photograph it and confirm your data. After registering, you have to send the reimbursement request and you will receive the confirmation notification in case it is due.