If you turned 18 years of age in 2019, you can take advantage of the incentives of the Bonus Cultura program, benefiting from a bonus of 500 euros to spend to buy a range of items and services, such as books, eBooks, museum and concert tickets. The voucher is also valid to buy some products on Amazon, including audiobooks, CDs, vinyls and books, you just need to sign up on 18app.italia.it with your SPID digital identity, and then convert the credit into a voucher to be used on e-commerce. Let's see how 18app Amazon works, with a detailed guide to understand how to use the Culture Bonus on Amazon.
What is the Culture Bonus
The Culture Bonus is an initiative of the Italian government, whose goal is to incentivize young people to buy products and services related to the world of culture. The measure provides a voucher of 500 euros available through the 18app program, as the incentive is reserved for children born in 2001 who turned 18 in 2019. In this case you have until February 28, 2021 to take advantage of the sum, spending the amount in affiliated stores.
At the moment, the Culture Bonus 2020 is also being defined, which, however, should provide a lower amount than the 2019 edition, with an incentive of about 300 euros through the 18app 2020 system for those born in 2002. In any case, it is essential to register on the 18app portal using the SPID for digital identity, after which you can check the list of physical and online stores at which to employ the 500 euro voucher, with the possibility of buying various products and services such as paper and digital books, courses but also entrances to concerts, museums and cinemas.
Amazon Culture Bonus: what it is
One of the online stores where the Culture Voucher is valid is Amazon, in fact you can spend the bonus to buy a variety of items such as books, Kindle eBooks, DVDs, CDs, vinyls and audiobooks. The service is offered through the 18app Amazon program, aimed for the moment at those born in 2001 who turned 18 in 2019 and signed up on the 18app portal by August 31, 2020, pending confirmation of the renewal of the initiative for those born in 2002 who became of age in 2020.
The Amazon Culture Bonus can be used until February 28, 2021, converting the bonus into a credit to spend on e-commerce through the dedicated website amazon.bonus18.it. If you don't find suitable products you can also request a refund of the credit, making the application to bring back the funds from your Amazon account to the 18app digital wallet. In this way you can use the money of the voucher in other online stores or physical stores, considering the technical time required for the operation and obviously excluding product returns.
18app Amazon: how it works
To use the 500 euro voucher of the Culture Bonus on the e-commerce platform you must follow a precise procedure, so that you can convert the incentive into an 18app Amazon voucher. To be able to spend the amount it is also essential to have an Amazon account, registering on the portal for free by creating a personal profile, it is also essential to register on the official website 18app.italia.it with the SPID. Then all that remains is to generate a voucher of at least 1 euro or higher figures, always of full value (for example 10, 15 or 50 euros).
After creating the voucher just go to the portal amazon.bonus18.it, where the option converti buono 18app Amazon is available, then you just have to enter it among the payment methods and use the credit to finalize the purchase of allowed items. To buy an accepted product you can also use several vouchers together, you just need to enter the various codes at the time of payment. If, on the other hand, the amount of the voucher does not cover the entire value of the item, in this case you can issue another voucher or pay the remaining amount with any payment method.
How to register on 18app
To get an Amazon 18app voucher with the Culture Bonus credit you must first register on the site 18app.italia.it, the official portal managed by the Ministry of Education. Registration can only be done with the SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale - Public Digital Identity System), so those who do not have it must request it in order to access the platform and receive the 500 euro voucher. Once you have the SPID you can use it for different purposes, in fact the digital identity is used to access any online service of the Public Administration.
The SPID request can be made only at authorized Identity Providers, turning to Aruba, InfoCert, Intesa, Lepida, Namirial, Poste Italiane, Sielte, Register.it or TIM. For the activation there are different types of procedures, with recognition online, via webcam or in person. Then you can choose whether to activate a first level SPID (authentication with username and password), second level (authentication with name, password and OTP code or app), or third level (three-factor authentication with physical devices).
After creating the SPID (you must be 18 years of age) you can access the portal 18app.italia.it, otherwise you can sign up via app by downloading the 18app application, available on Google Play Store and App Store and compatible with Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. At this point all that remains is to enter your SPID credentials, access the portal or app and generate the vouchers to use for purchases, taking advantage of the Culture Bonus credit available in the virtual wallet of 18app.
How to create Amazon vouchers with 18app
After registering on the 18app site you can create vouchers to use the Culture Bonus on Amazon, remembering that they must have a full amount such as 5, 10, 25 or 50 euros, starting from 1 euro up to 250 euros. If you have to buy an item with a non-full cost, for example 36.50 euros, you can generate a voucher with a higher value without losing the unconsumed credit. The procedure is very simple, in fact you just need to go to the 18app.italia.it portal, or access from the 18app app, select the Create Voucher option, choose the online mode, indicate the type of item and the amount.
To be valid on Amazon the voucher must be created for items allowed under the Culture Bonus program, so books, audiobooks, eBooks, CDs and vinyls, DVDs and Blu-rays. At this point you have to convert the 18app voucher into an Amazon code, so you have to access the site amazon.bonus18.it, type the identification code of the voucher and enter your Amazon account login credentials. After receiving the confirmation email the bonus will be available as a spendable credit, so all that's left to do is to choose the items to buy and use the voucher for payment.
How to pay with 18app Amazon
With Amazon codes you can choose the desired products to buy with the Culture Bonus, selecting items among those in the accepted categories. In addition, the account must be connected with a valid payment method, such as a credit card, debit card or a prepaid card such as Postepay, otherwise you will not be able to conclude the purchase transaction. At the same time you have to be careful, as you need to enter the Amazon code and not the 18app voucher code, otherwise you will see an error message when paying with the bonus.
After choosing the product, for example an audiobook or a Kindle eBook, just use the Enter a promotional code or gift certificate option, typing the previously generated Amazon code to finalize the purchase. For Prime subscribers there are no additional costs for shipping, otherwise you have to check the price of delivery and consider it in the amount of the order. With the 18app voucher, in fact, it is not possible to also pay the shipping costs on Amazon, so in case of delivery fees must be paid with an accepted payment method.
In addition, with the 18app bonus you can only buy one unit of the same product, so you can not buy two or three copies of a CD or DVD. Should the voucher credit exceed the value of the product, the excess amount still remains available for other purchases, so you can use it for other payments without having to re-enter the Amazon code. To check if the 18app voucher has been used correctly, after having placed the order you can access your account, select the item My orders and choose the option Order details to check the outcome of the operation.
How to convert the Amazon code and restore the 18app balance
Once you have generated the 18app Amazon code you can decide that you no longer want to spend the credit on e-commerce, for example because you do not find products suitable for your needs and you want to use the Culture Bonus elsewhere. In this case you can perform the reverse operation, to convert the Amazon code and restore the 18app balance, in order to use it at other online stores or physical stores. The request involves filling out a special online reimbursement form, available at amazon.bonus18.it/reconversion.
In the form you must enter the Amazon code and the associated 18app voucher to start the re-credit process, which may take a few days, so it is important to proceed well in advance and move before the approaching deadline of February 28, 2021. In order to understand if the application has been made correctly you need to receive a confirmation email, after which if everything is in order the credit will be recharged on the balance of the Culture Bonus, so all that remains is to verify the re-credit on the 18app app or on the 18app.italia.it portal.