User reports are multiplying regarding two malfunctions of the IO app to get Christmas cashback: impossible to log in with SPID and impossible to update the Wallet section.
In these days IO, the public services app, has gone from being a semi-successful app to the app of the moment. Especially after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte mentioned it in a press conference as the main way to get Christmas cashback, it's booming downloads for IO and the consequences are starting to be seen: IO doesn't work, just as it's being taken by storm by users.
The main problems that (would-be) IO users are complaining about are two: impossible to register with SPID and impossible to add their payment cards to the wallet of cards registered on IO. The two basic steps, in short, to sign up for IO in order to get the Christmas Cashback and the future semi-annual State Cashback that will start on January 1, 2021. Clear, then, that users are not very happy with the user experience of this public app. Both problems, however, have the same cause and should be solved soon allowing everyone to sign up and register their apps in view of December 8, the starting date of the Italia Cashless program.
App IO: impossible to register with SPID
To register to the IO app, available for both Android and iOS smartphones, there are two ways: "Login with SPID" and "Login with CIE". The first one, the access with SPID, is the one that is giving problems and this is serious, because SPID is the most widespread form of electronic identity in Italy.
Among the service providers that provide SPID, then, the most used is certainly Poste Italiane and the company did not fail to point out that the problems of access to IO with SPID do not depend on SPID, but on IO: "Poste Italiane informs that its SPID service works properly - as verifiable for all the services connected to it-. Any errors or prolonged loading encountered by users when accessing the IO App may be due to the strengthening of the platform in view of the launch of Cashback scheduled for December 8".
In essence, the problem is due to the IO app, which is not yet 100% ready and on which work is still being done to strengthen and fine-tune it in view of the fateful day of December 8. Un giorno in cui, costi quel che costi, l’app IO e tutto il sistema del Cashback dovranno essere completamente funzionanti.
Da notare, però, che la stessa app IO comunuica ai suoi utenti di essere ancora “giovane" tanto che la prima schermata dopo l’installazione recita: “Benvenuto nella prima versione pubblica di IO! In questa versione trovi in alto a destra le icone per segnalare bug e aprire una chat con il team di IO. Aspettiamo i tuoi feedback“.
App IO: impossibile aggiornare il Portafoglio
Il secondo problema che gli utenti stanno riscontrando su IO è l’impossibilità di inserire le proprie carte di pagamento tra quelle da usare ai fini del Cashback. La sezione Portafoglio, in pratica, non può essere aggiornata e riporta il messaggio “Problemi con un pagamento o l’aggiunta di un nuovo metodo? Consulta l’help in alto a destra su questa pagina“.
Anche in questo caso il problema è dovuto al fatto che il sistema Cashback non è ancora pronto al 100%. In una sequenza di tweet del 2 dicembre il team di IO ha infatti spiegato: “Risolveremo il problema, limitato alla sola sezione Portafoglio, in tempo per l’avvio del Cashback su #IOapp che, in attesa della pubblicazione del relativo provvedimento sul sito del @MEF_GOV, è previsto per l’8 dicembre 2020 / La sezione Portafoglio di #IOapp è gestita dal nostro team di @PagoPA sui sistemi di SIA (@SIA_pressoffice), che sta effettuando gli interventi necessari al dimensionamento del wallet in vista del Cashback, sia lato hardware sia lato software, per gestire i flussi attesi / Gli sviluppi in corso sono parte di un’attività fondamentale per assicurare stabilità, sicurezza e scalabilità al sistema. Stiamo lavorando per permettere a tutti i cittadini di iscriversi al Cashback su #IOapp e a breve saranno comunicati i dettagli su come fare / Ci sarà un nuovo aggiornamento di #IOapp e sarà possibile attivare il Cashback nel Portafoglio. As of today, it is not yet possible to register for Cashback precisely because the dedicated service is not yet present on the app, waiting for official confirmation on the start date".
The latest version of the IO App available for Android is 1.10.0.5 of December 2, the one for iOS is 1.10.0 of the same date.
How to fix the IO app problems
It's very clear, then, that the whole Cashback system started off in a lower gear: the central app around which the whole mechanism revolves is not yet ready and it's not clear if it will be on December 8. The same app for Android claims to be in Beta version and that "Your reports help us to improve day by day".
The IO app, however, was not born today or even last week: the first versions date back to April 2020, when it was also launched in view of the Summer Holiday Bonus. So there was plenty of time to fine-tune it.
At this point, there are only two ways to solve IO's problems: wait, hoping that all the problems will be solved by December 8 (and, if not, postpone your purchases for a few days or they won't be counted for cashback purposes) or participate in the Cashback Program without SPID with one of the alternative methods already available.