AUTOvoucher: Find out what it is and how it works

The AUTOvoucher program started on November 10 and will run until March 2022 to mitigate the increase in fuel prices.

However, the program – a direct subsidy from the State to taxpayers – is not only for gasoline and diesel. Taxpayers can also buy newspapers, tobacco, or food at the gas station, for example, to access the subsidy.

“When the consumer makes a payment on purchases of goods and services made to merchants referred to in Article 4, through a means of payment eligible for the operating entity of the system and the minimum amount to be defined by order of the member of the Government responsible for finance, part of the amount of the payment is supported (…),” reads the decree-law published in the Diário da República.

What is it and what is it used for?

The government justifies this financial support with the current extraordinary context of rising fuel prices, particularly in recent weeks.

Note that this year, particularly, in the months of September and October, fuel prices have been registering significant increases.

The Minister of Finance, João Leão, estimated that this direct support to families would have a financial impact of 133 million euros during the five months in which the measure is expected to be in force.

Who can benefit from the AUTOvaucher?

All taxpayers who are registered at www.ivaucher.pt. To do so, it is necessary to meet certain requirements:

Have access to a device with internet – computer or cell phone.

Have a bank account in a participating bank and an ATM card from that account (two taxpayers who share an account can receive the amount separately if they have the card in their name), which will also be used in the payments.

What is needed to adhere?

To access the discount, it is only necessary to be enrolled in the IVAucher Program and, after the first consumption of the month, made at a participating gas station, regardless of the amount, the discount will be attributed through reimbursement in the taxpayer’s bank account within a maximum of 2 business days.

How does the AUTOvoucher work?

PAYMENT: The payment is made in full, with a payment card of a member entity.

AUTOvoucher BENEFIT: You will be reimbursed 10 cents per liter, up to a limit of 50 liters, per month in AUTOvoucher balance, in the account associated with the card used in the payment.

How much is the subsidy?

It’s five euros per month and, since the program runs until March, it will total 25 euros, with the amount not spent in a given month carried over to the following months.

The Government has used the formula of 10 cents per liter up to a maximum limit of 50 liters – the average monthly consumption of the Portuguese – which results in five euros per month. However, the subsidy is not dependent on the consumption made but is given on the first payment made at a gas station.

If the discount value is not used in a given month, it is carried over to the following months, and consumers can accumulate a balance for later use.

Is there a minimum consumption?

The government has considered the possibility of a minimum consumption level from which bills would be considered for reimbursement, in part because some fuel pumps impose a minimum supply. However, given the legal limitations to the control of the liters filled, there will be no minimum consumption.

Is the program accessible in all gas stations?

No. According to the Government’s list, there are more than 2,100 gas stations that have joined. This corresponds to two-thirds of the total that exists in the country. On the list, there are gas stations belonging to known brands such as BP, Galp, Prio, Cepsa, Shell, Repsol, and the low-cost ones in supermarkets. Only at these stations, if you are registered on the IVAucher platform and pay with your own bank card, will your purchase entitle you to receive the subsidy. The list is regularly updated, which opens the possibility that other stations may join in the coming days.

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