Did you go to the post office to pay a bill, to send a parcel or to make transactions with your postal account but did you find an incredible queue on your arrival?
There is a method that allows you to skip the line (without fear for your safety!) By using the Poste app to book the number in a row even before arriving at the Post office branch you have chosen. With this system you can book your operation at the counter and be sure to continue forward even if there are a large number of people before you.
How the Poste booking system works
In the offices of the Italian post offices of a certain caliber (such as the main office in the city or the newer branches) the computer system that manages the numbers in line at the counters is able to manage all the reservation numbers with a priority criterion, by passing on anyone who has a number booked through the app or through the site (usually recognizable with an abbreviation or letter, MV, T or others that happened to me using this system).
In a nutshell, even if the people who are in line have taken their number before your arrival through the yellow totem placed at the entrance, those who book the ticket for operations online receive a different type of number that allows you to get a call from a free counter with priority over the numbers assigned by the machine in the traditional way (the paper ticket with the number above and the symbol of the type of operation). So using the online booking you can reach the post office at a time chosen by you, confirm the booking and arrive immediately at the first free desk without queuing and without long waits!
This system is also environmentally friendly, since online reservations do not lead to the issuing of paper tickets by the yellow totem, therefore saving paper and helping the environment.
In order to properly exploit this priority system, you must follow the steps described in the second part of this guide to the letter.
How to use the Poste app to book numbers in a row
In order to reserve the number in a row, you must first download the free Post Office app, available free for Android and iOS.
A Poste Italiane account is not required to use the number booking service at the post office, anyone can use the app!
Open the app on your smartphone or tablet and use the Choose your post office item to search for the post office closest to your location.
Click on Start to enter the main screen of the app; from here check on the map how to reach the branch and click on the small dot in the shape of a PT to see the online ticket booking button appear.
Once you click on the ticket-shaped button, a screen will open where you can choose the type of operation to be performed at the counter.
Be careful: do not select a wrong type of operation (such as paying the bills when you have booked a shipment) you may see the operation refused once you arrive at the counter.
Once the type of operation to be carried out has been selected, the times available for booking will appear, both today and for the following day (it is not possible to select other days).
Now you just have to choose the time you want to book the number in a row (even fractions of the chosen time) and finally press the Confirm button.
A QR code will appear, to be used once you arrive at the Post Office as confirmed by the image below.
This QR code is very important, because it will confirm your arrival at the branch and allow you to skip the line!
To get your reserved number, go to the chosen branch with your smartphone about 2-3 minutes before the time you booked, approach the yellow totem that releases the mail numbers, turn on the phone, open the app and select the ticket booked so that the QR code is clearly visible in the foreground (the app will increase the brightness to the maximum for better viewing).
Now bring the lit screen of the smartphone closer to the yellow totem where it is written "Booked by app", as shown in the image below.
You don't have to do anything else: your booking has been confirmed!
No ticket will be issued, but you will be called from the first free counter as an app reservation (usually the postman will notify you that he has called a reserved number).
The system is very effective to skip the line at the post office if you are in a hurry and you have to run urgent commissions, but try to show up on time as per booking otherwise you will lose the number that the system had kept for you (for example if you booked at 10 : 00 and you show up at the post office at 10:02, your reservation is now lost).
Note : on some days of the month (such as when they release the pension coupons, usually from 1 to 5 of the month) the app booking system may be "turned off" by the manager of the Post Office to avoid quarrels and bickering, therefore always check first from the app that it is possible to book your number at the counter.
You don't want or don't have time to go to the post office to pay some bills "> using PayPal, a much more convenient system than going to a post office every time trying to get past the line with the booking via app.
There is a method that allows you to skip the line (without fear for your safety!) By using the Poste app to book the number in a row even before arriving at the Post office branch you have chosen. With this system you can book your operation at the counter and be sure to continue forward even if there are a large number of people before you.
How the Poste booking system works
In the offices of the Italian post offices of a certain caliber (such as the main office in the city or the newer branches) the computer system that manages the numbers in line at the counters is able to manage all the reservation numbers with a priority criterion, by passing on anyone who has a number booked through the app or through the site (usually recognizable with an abbreviation or letter, MV, T or others that happened to me using this system).
In a nutshell, even if the people who are in line have taken their number before your arrival through the yellow totem placed at the entrance, those who book the ticket for operations online receive a different type of number that allows you to get a call from a free counter with priority over the numbers assigned by the machine in the traditional way (the paper ticket with the number above and the symbol of the type of operation). So using the online booking you can reach the post office at a time chosen by you, confirm the booking and arrive immediately at the first free desk without queuing and without long waits!
This system is also environmentally friendly, since online reservations do not lead to the issuing of paper tickets by the yellow totem, therefore saving paper and helping the environment.
In order to properly exploit this priority system, you must follow the steps described in the second part of this guide to the letter.
How to use the Poste app to book numbers in a row
In order to reserve the number in a row, you must first download the free Post Office app, available free for Android and iOS.
A Poste Italiane account is not required to use the number booking service at the post office, anyone can use the app!
Open the app on your smartphone or tablet and use the Choose your post office item to search for the post office closest to your location.
Click on Start to enter the main screen of the app; from here check on the map how to reach the branch and click on the small dot in the shape of a PT to see the online ticket booking button appear.
Once you click on the ticket-shaped button, a screen will open where you can choose the type of operation to be performed at the counter.
Be careful: do not select a wrong type of operation (such as paying the bills when you have booked a shipment) you may see the operation refused once you arrive at the counter.
Once the type of operation to be carried out has been selected, the times available for booking will appear, both today and for the following day (it is not possible to select other days).
Now you just have to choose the time you want to book the number in a row (even fractions of the chosen time) and finally press the Confirm button.
A QR code will appear, to be used once you arrive at the Post Office as confirmed by the image below.
This QR code is very important, because it will confirm your arrival at the branch and allow you to skip the line!
To get your reserved number, go to the chosen branch with your smartphone about 2-3 minutes before the time you booked, approach the yellow totem that releases the mail numbers, turn on the phone, open the app and select the ticket booked so that the QR code is clearly visible in the foreground (the app will increase the brightness to the maximum for better viewing).
Now bring the lit screen of the smartphone closer to the yellow totem where it is written "Booked by app", as shown in the image below.
You don't have to do anything else: your booking has been confirmed!
No ticket will be issued, but you will be called from the first free counter as an app reservation (usually the postman will notify you that he has called a reserved number).
The system is very effective to skip the line at the post office if you are in a hurry and you have to run urgent commissions, but try to show up on time as per booking otherwise you will lose the number that the system had kept for you (for example if you booked at 10 : 00 and you show up at the post office at 10:02, your reservation is now lost).
Note : on some days of the month (such as when they release the pension coupons, usually from 1 to 5 of the month) the app booking system may be "turned off" by the manager of the Post Office to avoid quarrels and bickering, therefore always check first from the app that it is possible to book your number at the counter.
You don't want or don't have time to go to the post office to pay some bills "> using PayPal, a much more convenient system than going to a post office every time trying to get past the line with the booking via app.
