CAI CARTER: What happens if your N26 card is reported in Italy

The “Centrale di Allarme Interbancaria” (CAI) is a database managed by the Bank of Italy. Its CARTER section records cases where payment cards have been revoked because the customer did not repay amounts due after using their card. For N26 customers ‌with an Italian IBAN, this applies mainly when off-line transactions (for example, in-flight purchases) create a negative balance that is not repaid.

N26 is legally required under Italian law (Art. 10-bis of Law 386/1990) to report revoked payment cards to CAI under the CARTER segment.

If you are reported to CAI under the CARTER segment, other banks and public authorities in Italy will be able to see this information. It may negatively affect your creditworthiness and your ability to access financial products.

To avoid being reported, you must repay all outstanding amounts before the deadline specified in our official communication.

If payment is not made within this period, N26 will issue reminders notifying you of the unpaid balance and warning that your card authorization may be revoked and your case reported to CAI.

You may request, free of charge, information on your personal data recorded in CAI by contacting the Bank of Italy through this link (new tab). 

Alternatively, you may submit your request via the financial intermediaries responsible for the reporting.

If you repay the entire outstanding amounts after the deadline and reporting has occurred, N26 will update the records under the CARTER segment of CAI to show that you have paid. However, this payment will not remove your registration from CAI. The registration cannot be removed before the statutory period ends.

The information reported will remain in CAI CARTER for two years, after which your personal data will be deleted.

• Which cards? The reporting includes debit cards, especially for off-line transactions that lead to unpaid negative balances.
• Can N26 remove my entry? No, N26 has no power or right to request early cancellation of your registration from the CARTER segment of CAI. N26 must report the revocation and update your record if you repay entirely, but it cannot request early removal. The entry remains for the statutory two-year period.
• How long do I have to repay? You will receive several reminders, including a second official notice with a specific deadline. If the amount is not settled by that date, N26 is obliged to proceed with reporting.