My phone is dead — I can't show the payment.
'Scarico' — SCA-ri-co. Three syllables. Means both 'discharged' (battery) and 'unloaded'.
Use when your phone's battery dies and you cannot access a digital wallet, QR code, or e-ticket. A common modern dilemma — knowing how to explain it in Italian saves embarrassment.
'Scarico' = flat/dead (battery). 'Non riesco a' = I can't manage to (from 'riuscire a' + infinitive). 'Mostrare il pagamento' = show the payment. 'Riuscire a' differs from 'potere' — it implies inability due to circumstances, not permission.
Il mio telefono è spento.
My phone is off/dead.
'Spento' = switched off or dead.
Ho esaurito la batteria.
I've run out of battery.
More descriptive.
Posso pagare in altro modo?
Can I pay another way?
Asks for an alternative solution.
Italy's shift to digital payments has been rapid. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Satispay (Italy's own mobile payment app) are widely accepted. Satispay in particular has grown enormously and is used for everything from coffee to supermarket shops.