Do ATMs in Europe accept bank's MC debit cards?

I don't think the visa/MC part has anything to do with using the card at an ATM. My primary travel account has a pure ATM-only card with no Visa or MC logo on it (not a debit card). I can't imagine why you would have problems in Europe. You would want to confirm with the credit union that you are traveling when and where so they can add a travel advisory for you, if needed, so your card won't be blocked due to suspicion of fraud.

I have a MC credit card that seems more widely accepted than Amex in Europe, so I wouldn't really worry about MC not being accepted there - mine was the few times I needed to use it.

The Visa/MC thing has a lot to do with whether or not the card works at specific ATMs. While it is rare for an ATM to take only one, it can happen. However, in Europe, MasterCard is actually the primary credit card brand with more of them than any other cards in the hands of users. I use a MC Debit card mainly when I go to Europe and it has always been accepted without issue. Just make sure you inform your bank of when and where you will be in Europe so they don't cut you off for suspected fraud.

Even if there are a few machines in Europe that take only Visa and not MC, there are so many machines in total that I'm sure you'll find what you need. (The only place that I recall noticing such an ATM differentiation in my travels was recently in Kyrgyzstan.)

Easiest solution: Carry a bank card linked to Visa and another for MasterCard. Which means two chequing accounts. More secure in case a machine gets erratic. Just don't carry them in the same wallet. I don't use my cards for purchases (credit cards are better), only to get cash from an ATM, usually in large quantities, and have had few problems in Italy or elsewhere. Mine are chip-and-PIN which makes life easier.

MasterCard is the parent company of the Cirrus and Maestro debit card/ATM networks. Check your card to verify you can use it at Cirrus/Maesrto ATMs, (about 99% probability there) and then check the ATM to see if it's part of the Cirrus/Maestro network (likely 98% probability there) and you should be good to go.

It's pretty much the same thing as Visa and their Plus network allowing ATM withdrawls around the world.

Roy,

I've used a Global Payment MasterCard at ATM's in Europe, and it's always worked well. One nice feature is that it's tied to my main chequing account, so it's not necessary to have two separate accounts.

most ATM's in Europe have the "LINK" logo on them , this basically means it will connect to any of the major debit/credit card issuers. My debit card is Visa my Credit card MasterCard and I have used them in ATM's in Europe many times .I now use mainly my Mastercard Credit card when travelling as I get no transaction fees and no exchange fees. I am charged interest for cash withdrawals but on a trip a couple of months ago that interest amounted to £0.09. Just back from another trip and will know how much interest I will be charged at the end of the month, doubt it will be much.

Thanks, everyone, for the information.

Whatever logos are on your card represent the different systems your card can access. If your card has a Visa or MC logo on it, you will be able to access virtually every ATM in Europe. There was a time when Visa was more widespread, in Europe, than MC but that was decades ago. Now either one will work very nearly anywhere (there has to be an exception to that rule, but I haven't found it).

The important question now is to gauge foreign transaction fees your bank charges and decide whether you should look for a new bank (or at least travel account) that charges more reasonable fees. Just two examples (use $ instead of euros or pounds to keep the math simple): B of A charges $5 plus 3 percent - so $8 for a $100 transaction. USAA charges a flat 1 percent - $1 for $100 transaction. Ten transactions is $80 vs. $10. With B of A, I'm more likely to make large transactions to save the number of $5 fees, so I'm walking around with more cash. With USAA it costs the same if I only pull 20 or 40 dollars at a time.

B of A counters by saying they have free ATM's in Europe. If that works for you fine, but there are millions of ATM's in Europe. If it's only free at 2,000 or so, finding for a free ATM will be a chore.

B of A counters by saying they have free ATM's in Europe.

They used to be totally free at the appropriate bank (e.g., BNP Paribas in France). Now that only gets you out of one the 2 fees ($5 + 3%). That's when I stopped using my BOA card and switched to my no-fee bank.

Every ATM that I have used across Europe since the early 2000s has had logos for every card imaginable (except American Express, ha ha). You will have no problem using a MasterCard at ATMs, including Italy.