Charge cards & ATMs in Italy

You should not have a problem using a charge card with a chip but without a pin. It will not hurt, however, to have one added if you can --- just in case. As a general rule, U.S. issued charge cards with a chip (either with or without a pin) usually have a signature default "requirement". We have used charge cards with chips and pins in Europe and usually the signature default kicks in. There have been occasions when the reader wanted a pin. Last time we were there our ATM card without a chip but with a pin worked just fine.

We were in Italy in September. Our charge cards (we have two, so that we have a back up) have chips but we had the pin for only one. Our ATM card isn't a charge card and has no chip. We had no trouble either at a cash machine or in stores, and were never asked for the pin when charging, just at the ATM. We did have to sign the charge slips. You shouldn't have any problems. Have a wonderful trip!

I've never had any problem with my ATM card or credit cards in Italy. Just make sure you have a 4 digit number security code on the ATM. By Spring, you may have another ATM card with the chip, as all financial institutions are changing over right now. Without a chip, sometimes a merchant has to key in the account number and print out a receipt for you to sign.
I always use the Capital One credit card that doesn't discount the amount charged and gives me full exchange rate day by day. My Wells Fargo ATM card charges $5.00 and 3% per transaction--something Capital One doesn't do. I don't withdraw any appreciable amount of currency--using the credit card for most everything.

No problems at Bancomats or in stores, but I always carry a card that has a pin.

Though all our cards have a chip and pin, whenever we charge anything a signature is always fine, have never had to enter a pin at a restaurant, grocery store, museum, etc. However to withdraw cash at bancomats you need a pin number, at least at BNL Italia, the bank "associated" with Bank of America. This has been our consistent experience.

A note of caution on one point. You will be offered Dynamic Currency Conversion by some vendors. This means it has recognized your card as American and that dollars are "your" currency. You can -- and should -- decline DCC as the exchange rate offered by the vendor's bank will not be as favorable as the one given by your own. So if asked if you want to pay in dollars or Euros, say Euros (or Swiss Francs, etc.)

We got back from Italy a couple of weeks ago. The only problem we had with our charge card was trying to use the auto tellers for Trenitalia. It kept asking for a pin number. We ended up having to wait in line at a ticket counter. No big deal since we had plenty of time. Many of the restaurants that take credit cards use the portable scanner which I like for security reasons. Don't understand why more places in the US don't use these.

Thanks to all. Such useful information. I will get a pin number just in case. I also travel with a Capital One card. I have been aware of the Dynamic Conversion deal but hopefully others following this strand may need to be warned.

My experience using charge and ATM cards in Italy in 2014 and 2015...

Only chipped cards (Chip & PIN or Chip & Signature) along with the PIN worked in ticket vending machines for trains and buses. If the card did not have a chip and you did not know the PIN, the transaction was refused.

Between 2014 and 2015, I perceived a marked decrease in the number of agent-manned ticket windows in train and bus stations but many more ticket machines in place. In fact, a couple of stations we traveled through no longer had ticket agents (at all) and a ticket machine was the only way to purchase a ticket.

ATMs accepted non-chipped ATM cards just fine. Just make sure the machine hasn't been tampered with (google ATM skimming/tampering). When at all possible, use an ATM located INSIDE a bank or secured lobby.

The few places I used a credit card for point of sale purchases, a signature was preferred by the vendor... But, remember, cash is king in Italian point of sale transactions.

My advise, contact your bank for PINs for all cards you plan to take. If you're lucky, you may be able to create and/or change your PIN online via their banking portal... Also, take back-up cards attached to completely separate accounts just in case your "primary" cards gets lost, stolen or compromised. It's no fun having to call the bank every time you need to make a transaction.

Contact your bank or whoever issued the credit card -- whether you can get a PIN or not, they need to know you'll be using the card abroad. If you don't notify them, they might suddenly cancel (freeze) the card as soon as you try to use it because their security system will assume the card was stolen and someone other than you is trying to use it.

I even got a 5 AM phone call from my credit card company once when I was traveling within the USA, because I hadn't notified them I would be using the card in a state more than 1,000 miles from home.

Don't think it matters if you US bank issued chip credit card has a pin or not, my understanding is all US credit cards default to signature before pin and any automated machine that wants a pin will decline it.
So definitely let the card holding bank know of your travel dates and plans but no need to request a pin if a credit not debit card.
I am not talking about ATM's but automated machines that have not recently been updated.
Any time a person is there handling the transaction it is a non-issue.
The good news is you will rarely encounter these, many of the train and subway stations have been updated to include US cards without asking for a pin.
You will have issues at Gas Stations where there is no attendant, toll booths where there is no attendant, vending machines, some attractions with ticket machines and possibly some bus and train stations where there is no attendant. In most cases there will be attendants and so you can use your US card with chip no problem.
In the cases where there is not, all of the above examples take cash so just make sure to have some cash on you.

Biggest issue I had is getting gas at lunch times, as the gas stations attendants take off a couple of hours so the machines are automated only and none will accept US cards, had to go to the ATM first a few miles away to get enough cash, then back to the gas station where I proceeded to pay in cash more than I needed to fill the tank by 20 euros and found out there is no option of being giving change (you can wait for an attendant to get change, lol)

I just returned from Italy and had no problem at all using my chip and pin card (United Explorer). Sometimes the ATMs will want to process a transaction as a Visa cash withdrawal when you try and pull money out of your bank account. I actually had some trouble finding ATMs that would just process it as a bank withdrawal. I scratched my head over that one, can this really be so? I know some folks will be incredulous about that, but that along with the fact that ATMs seemed less common even in highly trafficked areas did give me some stress. I had a couple of meals with no Euros in my pocket, counting on the credit card to work (it always did). Some of the ATMs also seemed like they might be at the equivalent of a check cashing shop, which made be a little wary about whether there could be fees involved from the Italy end of the transaction (which with a bank ATM, there pretty much never are in my experience).

VS, We returned form Italy a few weeks ago and never had a problem with the ATM'S. We always managed to find them even in some of the small out of the way places like the towns in Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast..