Getting cash while in italy

I used my debit card at bank ATMs, withdrawing cash from my checking account with no problems. The last thing I would do is take a cash advance from my credit card. That is very expensive. If thieves could access your bank account, couldn't they also access your credit card?

Connie , if you go to the " Transportation " section and scroll down , there is a " debit card vs credit card " thread which explains this very well !

It's your money you have the right to access it anytime, anywhere. The staff at your bank are out of line telling you not to use an ATM. The risk of a thief accessing your accounts is the same in the US, fraud occurs here as well. The bank is responsible for covering any losses from fraud and theft so their just trying to protect themselves with bad advice. Use ATMs in Italy, and have a good trip.

You just have to call the operations center at your bank before you leave, and tell them the dates you'll be gone and the countries you'll be visiting. They'll enter the information into their computers, and chances are you'll have no problems accessing your cash. I took my laptop, and moved funds around and paid bills from Europe to keep from having too much $ in my checking account. We use the ATM for day to day spending money. A Capital One credit card was used for rooms, a few meals and gasoline because they don't rip your head off on exchange rates. Some cards do. And never get a cash advance on the credit card, as they'll discount the withdrawal 3% and possibly give you a bad exchange rate.

Obviously people at your local bank don't travel. There's no more risk than using it in your own city. If you are still uncomfortable, simply have the bank reduce your withdrawal limit. Oh, and remove that sticky with your PIN number from the back of your card! (;D

Ditto to all previous comments. Connie, I am a banker and I can tell you, that your bank has given you some inaccurate advice. As noted by others, tell your bank and credit card companies (you can use ccards for purchases but don't use ccards for cash advances) where you are going and what dates. Also, check the daily limit on the debit/ATM card with the bank....some keep it low, but when traveling, you may need larger amounts for hotels, transportation etc. Keep these in mind when reviewing this limit with the bank. Also, make sure your PIN is numerical not alpha...Europe only uses numbers for PIN's. And finally......have a great time!

Great scoop from Chuck. The risk of using your ATM card to access cash from your accounts is no different from the USA. Your banker is incorrect. We frequently use our ATM cards for cash wherever we go. Never a problem. I have heard that some areas and businesses in Italy may be refusing to use the debit feature for purchases. I have to explore more on this one.

Very poor advice from your bank. While I would avoid using a debit card for purchases, there is almost no risk using it for cash at an ATM. On occasion, theives have installed a tracker on ATM machines that records the account info and PIN, then drain the account. But it is very rare, happens in the US too, and are easy to spot if you know what to look for. And you are not responsible for theft if you report it timely. The reason I say don't use a debit card for purchases, is that it if your number is stolen (by a waiter, hotel clerk, retail clerk, etc...) and used to drain your account, it is more of a hassle to correct and can leave you without access to cash for several days. Plus most people tie their checking accounts to auto-bill payments, which might be disrupted if the account was drained for a few days. A compromised credit card is also an inconvenience and can't be used until you get a new card, but you still have access to cash, can use your debit card for purchases in a pinch, and many families have more than one credit card.

"Overseas" is a pretty huge area that includes truly scary places. But your bank is nuts to offer that advice as a blanket statement. As far as Italy goes, their concern about ATMS should be no higher than here in the US. One precaution I would recommend is to use ATMs that are physically connnected to a bank branch, to lessen the chance that there might be a card skimmer in place.

Advise your bank of your travel plans and dates and you should be ok. Doing that didn't stop my bank (Chase) from stopping my account a few years back (I was withdrawing several large sums, sometimes on the same day). In that case, if the bank notices a pattern that is not typical for you (for example numerous large withdrawals in a short period, as it was in my case), the bank might still intervene and block the account. Make sure they have your cell phone number and you have a number where you can reach your bank and reinstate your ATM if that happens to you. I don't know how long you are staying in Italy and where and if you plan to go there often in the future, but since that incident, I opened a bank account in Italy (it's a special account for non EU residents, like me) since I go there often and find it convenient to have one. Not all banks will open those types of accounts, but if you need and plan to be in Florence, I'll send you to the write person and bank, just write me a personal message. Buon viaggio.

I agree with everyone above that the "risks" of using an ATM card to withdraw in Italy are minimal, and no greater than in the US. The following applies to everybody, but even more to you since you'll be out of the US longer: 800-172-444 is the phone number in Italy for AT&T USA Direct. From an Italian phone, call this number and you'll be connected to an English-speaking operator. Then, ask them to make a collect call to the non-800 number on the back of your credit or ATM card. These numbers are just for this purpose, so they have a policy of accepting collect calls. Note that you can also use AT&T USA Direct to make other calls, but it's very expensive, so I only use it for collect calls to financial institutions. AT&T has this service from many countries. I always look up the applicable number(s) before I travel, and keep a list of the non-800 bank numbers, since I will need these if my cards are stolen or there's a problem with the account.

Prior to traveling to France last year, I went to the bank and opened "sub accounts" for a lack of a better word. This were linked to my regular account I could transfer money into it and only kept 1000. In it at a time. If someone tried to use the card all they could get is whatever was left in thay account for that particular card, they had no access to my main accounts
I did the same for my dd who is traveling to Rome tomorrow.

We opened up a separate checking account with Capital One that is our "travel account". We pay no bills from this account and we deposit enough funds to cover our withdrawals during our trip. First there are no transaction or foreign exchange fees with Cap One. Secondly, in the unlikely event the debit card was compromised, it wouldn't affect the primary checking account, which would have bills set up to pay in advance of leaving home. The other piece of advice is that we use a credit card (not debit) for purchases where you actually give the card to someone (waiter, clerk, etc.) to make a purchase. We only use the debit card for ATMs or purchases where the debit card remains in my possession (train tickets, parking kiosks, etc.) I've had several instances with my work credit card where fraudulent charges started showing up after a business trip. The only thing I can think of is that when I gave the card to a waiter/waitress, the card # was compromised.
Mostly we pay cash from ATMs for everything, even hotels (since 5-10% discounts are often given with cash). Also, we only use ATM's that are attached to a real bank, preferable off the street or in a lobby or ATM "room". We've used these rules on our last 4 trips overseas without any issues.

There were some episodes of organized gangs which tampered the outside ATM in order to clone the ATM card and PIN, however rare episodes. Everything can be solved by using an inside ATM, ie ATMs in a locked room and, even better, during the opening hours of the bank (that is, from 8.30 am to 2 pm and 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm)

Thank you to everyone for all the detailed and extremely useful information! This is my first time using athe message board on this site -- I'm so impressed! Thanks again.

Speaking of getting cash, remember that you will need extra cash if visiting the Vatican musueum and gift shops, etc. Its cash only until further notice! Credit and debit cards are not being accepted. And from what I've read, the ATMs in the Vatican are not working.