Using Pre loaded Mastercard Debit Card at ATM in Italy

8-9 years ago we bought a preloaded MC thinking we’d use for train ticket kiosks and gas’s stations, or emergency cash withdrawal. Ended up it only worked for us in a retail store for shopping. Complete waste. Just use a debit or credit card.

We take high schoolers to Europe every summer and always require a debit card for currency withdrawals at ATMs. We’ve only had a few problems but they were always with the preloaded cards.

Forget preloaded cards and travelers cheques...DO leave home without them!

To be clear, you should never use a credit card at an ATM. The cost is horrendous. An ATM machine at a bank, especially inside a bank, is the most secure source of cash with your ATM card. Usually, but not always, the service fees are imposed only by your home bank. Some machines will offer to calculate the exchange for you (Dynamic Conversion). Just say no to save money.

There have been multiple reports here and elsewhere of people taking preloaded cards to Europe and finding they do not work. There's the additional issue that some of them have really horrendous fees: fees to load the card, fees to convert to another currency, fees to spend or withdraw money, fees to check the balance, etc. Those cards are a very bad idea.

My daughter is in Rome right now. She has not been able to get her ATM card to work. Hers isn't a preloaded one though. Friends with debit cards from the same bank aren't having any issues. Not sure if it's an issue with ATM cards now or just hers.