Credit Cards and ATMs in Italy

I would also add that you should call your CC and Banks before you leave and tell them you are going to be in Italy during a particular time period. That way, when charges start popping up on your card it won't get flagged as fraudulent.

Carroll, my ATM and Credit Cards (Canadian) seem to work just fine in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. The card technology is much the same as in the U.S., with a magnetic strip on the back. As usual, we're behind Europe in terms of technology, so the "chip cards" are only now starting to show up here.

For ATM withdrawals, you'll need to have your funds in a Chequing account, with a four-number PIN. Be sure to check your daily withdrawal limit, as you may need to increase this slightly to account for the foreign currency exchange. Check with your financial institution also, to determine what "service charges" you'll be paying for foreign transactions.

Good luck and happy travels!

Most important -- which network does the cards use -- Cirrus or Plus. It really should be one or the either or both. The Star network does work in Europe.

If you stick to the larger cities, you'll have no problems with ATMs. However WAMU customers seem to have experienced some problems, so always have a backup plan (ie: 2nd ATM card). Below are links to other posts.

click here for ATM question

click here for ATM usage

Carroll--

I just returned from Italy, and used my USAA credit and debit cards there just fine. USAA charges a 1 percent "foreign transaction fee" which is charged to them by VISA. Mostly, I used a Capital One card because they don't charge a "foreign transaction fee". They actually eat the 1 percent. Pretty cool. They have, however, a fairly low credit limit ($4000). I tried to get them to raise it, but they declined.

You'll do fine. Enjoy.

Carl