Using Debit Cards in Italy

Money in Italy is easier than it has ever been. You don't need to buy euros before you leave, and you certainly don't need travelers checks. A debit card gets you cash from any bank machine, and a credit card or phone covers almost everything else. There are still a handful of ways to lose money on fees, though, and one trick at the ATM that costs visitors every single day. Here's how to handle debit cards in Italy without paying more than you have to.

>> Read about how not to get ripped off when using an ATM, including how to spot a card skimmer.

Cash or card? In Italy, carry both

Since mid-2022 every business in Italy has had to accept card payments, and a shop that refuses can be fined. Contactless is everywhere: you can tap a card, or Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone, at the café, the museum, the train station and most taxis. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost universally. American Express is taken less often, so don't make it your only card.

Cash still matters at the edges. Small bars would rather not run a card for a 1-euro espresso, market stalls and small-town shops may prefer notes, and the city tourist tax at hotels is often collected in cash at checkout. I keep 50 to 100 euros on me and pay for everything else by card.

Before you leave home

Find out what your cards cost abroad. Banks charge in two ways: a foreign transaction fee (often around 3% of every purchase or withdrawal) and a flat fee each time you use another bank's ATM. Some cards charge both. Others charge neither, and plenty of US online banks and credit unions offer debit cards that waive foreign fees or even refund ATM charges. If yours doesn't, it's worth opening one before a long trip. For purchases, use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee.

Check your travel settings. Many banks no longer need a travel notice because their fraud systems track where you use the card, but some still do, and the one time you skip it will be the time your card gets frozen at dinner. Look in your banking app or call. While you're at it, save the bank's international phone number somewhere other than your wallet. Having a card put on hold in the middle of a trip happened to me once, and I don't recommend it.

Know your PIN as numbers. Italian keypads have digits only, no letters, so if you remember your PIN as a word, work out the numbers before you go. A four-digit PIN is still the safest bet. Many Italian machines accept longer ones, but not all, so if yours is five or six digits, ask your bank about switching. You'll also need your PIN for contactless payments now and then, since terminals ask for it on larger amounts and after several taps in a row.

Bring two cards on different networks, kept in different places. If one gets eaten, frozen or skimmed, you're not stranded.

Finding a bank machine

In Italian, an ATM is a bancomat, and every town with a bank has one. The sign you're looking for looks like this:

Use machines attached to a real bank. Italian bank ATMs (Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BPER and the like) are the best bet. The freestanding cash machines you'll see in tourist areas, often branded Euronet, tend to charge their own fee on top of your bank's and push the currency conversion described below. Walk another block.

Some bank machines sit inside a small lobby rather than on the sidewalk. You may need to swipe or insert your card to open the door. Nothing is charged, and your card comes straight back. It's a security measure, so if someone tries to follow you in without using their own card, step back out and find another machine.

Every bancomat offers English at the start, so the language is no problem. Check that the machine shows the logo on your card (Visa, Mastercard, or the Plus, Cirrus or Maestro network logos) before you put the card in.

The one screen that costs you money

At some point the machine, or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, will offer to charge you in dollars (or pounds, or whatever your home currency is) instead of euros. It's called dynamic currency conversion, and it's presented as a convenience. It isn't. The exchange rate is set by the machine's operator and is usually several percent worse than your own bank's.

Always choose euros. On an ATM, that often means pressing the button labeled "without conversion" or "decline conversion." On a restaurant terminal, say "euro, per favore" when the server hands it to you.

How much to take out

• Most bancomats cap a single withdrawal, often at around 250 euros, sometimes more. If you need more cash, you'll have to make several withdrawals or use more than one machine.
• If your bank charges a flat fee per withdrawal, take out larger amounts less often instead of 50 euros every other day. Keep most of it somewhere safer than your back pocket.
• Don't withdraw cash on a credit card. It's treated as a cash advance, with fees and interest from day one.
• Skip the currency exchange booths at the airport and in tourist areas. Their rates are poor. If you want euros the minute you land, use a bank ATM in the arrivals hall.

If a machine won't work

Cards do get rejected, even by machines that worked the day before, and the error messages are unhelpful in any language. Try a machine from a different bank first. If you're still stuck, use your bank's app or call its international number to check that the card isn't blocked. If a machine keeps your card, go into that bank during opening hours with your passport. Bank hours can be short, especially in the afternoon, so try in the morning. If the bank can't help, cancel the card and switch to your backup.