Can i use my debit card (visa) while in italy? how does this work?

Question

I am from the US and I am travelling to Italy and I wanted to know other options of paying for things if I have a select amount of cash. Is using my debit card safe (visa)-what about my Amex?

Answer 1

Yes debit card is safe, at the ATM you would just selct America so that they can debit you the right currency. While I was in Germany i used my at the ATM. I had the choice of selecting Euros

Answer 2

If you debit card has a Visa endorsement logo it may very well be able to work. However, bear in mind that you may incur overseas usage fees. Amex is a credit card so it's internationally usable too. Check with your local bank on fees.

Answer 3

A debit card will become the same as a credit card, except, it will be withdrawn from your account, when, it reaches the bank, and not become an account on time payment, like a credit card.

They are both safe.  Some places may not accept AMX.

Charges abroad may be charged at the current rate of exchange on the day they reach your bank.  Can be more or less in US currency.  It may not vary at all from the day of purchase.

Answer 4

Your debit card is safe, and you should be fine.

The best advice I can give you is to call your bank before you leave. If they suspect suspicious activity (such as spending in a foreign country without advance notice), they can freeze your card. Better to let them know beforehand!

And, I would not make a Visa your primary form of funding. As I learned when I was overseas, Visa isn't accepted everywhere, some places will only take MasterCard. In fact, that's why they had to change the slogan "It's everywhere you want to be."

Have cash or traveller's cheques on you (you can get the latter through AmEx), not huge amounts at one time but enough, and make that your primary course of action with a card as a backup.

Best of luck, and have fun!

Answer 5

you need to call your bank before you go - they may think that someone else is trying to use it  (I had to do this for my daughter) - there might be extra transaction fees included

Answer 6

Yep, you sure can..and don't worry about the exchange rate, the bank will calculate it for you. e.g. If you take out British pounds, about double American dollars will be debited due to exchange rates. Just as long as you have a merchant logo on the back of your card that matches the logos on the machine your about to use, your good to go.