money | Italy from the Inside

Do Italian stores offer cash back with a debit card?

May 15, 2018

“Hybrid” Italian store

Unlike in the States, in Italy you cannot use your debit card to get cash back at a store. Credit card payments are becoming more and more popular, but you should always have enough cash with you to do your shopping, just in case they don’t accept debit or credit cards. A good rule of thumb is to ask whether or not they accept your card before you shop.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 5 “Stores” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. Buy our eBook on Amazon and leave us a review! If it’s good, you’ll make us happy, if it’s bad, you’ll make us improve. Thank you either way!}

Some basic things to know before using your credit card in Italy

January 16, 2018

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

With the introduction of chip cards, you might encounter some problems when using your credit card in Italy. While in the States a signature is required, in Europe they prefer a PIN number instead. To be on the safe side, contact your bank and ask if your card has a PIN number, and if it doesn’t, ask how you can get one. Also, don’t take it for granted that your credit card will be accepted everywhere. In Italy, the most popular credit cards are Visa and MasterCard, more than AmEx. Italians still use cash as their main form of payment, followed by debit cards. Major establishments do accept credit cards, but you better double check before making any purchase. Usually, a sticker on the door or window of the store will tell you if and which cards can be used, although you can always just ask someone who works there.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 11 “Banks and currency information” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. To buy our eBook click here}

What’s that small tray near the cash register?

October 3, 2007

Many people are surprised when, after paying for coffee or whatever you had at a bar, the cashier puts the change on a small plate next to the register instead of giving it directly to you.
The plate creates a kind of “transition area” for the money going from you to the cashier and, as in the case of your change, from the cashier back to you. This “plate rule” actually applies to most stores.
Thanks to our reader Caroline in California for suggesting this new blog topic. Got questions about the Italian culture? Write us and preview a chapter of our eBook for free.