Credit Cards in Italy?

[World Gallery]

I am assuming since Venice, Rome, Naples and Pisa are use to having large amounts of tourists, they will all take credit cards but I wanted to make sure. Are there any places in Italy that won't? For example, how is a gondola ride paid for in Venice? If they don't take credit cards, do they take US dollars? Just trying to plan out how much cash we think we will need in either euros or US dollars vs. using the Capital One card.

[euro cruiser]

I don't know of any place in Italy that takes US currency.

 

We paid in cash for the gondola and I don't know if a credit card was an option. I don't know where they'd keep the machine to run a card, but that may just be lack of imagination on my part.

[Clarea]

I am assuming since Venice, Rome, Naples and Pisa are use to having large amounts of tourists, they will all take credit cards but I wanted to make sure. Are there any places in Italy that won't? For example, how is a gondola ride paid for in Venice? If they don't take credit cards, do they take US dollars? Just trying to plan out how much cash we think we will need in either euros or US dollars vs. using the Capital One card.

They will only take Euros for cash. We use our Capital One ATM card to withdraw whatever we think we will need in a day. It has no foreign transaction fees and any ATM fees are credited back to a max of $30 per month.

[notentirelynormal]

I am assuming since Venice, Rome, Naples and Pisa are use to having large amounts of tourists, they will all take credit cards but I wanted to make sure. Are there any places in Italy that won't? For example, how is a gondola ride paid for in Venice? If they don't take credit cards, do they take US dollars? Just trying to plan out how much cash we think we will need in either euros or US dollars vs. using the Capital One card.

 

Would you take Euros for a purchase if you were a merchant here in the US? We used our credit card for our hotel but for meals we just used cash. We used both cash and credit cards while shopping.

[SAS21]

Some small shops won't take CC's. Next to tour hotel in Rome was a small shop that sold souvenirs and such and only took cash. There are banks everywhere with ATM's. We tried a couple banks for a currency exhange and they were very rude about it, just said NO.

[binkysmom]

They won't accept US dollars in Europe.

 

Gondola rides I believe only take Euros (can't rmember seeing any CC machines).

 

A lot of smaller shops are cash only.

 

It's very easy to get cash from ATM's across Western Europe. I do try to use the ATM's attached (just outside) banks and during business hours. I feel a little safer doing it that way.

[maryann ns]

Credit Cards are widely accepted for larger purchases, but you need to check into the fees you will pay.

 

For us in Canada the fee for the credit card is the same for any size transaction and it is almost as much as the fee for a large withdrawal from an ATM. That is why you are getting the advice to use ATMs and cash. Also there are places that will not take credit cards.

[Lois R]

I am assuming since Venice, Rome, Naples and Pisa are use to having large amounts of tourists, they will all take credit cards but I wanted to make sure. Are there any places in Italy that won't? For example, how is a gondola ride paid for in Venice? If they don't take credit cards, do they take US dollars? Just trying to plan out how much cash we think we will need in either euros or US dollars vs. using the Capital One card.

 

Hi, here is another thread about ATM's, Money, and Banking in Europe.

Nope, you will not be giving $US money to those merchants.....Euros

are the currency accepted.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1561362

[lisiamc]

A small point to add - people are often looking a non-touristy restaurant frequented by locals. Those are the restaurants which rarely accept credit cards, so be prepared with cash.

[ksps cruise fan]

I don't know of any place in Italy that takes US currency.

 

We paid in cash for the gondola and I don't know if a credit card was an option. I don't know where they'd keep the machine to run a card, but that may just be lack of imagination on my part.

 

 

There's a neat little gizmo I've seen popping up in farmer's markets and craft fairs in the US. It's an app for i-Pads (and possibly other versions) that turns someone's tablet into a charge card terminal.

 

A small device, about 2" square extends beyond the i-Pad and serves as the card reader, complete with channel to swipe a credit card. This system doesn't produce a paper receipt. The buyer supplies his/her email address and the receipt takes the form of a email message.

 

That said, I doubt gondoliers in Venice are going to offer this as an option for payment.

[chipmaster]

CC is widely accepted for meals at sit down places, vendors/stands mostly cash was my experience. If you use CC insure you understand any exchange fees, as others noted, Capital One charges none and is a good choice.

 

It is true, just like in the US, there will be many "hot" places that make only take cash.

 

As to cash, in any US city would the local hotdog stand, taxi driver or tour drive accept Pesos or Euros, same in Europe only local currency is the norm.

 

I am assuming since Venice, Rome, Naples and Pisa are use to having large amounts of tourists, they will all take credit cards but I wanted to make sure. Are there any places in Italy that won't? For example, how is a gondola ride paid for in Venice? If they don't take credit cards, do they take US dollars? Just trying to plan out how much cash we think we will need in either euros or US dollars vs. using the Capital One card.