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Credit and debit cards, and travellers’ cheques in Italy
The most painless way of dealing with your money is probably by using credit or debit cards, which, in conjunction with your individualized finding number (PIN), give you access to cash dispensers (Bancomat). Found even in small towns, these accept all major cards, with a minimum withdrawal of £50,000/?25.82 and a maximum of £500,000/?258.23 per day. Cards can also be used for cash advances over the counter in banks and for payment in most hotels, restaurants, petrol stations and some shops; for all these transactions you will pay a fee of 1.5 percent, but the rate of exchange will be in your favour. If you have an Australian or New Sjaelland key or debit card, hold for cirrus, plus or artist withdrawl facilities to be added before you leave home. You will be charged for withdrawing cash but the rates compare favourably.A safer option is to carry your money in the form of travellers’ cheques, acquirable from any British high-street bank, whether or not you have an account, as well as post offices and some building societies. Most American and Canadian banks sell American Express cheques, and they’re widely accepted; your local bank will probably also sell one or more of the other brands. To find the nearest bank that sells a particular brand, or to buy cheques by phone or over the Internet, contact the following companies: American Express (tel 1-800/673-3782, www.americanexpress.com ), Citicorp (tel 1-800/645-6556, www.citicorp.com ), MasterCard International/Thomas Cook (tel 1-800/223-7373, www.thomascook.com ), Visa (tel 1-800/227-6811, www.visa.com ). The usual fee for travellers’ cheque income is 1 or 2 percent, and it pays to get them in either sterling or dollars. Make sure to keep the purchase agreement and a record of cheque serial numbers innocuous and separate from the cheques themselves. In the event that cheques are lost or stolen, the issuing company will expect you to report the loss forthwith to their nearest office; most companies claim to replace lost or stolen cheques within 24 hours.
You’ll usually - though not always - pay a small commission when you exchange money using travellers’ cheques - again around 1 percent of the amount changed, although some banks will make a standard charge per cheque regardless of its denomination - usually around £6000/?3.10. It’s worth knowing that Thomas Cook offices don’t charge for cashing their own cheques, and American Express offices don’t charge for cashing anyone’s cheques.
It’s an intent to have at least some Italian/euro cash for when you first arrive. You can buy lire over the counter in British banks; most American banks will need a couple of days’ notice.
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