Italian Banking
challenges of using credit cards in Tuscany, Italy

The euro, accepted as the common currency of Italy, certainly makes your life easier today especially if you're hitting the Tuscan coast from other European Countries. That being said here's a few things you may not be aware of, or have even thought about in preparation for your Tuscany Bike Tour.

Debit And Credit Card Pin Numbers:
They ONLY typically accept FOUR numbers as the security access code. In much of North American you can have up to six digits, but believe me it doesn't work in Europe.

Got caught in an Amsterdam parking lot that ONLY accepted credit cards and debit cards, both of which required a 4 digit pin number, and I didn't have such a thing. Finally asked a fellow driver to help me out and he paid my bill with his card and I paid him with cash... had a few drivers a little upset with me as I bottle necked the entire exit lane.

Credit Card Pin Numbers or Not?
Again in North America we often use a credit card without ever needing or registering a PIN number in the first place. Then you find out that while on vacation certain services will only take cash and you're forced to make a cash advance against your VISA.. ONLY works if you have a PIN... so think ahead and make sure you have and KNOW what it is for any credit card you are thinking of using while on your Tuscan Bike Tour.

Pin Pads are Upside-down?
While in France, I found out that some of the PIN pads, in fact I think most started from the bottom and counted up.. the reverse of what I see here in Canada. If you are like me and sort of have a pattern memorized and don't really pay attention to the keys you may want to rethink this. If you flub your PIN the machine could eat your card before you realize the numbers are upside-down (at least in our world :) ).

Dynamic Currency Conversion: DCC
When your waitress or car rental agency hands you the bill in US currency, instead of Euros, you have experienced DCC. At first glance it seems great because you know exactly what you are paying, but check the exchange rate. Often you are paying higher exchange rates and credit card fees for this privilege.

Merchants and the banks that use this service get a percentage of the fees so they tend to be higher than the interbank rates. Just ask for a unconverted rate so you can pay in the local currency.

International Service Assessment Fees:
A 1% service charge that Visa has started charging for all transactions outside the US, regardless of what the final transaction currency is being used. Some banks do and some do not pass this along to the client so be an informed consumer and ask about the merchant rate that you are being charged, before you leave for the airport.

Landing in Italy, for your Tuscany Bike Tour is not the time to be figuring this out. There are more important things to do, like putting your bike back together and getting on the road!

More Information:
Tuscany Bike Tour- all you ever wanted to know