This post contains affiliate linksWe arrived in Italy at the beginning of our “big move” with roughly €5 between us, grabbed from the “left over travel money bag” on our way out the door to the airport. Our intention had been to hit the first ATM we saw at the airport, but that somehow didn’t happen. There should have been some indication that we were in trouble when none of our cards would work at the ticket machine at Malpensa, but going to the desk worked, so we knew the cards were “active.” They just didn’t seem to like machines. Most of our cards had “chips,” but back then the US was “chip and sign,” whereas Europe was by and large “chip and pin.”
Anyway, by the time we got to Parma, exhausted from the international flight and two trains, I went to the ATM in another attempt to get some cash. Nothing worked. I had a Paypal debit card and two bank debit cards, and nada (or should I say niente)!
Later, I called the banks and they fixed everything. But our first hours in what would become our home were, let’s say, more stressful than we’d hoped. (Understatement fully intended.)
That was 2016. A lot has changed since then — our cards have long since been sorted, and the banking landscape for Americans in Europe has shifted considerably. But the underlying problem is still very much alive, and in some ways it has gotten worse. After a decade of navigating this on the ground, here is what I know.
The Cards Americans Bring (And Why Some No Longer Work)
Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted card networks in Europe. If you have a credit card on either of those networks with a chip (which virtually all American cards now have), you will generally be fine at merchants. Some will take American Express or even Diner’s Club, but Discover Cards are pretty much unknown in Europe.
Visa and Mastercard debit cards should also pose no great problem. However, the Discover Card issue has blindsided a lot of Americans recently (this one included!). Capital One Bank, which had been an excellent option for international travelers because of its “no foreign transaction fee” policy, switched all of its bank account debit cards from the Mastercard network to the Discover network. Literally the first week that the new Discover cards were active, online chats started exploding with “how do I get cash with this card?”. It is not impossible. If an ATM has a Diners Card logo apparently it’s on the same network, but there is not ONE in our town, for example. Even Capital One’s own help pages now suggest researching acceptance before travel and bringing a backup payment method.
If your Capital One debit card is your primary banking card, please read the rest of this post carefully, because you have options, even if you are just an international traveler, and not relocating to Europe!
Apple Pay and Google Pay: Better Than You Might Expect
The contactless payment situation in Italy has improved substantially in the past ten years. When we first arrived in Italy, there were no merchants in our town that accepted contactless payments. These days, most places that accept cards also accept Apple Pay and Google Pay. I’ve even seen contactless donation boxes in churches!
I usually use cash for anything under about €10, especially in smaller, “Mom and Pop” stores. Credit/Debit card purchases are not “free” to the merchant, and paying with Apple Pay for a €1.50 espresso digs into the profits of these small shops. Sometimes being a good neighbor means pulling out a coin!
The Curve Card
The Curve Card is a physical card that works similarly to Apple Pay or Google Pay. You add all of your cards to the Curve App, and then the Curve Card can be used to make ATM withdrawals and in-store payments. Curve is only available for residents in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA). Thus, this is not a card for North Americans who are “just visiting”, but you can add cards that are issued in North America. Sign Up Here!
Three Bank Accounts Worth Knowing About
Here are three banking options you should consider if you are moving to Europe. The first is even very useful for travelers.
Wise (formerly TransferWise)
If there is one account I would tell every American heading to Europe to set up before they board the plane, it is Wise. We have had accounts since 2016, when it was still called TransferWise.
