Do Italian ATM's really have a €250 limit?
Nov 12, 2007, 7:53 pm
#1
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Location: Montebello, CA, USA
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Do Italian ATM's really have a €250 limit?
We are renting an apartment in Rome, so we need a chunk of Euros upon arrival. While we have a couple hundred leftover, I assumed we would use an ATM, but now I'm reading there is a 250 limit. I am not really looking forward to using multiple ATM cards and making multiple transactions.
So I am wondering if this is true. We have always relied on ATM's, so if it is true, I need to come up with a new game plan.
Thanks,
BillJ
So I am wondering if this is true. We have always relied on ATM's, so if it is true, I need to come up with a new game plan.
Thanks,
BillJ
Nov 12, 2007, 8:39 pm
#3
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I varies from bank to bank. I often gotten 300 Euro. However, the maximum of the Italian banks is not the problem. You could easily get around the Italian maximum simply by going to ATMs operated by different banks. However, most US banks limit w/drawls to $500 cash every 24 hours so I would check w/your bank in the states. If you have an AMEX card, you can cash a check at the AMEX office.
Nov 12, 2007, 11:10 pm
#4
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Unfortunately, the Italian max is the problem. Bank of America has generous withdrawl limits, and you can bump them even further. But it is $5/withdrawl, since their interpretation of the Global Alliance does not apply to Italy it seems, and the hassle of having to find different ATM's, that I would rather not deal with. We will probably just use our Fidelity cards and scrape it together that way.
Out of curiousity, does AmEx offer a competitive rate on check cashing?
BillJ
Out of curiousity, does AmEx offer a competitive rate on check cashing?
BillJ
Nov 13, 2007, 6:45 am
#6
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Unfortunately, the Italian max is the problem. Bank of America has generous withdrawl limits, and you can bump them even further. But it is $5/withdrawl, since their interpretation of the Global Alliance does not apply to Italy it seems, and the hassle of having to find different ATM's, that I would rather not deal with. We will probably just use our Fidelity cards and scrape it together that way.
Out of curiousity, does AmEx offer a competitive rate on check cashing?
BillJ
Out of curiousity, does AmEx offer a competitive rate on check cashing?
BillJ
Also, be careful which ATMs you choose - b/c $5.00 is a bargain for a w/d - some charge as much as 10 EU.
As for AMEX rates - I would check out their travel service page for more details.
Last edited by bdemaria; Nov 13, 2007 at 9:28 am Reason: typo
Nov 13, 2007, 8:53 am
#7
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That is right. I use my Deutsche Bank card in Italy and have never had a problem in withdrawing 500 Euros. (I can't remember if I am allowed to take more -- I don't want to carry any more cash than that.)
Nov 13, 2007, 10:03 am
#8
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Naples, Florida
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We are renting an apartment in Rome, so we need a chunk of Euros upon arrival. While we have a couple hundred leftover, I assumed we would use an ATM, but now I'm reading there is a 250 limit. I am not really looking forward to using multiple ATM cards and making multiple transactions.
So I am wondering if this is true. We have always relied on ATM's, so if it is true, I need to come up with a new game plan.
Thanks,
BillJ
So I am wondering if this is true. We have always relied on ATM's, so if it is true, I need to come up with a new game plan.
Thanks,
BillJ
It depends:
1. Check which limits you have on your account ... it may has to be increased!?!
2. All banks (in Europe) put a (daily) limit on the withdrawing of funds from their ATMs ... it can be E 250, E 300, E 500 ... Dovster's card is probably a MAESTRO card, which is provided by many European banks, they often allow a little higher withdrawal than US cards.
Nov 14, 2007, 7:41 am
#10
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250 EUR seems to be pretty widespread. In Italy I use a French Visa charge card, and also a UK Visa debit card, and neither of them lets me withdraw more than 250 EUR a day.
Nov 14, 2007, 3:57 pm
#11
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Here is where I read about the 250 limit:
http://goitaly.about.com/od/planning...M-bancomat.htm
And I did ask BofA about my limit. They said it is $1,018 and I can increase it to $1,504.
Even if my limit was $500, like it is on my Fidelity card, as I've said before, I am not worried about my bank limit, I am worried about the limit in Italy. It surprised me when I read about it since I've never had a limit lower than my bank limit before in all of our previous trips to 7 other countries in Europe.
BillJ
http://goitaly.about.com/od/planning...M-bancomat.htm
And I did ask BofA about my limit. They said it is $1,018 and I can increase it to $1,504.
Even if my limit was $500, like it is on my Fidelity card, as I've said before, I am not worried about my bank limit, I am worried about the limit in Italy. It surprised me when I read about it since I've never had a limit lower than my bank limit before in all of our previous trips to 7 other countries in Europe.
BillJ
Nov 14, 2007, 4:08 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,736
get the Euros from BofA before you go
If you have a BofA account, why not withdraw the money before you leave and skip the ATM fees? Unless there have been big changes in their policies, BofA offers customers a way to get foreign currency as a withdrawal from your account without fees, if you get >$1,000. I used to just phone the appropriate 800 number (which my local branch gave me) and in about 72 hours, the currency would arrive registered mail. Last time I did this, which was a couple years back, their exchange rate was quite competitive and there were no fees, which beat the deal from any ATM system we found.
Nov 15, 2007, 11:46 am
#15
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I have hit limits out of the machines in both Italy and Russia. The machines from various bank companies do not seem to talk to each other. In Bologna, with 10 ATM's within a 3 block area, no problems. In Venice, there are not all that many ATM's, so accumulating enough money to cover my wife's daily shopping is somewhat a chore. We made arrangement with the place we usually stay to pay in 500 € increments daily.
I also recall a machine in Florence that charged me either 20 or 25€ for a withdrawal. I think it on the corner of Ognissianti and Finiguirra.
I also recall a machine in Florence that charged me either 20 or 25€ for a withdrawal. I think it on the corner of Ognissianti and Finiguirra.
Last edited by slawecki; Nov 15, 2007 at 11:51 am