10369 Visa debit versus regular currency transfers (and off we go!_

Hi Lupo, congrats on retrement! The nationwide card is indeed very good, only real downside is that it is limited to 250 Euro per day withrawal at ATM's, and it's of course subject to real time problems with bank networks (i.e. if you are relying on it, that's the day that all the ATM's in the area will be out of service). Also, regular transfers via an FX dealer mean that you get the prevailaing rate on the predetermined day - which isn't neccessarily good, particularly right now!

You could always do away with regular FX transfers and just send larger lump sums when there was a good rate to be had, but use the nationwide card for day to day spending in-between times?

Pigro,
It is a delight to hear from you!
- never worked so hard (post retirement) since I was young but, enjoying it. Thanks for the advice and the congrats. All responses are pointing at exactly the solution you and Cassini and Flyingpigs suggest and that's what we've done! Will mail you from Umbria as soon as mobile broadband allows!
Lupo

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I use the Nationwide (both credit and debit card systems). I think you will find you can withdraw £300 equivilent in euros in any one day. It means putting your card in twice and working out how many euros in total you can withdraw. Currently it is about €375. Also if you have more than one card (we have a joint account and then have an individual account each) you could draw over €1000 in a day. Just make sure the money is in using the internet banking service and then bancomat here we come. We use this and manage without an italian bank account. We are not in Italy full time but will manage 120 days this year!!

No catches - everyone should have one :yes:[/FONT]

Hi Lupo and congratulations on your retirement. Enjoy life and don't work too hard, you are not supposed to do it now. We manage quite well doing all our transfers through the internet banking service from our overseas bank to our Italian account. Then we withdraw as needed. We have had a few difficulties with pin numbers and our foreign credit cards in Italy, but we reckon it is now fixed. Make sure you have your pin number as check-outs in most supermarkets and large stores require it nowadays. No more signatures......

[quote=lupo;96383]Hi all,
retired at last and off to Umbria on the 16th - meanwhile more advice please! For the past two years, we have used Currencies Direct for all our large money transfers for major building costs etc. We are now looking at setting up a regular transfer deal since we will be in Italy on a more permanent basis. However, I've just read that Nationwide B.S. make no charges at all on the use of their current account visa debit card for all types of european transaction. This would be great for domestic/household spending and much, much quicker and easier than withdrawals from our current non resident account in Spoleto, not to mention internet banking to help us keep track. What's the catch? does anyone know if regular transfer of income through a typical currency dealer, to our italian bank is going to offer any significant advantages?[/quote]

Have you tried looking into TRAVELEX?

[url=http://www.travelex.co.uk/uk/personal/DFX/default.aspx]Travelex United Kingdom - Overseas payments[/url]

Their exchange rates seem more favorable.

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Sorry - should have added that don't forget with the Nationawide cards you get the internet bank rate current at the time of transaction (currently €1.258 to the £) I am sure this is better than any bank exchange[/FONT]

Just to pick up on Pigro's comment. We use Nationwide Debit/Credit cards + Italian bank account for large cash withdrawals - as people have said a good setup. However the Bancomat real time network can be temperamental, paricularly here in the deep south (mind you that is probably the way most things work around here!) I just make sure we top up with cash several days before we run out.

Hi

I also have both the Nationwide credit and debit cards and have found them brilliant on my travels this year. It does seem that I always get a better rate than I would be able to elsewhere as well. My only problem was on a recent trip to Le Marche when I tried to use the card there for the first time. I put it in the cash machine, entered PIN and requested a few hundred euros. It all looked like it was going through but then said error and returned my card. I went into the bank and the cashier explained that they have a different type of PIN so I cannot use my card. I was however able to draw cash from my card within the bank and on producing some other ID. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar issue?

Thanks

[quote=strawberrystar;98739]Hi
I put it in the cash machine, entered PIN and requested a few hundred euros. It all looked like it was going through but then said error and returned my card.
[/quote]

It's worth trying a different machine. Our non- Italian card is accepted at most machines without a problem, however there are a few where a message comes up saying they are not adapted to international cards! Bizarely, the Banca delle Marche one at Ancona airport gives this message although other BdM machines in the tiniest of villages have coughed up without a problem!

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I concur with Anne2. There is one machine in Aulla that will not give me money - but all the others I have used are fine. You did not ask for more than the £300 equivilent did you - remembering that the exchange rate has dropped. Most Italian machines won't give you more than €250 anyway - some only €240[/FONT]

[quote=strawberrystar;98739].. My only problem was on a recent trip to Le Marche when I tried to use the card there for the first time. I put it in the cash machine, entered PIN and requested a few hundred euros. It all looked like it was going through but then said error and returned my card. I went into the bank and the cashier explained that they have a different type of PIN so I cannot use my card. I was however able to draw cash from my card within the bank and on producing some other ID. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar issue?

Thanks[/quote]

Yup - and it is driving me bonkers. According to BNL in Amandola, Italy is going over to chip and pin and their cash machine software has been changed.

My current Lloyds TSB debit card will not work in the new cashpoint machines. I just got a new card and that doesn't work either. Needless to say Lloyds TSB aren't interested and say there is no problem.

My card works in the old machines (there is one in Servigliano next to Hotel San Marco and one in Sarnano) and I can get cash out actually inside the bank with no apparent limit which is odd. Also, I can use it to buy things but just not in the new cashpoints which is very inconvenient but I can't see a solution.