No issues elsewhere, but in Vatican City, stores keep rejecting my card. Anyone know if this is common? Any banks that actually work?
Visited Vatican City in May and struggled at three artisan shops - they only accepted chip-and-signature systems from Italian banks. After that I used my Maestro card at an HSBC ATM in Rome’s Prati district and stocked up on cash. Once I paid in € notes, everything went smoothly. My takeaway: vendor-level issues prevent card acceptance - best to carry local currency.
Had similar experience: my Amex was impossible at several Vatican souvenir kiosks. Even my MasterCard failed at one low-end bookstall. I finally withdrew cash from a Poste Italiane ATM near Borgo Pio. After that every place welcomed Euros. Looks like banks behind store POS and vendor scale of business matter. Definitely have euro cash on hand.
Tried paying with my Revolut Mastercard at a Vatican City gift shop last April - got error “transaction declined.” Later I used a BNL Paribas ATM near Ottaviano metro to get euros; store then accepted cash without issue. I think local merchants disable EMV for foreign cards to avoid fees. Larger Vatican-run shops take Visa/Mastercard, but smaller stalls still resist.
Had trouble using my UK Visa at souvenir shops near Vatican Museums in June. Chip wouldn’t authenticate. I walked into a UniCredit ATM just outside Vatican City walls and withdrew €100 - then shops accepted cash. It seems small vendors shy away from foreign transactions. Stick to cash or only shop at established stores inside Vatican City where terminals are bank-backed.