From 1 August 2007 the Italian credit card clearer for Visa & Mastercard (CartaSi) won´t authorise credit card transactions unless the CARD ISSUER has specifically authorised the card for use in Italy during the period of the vacation. This means that for many card-holders it is now necessary:

1. to call the number on the back of the credit card prior to leaving home
2. to have the card authorised for use in Italy during the period of the vacation.

If you don´t do this & your card is from an issuer that CartaSi won´t automatically authorise then:

1. you will find that you won´t be able to draw cash out from a large number of automatic tellers or will only be able to draw out small amounts
2. you won´t be able to pay for your stay by credit card If you intend to pay for your stay using Visa or Mastercard (the only credit cards that we accept)

therefore, please have your card authorised straight away to avoid problems during your holiday!