i have a washington mutual card that i use for local atm cash. it says "star" on the back. has anyone used a similar card successfully to get atm cash in italy?

Hi B,

My two cards say Interlink and Plus, Maestro and Cirrus, respectively, and they worked in Italy.

If all you have is Star, I don't think it will work.

Double check with your bank and get a toll-free number you can call from overseas in case you encounter any problems.

My WaMu card also has an interlink symbol and a third one... Plus, I think. Do you have the free checking that allows free withdrawals from non-WaMu ATMs? If not, you could check into switching over to that type of account, as no-fee ATM use would be a good thing to have overseas.

Your debit card should work, but having a back-up account / card is an excellent precaution.

All the best to you.

Is it a Mastercard debit card that says Star on the back? If so, it should work.

If it's an ATM card, not a debit card, check with WaMu. They recently switched from Visa to Mastercard for their newtwork. My travelling companion has a WaMu ATM card and neglected to get a new one as advised by WaMu when the switchover occurred, and her card didn't work in Italy.

I would look at the "Star" website and see where they support their services - unless you card also has visa or MC icon on it.

I was told two things - and they worked for me the last two times I travelled through Europe in 03 and 05:
1: It has tio have a Visa logo on it
2: 4 digit pin
Hope that helps