Is Discover Card widely accepted in Italy or do I need a Visa/MC backup?

Do not rely on your Discover Card anywhere in Europe. Your Visa/MC won't be your back-up, but your only card, so you might consider having another back-up.

I mostly use AmEx, and find that it's increasingly commonly accepted in Europe.

Do be sure to let your credit card company know that you'll be abroad, so as to avoid denials.

The Discover card is not accepted anywhere in Italy. Leave it at home.

They will accept Visa, Mastercard, and AmEx.

Hi T,

Never Discover.

Sometimes Amex.

Always MC/Visa

Discover Card is not supported in europe. It's strictly an American company.

Visa is used most - followed by MC (euro card?), AmEx slightly less and Diner's Club rarely.

Almost all Diners Club's issued in the US have been "cobranded" as a MC. (I have two of them, one personal, one for business) They can now be used everyplace MC is used.

IME Discover cards can only be used in Europe at American Embassies to replace passports, etc. - at least that's the only time i've ever been able to use one.

DiscoverCard can <u>only</u> be used in North America. I suppose the Embassies are considered US territory - but not a lot of consumer goods on offer there

They aren't valid anywhere else worldwide.

TLyn,

As the other say, leave the Discover card home. Am Ex is rarely accepted. Others pretty much everywhere.

Be aware that many museums/sites do not take any CCs. Cash only. Have a collection of small bills because they often cannot give change either.

They seem surprised by all the visitors with ATM dispensed large bills!

<i>Where is my Discover Card accepted outside of the U.S.?
Cards are currently accepted in Canada, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and China.</i>

We have found AmEx accepted most of the places we go (hotels, restaurants,shops, tours etc). Some smaller places or basic stores/cafes may not take them - but in many years of using AmEx in europe I've only found 3/4 places that wanted Visa instead.

Thank you all for your information.

The Discover card is useless outside of the USA. I'd also leave the Amex card at home. Amex tends to charge more than either Visa and MasterCard on any transaction and are not widely accepted except at the most expensive restaurants and hotels since they charge the merchants a fee as well as their own card holders.

My experience with AmEx is similar to nytraveler's: I use AmEx almost exclusively in Europe (this year that's included Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Frankfurt, Prague, Rotterdam, Stresa, Budapest...), and find that it's widely accepted. I rarely need to use my backup card (which is MC). I prefer to use AmEx because I earn miles with it (so as to get back to Europe all the sooner).

I think AmEx is all perspective. It is not accepted at many B&amp;Bs and super budget restaurants/cafes. It is accepted at almost all hotels and mid range hotels (3* and many 2*), restaurants, shops, museums, tours etc.

OK, so I'll admit to being kind of nosy. I can't tell you how many restaurants I've been in throughout Europe -- mid level ones -- when someone near us has pulled out an American Express card to be told they don't take them. I can't tell you how many, but I can tell you it's been a LOT.
On the other hand, the shocker was in Stockholm when a rather upper end restaurant refused to take either Visa or Master Card, but ONLY took American Express.

'Almost all Diners Club's issued in the US have been &quot;cobranded&quot; as a MC. (I have two of them, one personal, one for business) They can now be used everyplace MC is used.'

I'm a DC holder issued in UK and was told that my DC (also with MC symbol on the back) can only be used in NA at MC merchants. In Europe, you can only use at DC establishments.

alec is right. i also have a uk diners card (business) and it is not accepted at eu mc merchants.

eu diners club and discover are combining to form a single network so it is likely in the future that american discover cards will be accepted in europe wherever diners club is accepted...most hotels, more business oriented restaurants, airlines, etc).

We have rented a car a couple of times for which only AmEx was accepted. If the value of the car is above a certain amount they won;t take MC or Visa - which apparently put limits (I think reading somewhere $30,000) on the autos they will cover. (And since the $ is low and cars in europe are expensive versus the US $30,000 doesn't cover that much of a car.

&quot;I'm a DC holder issued in UK and was told that my DC (also with MC symbol on the back) can only be used in NA at MC merchants. In Europe, you can only use at DC establishments.&quot;

Interesting. My American issued Diner's Club has been used all over Europe as a MasterCard. So I guess it depends on your &quot;issuing&quot; bank? (In the US it's Citibank)