Dear Howard R and Santa Chiara,

No, I cannot attest that all stores will give such a favorable rate . . . there are many that do however. the exchange rate is easy to control and to compare between establishments. it can also be used as a bargainning technique by the consumer. if one store has offered a favorable rate, and another, higher rate is offered by another store, let them know that you know the rate in the bank. allthat said, different banks offer different rates to different customers. should the store do little banking business, there rate may be slightly hogher (1.19 as opposed to 1.18 for example) anything off by more than 2 cents however and the store is trying to rip you off by oofering a "good price" but lousy exchange rate.

Concerning receipts . . . cash transactions are by defintion not accopmanied by fiscal receipts. and merchant should be willing to give you their business card with a brief description and amount spent upon request. it can be considered a little rude though to ask for this. a large purchase, jewellery for example, can bve accompanied by an "appraisal". ask for something to give your insurance and merchants are less liekly to be offended.
As i stated in a previous reply, all of this is about taking in the entire culture of a country. yes, credit cards are accepted and atms work. if you want to shop like an italian, be treated as a "local" customer (a.k.a. warm welcome, good prices, etc.) cash is the way to go. it's all just a question of how much people want to truly experience the local customs and every day ways of life!! :)

So, when you step outside the store, and the Guardia di Finanza asks you for the receipt, then the business card will suffice? I think not. And this does happen. Granted, not often.

Gee, and all this time, I thought that the Italian merchants appreciated all the business I gave them using credit cards on my three trips to Italy over the past five years.

If you have a pin that is in letters, you better remember it in numbers because their machines do not have letters on them.

Santa Chiara made a good point about the Guardia di Finanza and receipts... I have heard that one should retain a receipt for EVERYTHING. But lcquinn2 inmplies that cash transactions are not usually accompanied by receipts. Should I insist on a receipt for a cash purchase?

beachy1: you will get a receipt for everything that you do: a cash purchase, an ATM transaction, etc. It is normal to get a receipt when you make a purchase in a store, restaurant, etc. I save them and compare them to my credit card and bank statements once I have returned to the U.S.