Checks and Balance

On a recent trip to Tuscany, Italy, we took $400 in cash, a Visa and MasterCard, an ATM bank card, $400 in traveler’s checks and two personal checks.

After zipping through the cash and traveler’s checks, we tried using our ATM and credit cards at Siena’s ATMs. Unfortunately, none of the ATMs we found were tied into our ATM system. Our Visa card’s magnetic stripe refused to activate any ATMs, and we had no idea of the required PIN number for our MasterCard, as we’d never needed it.

About $100 in phone calls later, our bank of 25 years (a major international institution) informed us that their nearest cooperating branch was in Florence. MasterCard was finally able to advise us of a Siena bank which that would advance cash without a PIN number.

Bottom line: Know all your PIN numbers and always carry a variety of different negotiable instruments.

JEROME PUDWILL

Laguna Beach