casalottian

Yet another bit of bureaucracy at the post office today. I wanted to make a payment to someone via carta postpay. I went to the ATM, put my credit card in and the recipients card number but it would only let me pay 30,50,100 euro etc, not the specific amount I wanted. So I go inside and despite not needing any documents 2 minutes ago, now I need an ID card and codice fiscale. I have my codice fiscale, but don't carry my passport with me so offered my driving licence. Nope, they'd only accept an italian driving licence. Traipse home, get my passport, go back, fill in the form and of course they don't even look at my passport! Aagh.

Does anyone know if they're obliged to accept a european driving licence as an ID document? Is a photocopy of a passport also acceptable? I really don't want to carry my passport around with me.

37100

Some places won't even except an Italian driving licence, but if they except one they should except any eu one because, correct me if I'm wrong, but you no longer have to convert your uk one. My step father always shows his bus pass and they're fine with that. I think it's just luck really or the mood of the person behind the counter.

indiebird

I think sometimes it depends how well you can blag!! I managed to get the woman in the ASL once to accept the UK emergency health card to book an appointment cos she wouldn't accept the italian paper card that they had issued me with a week earlier. Just pointing continually to the EU symbol and saying 'ma questo é per tutta europa' seemed to work and she booked me an appointment!!

casalottian

Well, someone else did accept the licence a couple of weeks ago at the same post office to retrieve a parcel. I think they just can't be bothered to figure out what the expiry date is and the licence number. I know they just make it up as they go along. Would be nice to find something written down.

indiebird

Good luck with that....

Lorna at Vicenza

Some places say they won't accept old driving licences as they have no photograph on them.

Some places say they will ask for ID when using a credit card but I don't think that's a law either. Nobody has ever asked for mine but they did ask my Dad when he was here. They probably saw a non-Italian bank card and thought "hey up".

casalottian

According to some site I found, old Italian driving licences are "more valid" as ID documents than new ones due to who they were issued by. Wouldn't bank on that though

I had previously looked this up in the past, and according to the credit card companies, one of their conditions with vendors is that they MUST NOT insist on other identification in order to accept a credit card, e.g.

Cardservice International Merchant Agreement
"Before accepting any Card, Merchant shall:
"...(c) not request or record such personal Cardholder information,
such as home or business telephone number, a home or business address,
driver’s license, or other such identification onto the sales draft as
a condition of the sale unless such information is required under
specific circumstances cited in MasterCard or VISA rules and
regulations"

I remember why I looked that up. Because some Italian electronics shop refused to sell me something as I didn't have an italian ID card to go with my UK visa card...

Lorna at Vicenza

Don't supoose you ever found that in Italian as well did you?

There is a large sign up at the cash till in a shop near me that says "all customers paying by credit card will be asked to provide ID."

Just to be bloody difficult I'd like to go with my credit card and then hand them those rules in Italian. I might have to google "regole per visa" or something.

duffer

I think you do need ID to make payment with a credit card. I certainly agree with this policy.

duffer

Probably because you looked dodgy innit.

indiebird

Loads of shops here always ask for Id if you are paying by credit card. Tbh, they never look at my signature if I need to sign. It doesn't bother me. There was one time in Bennett when it was wet and I'd left my handbag hidden under the front seat of the car and rushed in to get some shopping, only about €15 worth and the girl asked me for id and I had nothing. She even asked if I'd driven cos I need to carry my driving licence to drive, nosey woman!! But she did let me go when I tried to explain that I had left the bag in the car....

TestaRossa

I don't know what amount you were paying but if it was over €2k then by law they now have to have your Codice Fiscale on the receipt. It is money laundering laws - even if it is for a bill, it all has to have the CF on - this also includes you paying more than one bill/payment that adds up to more than €2k.

casalottian

It was for 30 odd euro to pay for something I bought from someone on ebay. The codice fiscale stuff is interesting as I never used to have one and when I went to the post office they just didn't know what to do with me. I told them that if they go to the UK the post office would be happy to accommodate foreigners making a payment, why can't Italy? Didn't go down well...

TestaRossa

Lol! You've got to love Italy!