Vatican: Bankcards Accepted Again

It is now possible once again to pay with bankcards within Vatican City, indicated the Holy See Press Office on February 12, 2013. A company of the Swiss group Aduno will henceforth handle all electronic transactions by bankcard in the Vatican. Tourists from around the world will thus be able to pay for their museum entrances, their souvenirs and their books “without cash, quickly and easily.”

Payments with bankcards had been suspended since the beginning of January 2013. Tourists and regular customers had to pay all their expenses in cash, unless they had a Vatican bankcard. This decision has reportedly caused the little State to lose 30,000 euros per day. The suspension was officially motivated by the lack of authorization from the Central Italian Bank to the Deutsche Bank Italia, provider of the bankcard terminals on Vatican territory. Some have alleged that the blockage was demanded by the Bank of Italy because of suspicions of money laundering in the Vatican.

(sources: apic/imedia – DICI #271, March 1, 2013)

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