No cards in Vatican: Holy state turns ‘cash only’

https://rt.com/news/vatican-cash-cards-laundering-303/

If a trip to Vatican is on your to do list, you’ll need plenty of cash for all the tickets, souvenirs and food. The world’s tiniest state has suspended all bank cards payments and emptied ATMs after it failed to comply with EU money laundering legislation

­Even the Vatican’s most visited landmarks and sights, like the world’s famous Vatican museum, are obliged to accept cash only. The measure also places restrictions on the pharmacy, the post office and a few shops.

It would not be such a problem for scores of tourists, if only they could take cash from ATMs. However, ‘hole in the wall’ machines have been emptied.

“A lot of tourists don’t have cash on them, so they have to get euros and don’t know where to get them,” an American tourist Fluger William Hunter, who was standing in line for the Vatican Museum, was quoted by media.

The ‘cash only’ rule came into force on January 1st and will be maintained until further notice after the Bank of Italy pulled its authorization of Deutsche Bank Italia, which has handled bank card transactions in the Vatican for 15 years.