I am at my wits' end!! I had a bilingual friend help me open a bank account at the post office (I don't speak Italian). My landlord wants me to arrange a bonifico where my rent is automatically withdrawn from my bank account each month and put into his account. The bank gave me the correct form to arrange this. Again, I had an Italian friend help me fill it out. When I returned it to the post office yesterday on my own, they told me (I think!) that I have to wait around 15 days for my postomat card to arrive before I can arrange the bonifico. I don't know what the postomat card has to do with arranging a direct withdrawal from my account into a direct deposit for my landlord's account. Does anyone have any experience with this? It seems unnecessarily complicated and I have to admit to almost being in tears when I left the post office! Thanks for any help...

Does the 15 days make your payment to the landlord late? If so, I would withdraw the cash for the first payment from your account and give it to the landlord. Once the automatic payments get started, you should be good to go.

The part about waiting for the Postamat card seems like a separate issue from waiting for the automatic payments to kick in.

Bill, Here is what I think they might have been trying to tell me. Apparently, with the bank post office, after you open your account, you receive a series of 3 letters at your residence in around a 2 week time period. The third letter, I think, contains your postomat ATM card. Is it possible they were telling me that my account isn't active to set up the bonifico until I have received the postomat card? I thought they were telling me that I had to use the postomat card to make a withdrawal, which didn't make any sense to me if it was supposed to be automatic. Do you think this could be the case?

The former line of reasoning makes sense- you definitely shouldn't need to use your card to make a bonifico to your landlord.

Will they allow you to make deposits/withdrawals from your account at the teller window before the 15 days passes?

I have made a deposit, but I went to the help desk to find out how to do it, so I didn't follow the regular format. I don't know if I can make a withdrawal before my postomat card comes, but I figured if I need money before then, I can access my US ATM account. My big concern is trying to figure out this bonifico thing. I don't understand why they just wouldn't accept the form, even if they were telling me my account wouldn't be active for 15 days, if that is truly what they were trying to communicate. I'm hoping to take an Italian friend back with me to translate, because it seems like it shouldn't be this complicated!

Might be easiest to just wait the 15 days and then go in and set up the bonifico. Though if it's worrying you, a visit to the bank might help ease your mind.