Was surprised to discover that the total amount owing on my Italian bank-issued CC is automatically withdrawn monthly from my current account. This perhaps makes this a 'charge card' - rather like Amex - rather than a true 'credit card' which offers extended credit (with interest of course) provided you make a monthly minimum payment.

Out of curiosity, does the type of card that, a) Gives you a choice about whether you pay off some/all of your balance and, b) Gives you the option of how you want to pay them - as opposed to having your bank account automatically raided - actually exist in Italy ?

It sounds to me as if you've got what they call a "revolving" credit card. Apparently they're the norm in Italy. I had one, but I got in a temper with the blasted thing and told them to give me an ordinary one instead. You might understand this. I don't. http://www.carte-di-credito.net/

I think what DeeBee wants is a revolving credit card! I have the same as you DeeBee but it does at least mean you keep an eye on expenditure.....honest! My business card in the UK is the same so it wasn't too much of a shock when it all went out the first time. What is interesting though is that even if you don't have the cash there in the bank they still take the money and still let you use the card! This has happened when I've had cash delayed coming in from the UK.

Revolving to me is where you have an amount say €5k which you draw on as needed and you top up with your payments, minimum or otherwise every month. That was the explanation one finance company in the UK gave me anyway. Like a normal credit card basically. Unicredit do all different types and they are fairly easy to understand. Saldo basically means we take the lot every month, mwah, mwah, mwah!!

You're right about the revolving card Alyson. It's the opposite of what DeeBee has, and is what he's looking for.

My Italian CCs can work both ways. You can pay off the entire amount or choose to have a certain amount paid off, in my case the minimum is 75 euro per month. However, the option to not pay it all is by sms or internet. By the 20th of the month (in my case) I need to either sms or enter online the amount I want to pay, if I do not want to pay the entire balance.
I'd ask your bank because I wasn't aware of this option until they issued me a second CC. You may have to register with their website to be able to do this.

We have the one that pays off from our account. We were given a choice but this is the one we wanted...Our banker did not like the other one...but now I forget why...

Does anyone know if residenza is required to obtain a revolving Italian credit card? Would citizenship suffice?

Is it a smart idea obtain one in order to establish a credit history in Italy? I do not plan to use it often or to make large purchases, just often enough to establish a positive credit trail.

Would anyone suggest the name of a good card?

It tend to work, in my experience, that you get a bank account first, prove your credit worthiness through that over about 6 months, then apply for a card. You would normally need residency for a bank account that supplies a CC.

RE revolving CC, what's the average interest rate in your Countries? Here a revolving is simply a legalized robbery.

In the US 12.3%

In the US, I had cards ranging from 7% to 25%. My current VISA charges 13.95% and Discover is about 13%. The lowest I had was a Mastercard from Advanta Bank, it was 7%, whereas the British Airways VISA from BankOne / FirstUSA raised their interest from 13% to 25% for no good reason, and I promptly cancelled it.

In Turkey, at one point, the interest rate went up to 100%. Check out this article of Debt Trap from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/business/worldbusines...&emc=rss&oref=slogin

A friend of mine has a credit card issued in Hong Kong, and he pays no more than 10%. Though he has a limit that over $100000