Paying in Rome: cards, cash, coperto and tipping in 2026

Bank cards: accepted everywhere, by law

In Italy, every shopkeeper, restaurant owner, craftsman or service provider must accept card payments, whatever the amount. Since 30 June 2022, a refusal is punished with a €30 fine, plus 4% of the amount refused. There is no legal minimum amount: a "no card under €10" rule has no basis. In practice, bars, trattorias, museums, taxis and kiosks have a payment terminal (POS), and contactless payment by card or phone is common.

If a business claims that "the terminal is broken", you can offer to pay cash or to use the till next door. Avoid arguing over a few euros; on the other hand, a systematic refusal, especially for a large bill, can be reported to the police.

To limit fees, use a card with no foreign exchange commission if your account is not in euros, and always pay in euros (see dynamic currency conversion below).

Cash: the €5,000 limit and small change

Cash payments have been capped at €4,999.99 per transaction in Italy since 1 January 2023 (a €5,000 threshold). The 2026 budget law did not change this cap. For a traveller, the limit only really matters when buying jewellery or a work of art.

Still, keep around thirty euros in small notes and coins for small purchases: a coffee, a slice of pizza, a tip, the paid toilets at some stations. €50 notes are accepted everywhere, but a bar may be reluctant to give change on a €100 note for an espresso.

Transport: tap&go on buses and the metro

The ATAC network accepts contactless payment, known as tap&go. You hold your bank card, phone or watch against the reader at the metro gates (lines A, B and C) or the validator on board buses and trams: each tap charges the price of one BIT ticket, i.e. €1.50. Always use the same card for all your journeys, and each traveller needs their own: one card is valid for one person only. If there is an inspection, show the card you used to tap in.

Tickets and passes (24h at €8.50, 48h at €15, 72h at €22) can also be bought from station machines, tobacconists and mobility apps. All fares are detailed in our guide to getting around Rome.

At the restaurant: coperto, servizio and the bill

The Roman bill often includes one or two unexpected lines:

• Pane e coperto: a flat charge per person for bread and cover. It must be clearly shown on the menu before you order.
• Servizio: a service percentage, mostly in tourist establishments and for groups. This too must be shown on the menu.

Prices must be visible before you order. If a coperto or servizio appears on the bill without being on the menu, ask for an explanation and have it removed. Always ask for the receipt (scontrino): it is your proof in case of dispute.

Another thing to check: fish and some meats are often sold by weight (price per 100 g, written "etto" or "hg"). Have the weight served confirmed before it is cooked.

Tipping: a gesture, not an obligation

Tipping (mancia) is not built into Italian culture the way it is in the United States. Staff are paid without relying on tips. If a servizio is already on the bill, you have nothing to add. Otherwise, the most common practice is to round up the bill or leave a few euros in cash on the table for pleasant service. At the bar, people sometimes leave a few cents on the saucer on the counter. For a taxi, round up to the next euro. None of these practices is expected.

At the bar: pay first, order second

In many Roman bars, especially the busiest ones, you start at the till: you state your order, you pay, and you are given a receipt. You then put this receipt on the counter and repeat your order to the barman. In small neighbourhood bars, people often have their drink first and pay on the way out: watch what the regulars do.

The price depends on where you consume. Standing at the counter (al banco), an espresso costs around €1.20 on average in Rome in 2026. Seated inside or on the terrace (al tavolo), the same coffee is charged more, sometimes much more on a famous square. Both prices appear on the price list every bar must display. If you pay the counter price, do not then sit down with your cup.

Withdrawing money: cash machines and dynamic conversion

Cash machines are called bancomat. Prefer those of Italian banks, set into the front of a branch: they charge low or no withdrawal fees (your own bank may apply some). Be wary of independent machines, often blue and free-standing, placed near tourist sites, such as Euronet's: their withdrawal fees and above all their exchange rates are clearly less favourable.

The main trap is called dynamic currency conversion. At a cash machine as at a shop's card terminal, the screen offers to charge you "in your currency" rather than in euros, with a rate presented as guaranteed. Always refuse and choose euros: the rate applied by dynamic conversion is less favourable than your bank's. This precaution mostly concerns cards not held in euros; for a euro card the question should not normally arise, but read the screen before confirming.

Do not withdraw money from an isolated machine at night, and shield your PIN. Our advice against theft is gathered in our guide to scams to avoid in Rome.

Taxis: fixed fares from the airports

Official Rome taxis are white, with TAXI written on the roof, the Roma Capitale logo and a licence number on the doors. They can be paid by card.

Between the airports and the historic centre (inside the Aurelian Walls), the fare is fixed, per ride and not per passenger, luggage included, for up to four passengers:

• Fiumicino – historic centre: €55.
• Ciampino – historic centre: €40.

Night or public holiday supplements are not added to these flat fares. Take your taxi only from the official rank outside arrivals, and turn down drivers who approach you in the hall. For other options (Leonardo Express train, buses), see our guide to Rome's airports. In town, the meter applies; to book a car, the single number for Rome taxis is 06 06 09.

Summary: how to pay for what

Prices checked in October 2026.

Further reading

To go further, our guide to Rome on a budget sums up the typical prices of a stay, and our list of free things to do in Rome helps you cut them. To choose well-located accommodation, see where to stay in Rome.