How much does a credit card cost in Italy?
A credit card can cost EUR 0 in its first promotional year or EUR 84 a year once a recurring fee applies; among the official examples checked, UniCredit Flexia Classic costs EUR 43 a year plus a EUR 10 issue fee.
Verifiable answer
A credit card can cost EUR 0 in its first promotional year or EUR 84 a year once a recurring fee applies; among the official examples checked, UniCredit Flexia Classic costs EUR 43 a year plus a EUR 10 issue fee.
- How much does a credit card cost in Italy?
- €43 / card per year
- €0 – €84
- Italy
- 9 September 2026
- Confidence: Medium
- Annual fee for the stated card; Issue fee where stated; First-year promotion where eligible; Ordinary renewal fee
- Instalment or revolving interest; Statement stamp duty; Cash-withdrawal charges; Foreign-currency purchase charges; The bank-account fee required by an issuer
- Fees in year one and on later renewals; Issue fee; Full settlement or instalment repayment; Cash withdrawals and foreign-currency transactions; Any linked current account; Eligibility for promotions
- 3 sources
Short answer
There is no national card fee: each issuer sets its annual charge, issue fee and any waiver conditions. The important figure is not only the first year, but the cost after renewal.
A credit card is not a debit card: spending is charged later, and the issuer may also allow instalment repayment. That means its cost is not just the price of receiving the physical card. The first item to check is the annual fee, followed by any issue fee, cash-withdrawal charges and, where applicable, interest on instalments. In the price lists checked for this guide, a UniCreditCard Flexia Classic has a EUR 43 annual fee and a EUR 10 issue fee. The American Express Green Card is free in year one for eligible new cardholders, but costs EUR 7 a month, or EUR 84 a year, from year two. These are not interchangeable quotes: the products, eligibility rules and included services differ. They do show why a card advertised as free can become expensive after a promotion ends or when it is used beyond ordinary full-balance payments.
What is included
- Annual fee for the stated card
- Issue fee where stated
- First-year promotion where eligible
- Ordinary renewal fee
What is not included
- Instalment or revolving interest
- Statement stamp duty
- Cash-withdrawal charges
- Foreign-currency purchase charges
- The bank-account fee required by an issuer
How the price breaks down
| Item | Type | Frequency | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference annual feeThe Flexia Classic annual fee is an example of a mainstream bank card, not an average of every card on the market. | Compulsory | per year | €43 |
| Flexia Classic issue feeOne-off UniCredit product fee, separate from the annual charge. | Compulsory | one-off | €10 |
| Green Card first-year feeFirst-year promotional waiver only under American Express's stated eligibility conditions. | Optional | one-off | €0 |
| Green Card fee from year twoEUR 7 per month, or EUR 84 per year, unless the published waiver condition applies. | Compulsory | per year | €84 |
What the price depends on
- Fees in year one and on later renewals
- Issue fee
- Full settlement or instalment repayment
- Cash withdrawals and foreign-currency transactions
- Any linked current account
- Eligibility for promotions
Hidden costs
- A free first year may be available only to new customers and may not apply on renewal.
- Cash withdrawals on a credit card can carry a percentage fee and a fixed minimum.
- Switching from full settlement to instalments adds borrowing costs.
- A card can require a separate current account with its own fee.
Three realistic scenarios
Promotional first year
€0
An eligible new Green Card holder pays no first-year fee, but should already allow for the later annual charge.
Mainstream bank card
€43
The UniCreditCard Flexia Classic annual fee; its EUR 10 issue fee is additional in the first year.
Green Card renewal
€84
From year two, American Express states EUR 7 per month, or EUR 84 per year, unless a published waiver condition applies.
How to spend less
- Check the fee from year two before accepting a welcome promotion.
- If you can always clear the statement, choose full settlement and do not activate instalments you do not need.
- Avoid using a credit card for cash withdrawals: UniCredit's published fee is 4 percent with a EUR 2.50 minimum.
- Compare the fee of any current account needed to apply, not only the card fee.
- If spending above a threshold waives the annual fee, check that you would reach it without buying things you do not need.
Frequently asked questions
Can a credit card really be free?
It can have a zero first-year charge, but you need to check how long that condition lasts. For the American Express Green Card, the waiver applies to people who have not held an American Express card in the previous twelve months; the published fee from year two is EUR 84. A no-fee card can still charge for cash withdrawals, foreign currency or paper statements.
How much is a UniCredit Flexia Classic card?
On 9 September 2026, UniCredit stated a EUR 43 annual fee and a EUR 10 issue fee for Flexia Classic. The page also lists use-dependent charges, including 4 percent for each cash withdrawal with a EUR 2.50 minimum. Those charges are not included in the annual fee.
Is the annual fee the only cost?
No. The annual fee is the easiest recurring cost to compare, but it does not describe specialised use. An instalment card can add interest when the balance is not cleared in full; cash withdrawals, foreign-currency payments and paper documents can also carry charges. Read the information sheet before applying.
Does paying in instalments cost more?
Usually, because instalments are consumer credit and can include interest. UniCredit publishes separate examples for instalments and revolving repayment: their cost is not the same as paying the statement in full. If you use the card only for purchases you can cover when the statement falls due, the main comparison remains the annual fee, issue fee and transaction charges.
Is a credit card the same as a prepaid card?
No. A prepaid card uses money loaded before the purchase and does not normally provide a credit line; a credit card charges spending later and may allow instalment repayment. It is therefore not enough to compare the cost of the physical card: interest, linked-account conditions and the risk of borrowing more than you can repay all matter.
Sources and methodology
How we worked it out
We used only official issuer pages and documents, opened on 9 September 2026. EUR 43 is the stated Flexia Classic annual fee; the range runs from the Green Card's first-year waiver for eligible applicants to its ordinary EUR 84 fee from year two. This is not presented as a market average, because two price lists are not enough for an honest average. We do not add interest, stamp duty, cash withdrawals, foreign-currency charges or insurance premiums to the headline number: they depend on use and on the chosen contract. Amex's transparency page was also checked for current SECCI documentation.
Why this confidence level
Confidence is Medium: the individual tariffs are published by the issuers and can be checked against high-authority sources, but the question covers a very broad product category. The guide gives a range built from precise examples, not a false national average or the price of every card available.
EUR 43 annual fee and EUR 10 issue fee for UniCreditCard Flexia Classic
UniCreditCard Flexia Classic (opens in a new tab)
UniCredit S.p.A. · Official tariff · Verified on 9 September 2026
Official page opened on 9 September 2026. It also states a 4 percent cash-withdrawal fee with a EUR 2.50 minimum and repayment examples; it was not used to predict future interest.
Authority4/5
First year free and EUR 84 annual fee from year two for the Green Card
Carta di Credito Verde American Express (opens in a new tab)
American Express Italia · Official tariff · Verified on 9 September 2026
Official page opened on 9 September 2026. The first-year waiver is for people who have not held an Amex card in the previous twelve months; thereafter the fee is EUR 7 per month.
Authority4/5
SECCI documents effective from 12 May 2026 for American Express annual fees
Sezione trasparenza American Express (opens in a new tab)
American Express Italia · Official tariff · Verified on 9 September 2026
The transparency page was opened to check that the Green Card fee and promotional terms were backed by current pre-contractual documentation.
Authority4/5
Revision history
First published on 9 September 2026 after checking the UniCredit Flexia Classic fee and issue charge and the American Express Green Card conditions, including current transparency documentation.
- 9 September 2026
- 9 September 2026
- 9 December 2026
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