English Paper Currency Being Withdrawn

[DC3]

Ok husband has some quick shopping to do when he lands 16th September with paper

Paper notes. Ala Ronald Biggs?

 

[clifford]

I'm off to the UK in Oct and have discovered a couple of paper 20 pound notes.

Hopefully my UK bank will accept them as a deposit (I'm a UK citizen with a UK bank account).

 

[OATEK]

"The Bank of England will always exchange any withdrawn notes, including paper notes we have withdrawn in the past."

Withdrawn banknotes

See all the banknotes that the Bank of England and HM Treasury have issued and then withdrawn, going back to 1694.

www.bankofengland.co.uk

 

[clifford]

"The Bank of England will always exchange any withdrawn notes, including paper notes we have withdrawn in the past."

Withdrawn banknotes

See all the banknotes that the Bank of England and HM Treasury have issued and then withdrawn, going back to 1694.

www.bankofengland.co.uk

Yes, but who is going to stuff around with that?

 

[clifford]

To @DC3, you're too kind...

 

[Xrayspice]

The last time we were in part of the UK - Northern Ireland 2017 - I managed to leave with about 6 Pence in my pocket. I definitely made sure that I had no Northern Ireland banknotes left over.

I do this every country, try and spend every single note/coin I have, before I fly out.

 

[OATEK]

Yes, but who is going to stuff around with that?

Anyone with a bunch of paper notes!

 

[AIRwin]

I do this every country, try and spend every single note/coin I have, before I fly out.

Or there's always Change for Good?

 

[Arthur Drummond]

I read that £20 and £50 paper notes in the UK are being withdrawn and will have no value in less than 3 months.
Plastic notes will be ok.

Have just returned from UK. When using my stash of paper £20 notes from pre-Covid, a couple of times I needed to remind the business that they still are legal tender until September. £50 notes generally are treated with suspicion. If unable to spend the paper notes (suggest using the note at supermarket, Pret etc) it is unlikely that you will be able to exchange them at a bank or PO without having an account. However, even after September the Bank of England at Threadneedle St will exchange them if you produce two types of ID eg passport with photo and driver licence with address.

 

[SYD]

Have just returned from UK. When using my stash of paper £20 notes from pre-Covid, a couple of times I needed to remind the business that they still are legal tender until September. £50 notes generally are treated with suspicion. If unable to spend the paper notes (suggest using the note at supermarket, Pret etc) it is unlikely that you will be able to exchange them at a bank or PO without having an account. However, even after September the Bank of England at Threadneedle St will exchange them if you produce two types of ID eg passport with photo and driver licence with address.

Precovid I was able to swap some paper £10s at a bank (don’t recall which one) but swapped one for one, no ID required.

 

[JohnK]

I had £20 note which I exchanged in Thailand recently.

Off topic to this thread but I find the new Thai polymer notes too hard. Very little flexibility.

 

[Arthur Drummond]

Precovid I was able to swap some paper £10s at a bank (don’t recall which one) but swapped one for one, no ID required.

A few years ago I swapped some paper £10 notes at a bank in Noting Hill. This time, when I thought I would have some £20 notes left, I enquired at three different banks and the PO in Clapham, and none would just exchange note for note. There was a bank in Kensington, which had a cashier, separate to the teller, where I previously had swapped some notes just withdrawn from one of their ATMs for higher currency, but that was different to just wanting to clear soon to be superseded currency. I decided against doing a bank crawl and just kept spending £20 notes until all were gone.

 

[Cossie]

Thanks, I’ll have to check the safe!

Found 2 twenty pound notes, thanks again.

 

[DeKa]

I also have two twenty pound paper notes!

 

[VPS]

Using cash overseas. Some friends just back from the UK said they did strike a couple of places that were cash only

Do you still need to use cash overseas when you travel?

The supermarket, the petrol station, the cafe - it's all tap and go. No cash required. But can you get away with having no cash overseas?

www.traveller.com.au

 

[AIRwin]

It's today! @CMA222

 

[drron]

When we were checking in to the HGI terminal 2/3 just over a week ago there was an obnoxious fellow checking out next to us at midday. wanted his bags stored until nearly midnight but they weren't going to give in to him. Then he pulled out a wad of paper 50s to pay his bill. When they said he couldn't pay with them he went right OTT.

 

[jeza]

Went & changed some notes today. When I arrived at the BoE there was queue that went down the road about 50m. After about half an hour I was still outside in queue, one of the employees came out & mentioned there was also a queue inside

He offered a few other options in post offices, the City of London PO 12 Eastcheap was pretty close so I took the chance. Went there got issued with a number, served within a minute & all done before 5 had elapsed. Win!

They mention 1 form of photo ID but you also need something that shows your actual address.

Other PO on the form were

Golders Green
High Holborn
Regents Street

May be worth trying those first if they are close by.

 

[AIRwin]

After about half an hour I was still outside in queue, one of the employees came out & mentioned there was also a queue inside

In fact there's a queue inside for security screening at the foyer and then another queue at the counters...

 

[John in Melbourne]

I remember arriving in (I think) 2019 with old notes (£10?) that I couldnt change and I got these only months earlier from a airport currency exchange shopfront so dont get caught like I did

I was in London then also, and had the same problem. However, a friendly bankteller told me to take my paper money to the Bank of England, which I did. Paper exchanged for plastic no problem.