The Bank of England has warned that this is the last week that paper banknotes can still be used.
It will be withdrawing legal tender status of paper £20 and £50 banknotes after 30 September 2022 and from then on, businesses will no longer be obliged to accept these banknotes as payment.
Paper £20 and £50 notes issued by Clydesdale Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of Scotland will also be withdrawn after 30 September 2022, and these issuing authorities have advised retailers and the public to spend or deposit these notes by that date as well. The paper £20 notes issued by Bank of Ireland (UK) plc, AIB Group (UK) plc, Northern Bank Limited (trades as Danske Bank), and National Westminster Bank plc (trades as Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland) will also be withdrawn after 30 September 2022, and retailers and the public are also being advised to spend or deposit these notes ahead of the deadline.
The following options will remain available for paper notes still in circulation:
If you have a UK bank account, you will normally still be able to deposit them at your bank, or into your account at a Post Office.
You can exchange certain withdrawn paper banknotes for polymer notes at a limited number of Post Office branches..
You can exchange withdrawn banknotes with the Bank of England, including by post.
Although the majority of paper £20 and £50 banknotes in circulation have been replaced with new polymer versions, there are still over £5 billion worth of paper £20 featuring the economist Adam Smith, and nearly £6 billion worth of paper £50 banknotes featuring the engineers Boulton and Watt, in circulation. That’s more than 250 million individual £20 banknotes, and more than 110 million paper £50 banknotes.
All polymer banknotes carrying a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II remain legal tender, and the public can continue to use these as normal. A further announcement regarding existing Bank of England banknotes will be made in due course.
No comments yet