FYI for Viking cruisers visiting UK Ports: Use your paper 20 and 50 GBP currency before it EXPIRES end of Sept

[SempreMare]

2 hours ago, DGHOC said:

Well there is no reason why they wouldn't take them, perhaps they don't take cash as a deposit.

Nope. They do take cash as a deposit.

 

I have experienced the same thing throughout the day. 4 out of 5 businesses I’ve tried to use those old 20s have declined.
 

even the post office declined it
 

The only business who accepted one – the Freemason Hall museum store.
 

But when I later try to use another 20 old note in the café downstairs, that person declined to take it. So  The first cashier probably was not aware of their policy of not taking it. 
 

Does not seem right. If the currency still valid till September 30, When did the business except cash, they should take it.

Edited September 9, 2022 by SempreMare

[DGHOC]

Well pop into a bank then!

[KBs mum]

20 hours ago, SempreMare said:

Nope. They do take cash as a deposit.

 

I have experienced the same thing throughout the day. 4 out of 5 businesses I’ve tried to use those old 20s have declined.
 

even the post office declined it
 

The only business who accepted one – the Freemason Hall museum store.
 

But when I later try to use another 20 old note in the café downstairs, that person declined to take it. So  The first cashier probably was not aware of their policy of not taking it. 
 

Does not seem right. If the currency still valid till September 30, When did the business except cash, they should take it.

If all else fails go to a bureau de change and swap them for dollars. 

 

My understanding is that businesses cannot legally refuse payment with legal tender, all they can do is refuse the sale. By the way, Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are not legal tender, they are trading tokens issued under licence from the Bank of England. The banks issuing them have lodged the money to cover their value at the Bank of England

[Heidi13]

43 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

My understanding is that businesses cannot legally refuse payment with legal tender, all they can do is refuse the sale. By the way, Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are not legal tender, they are trading tokens issued under licence from the Bank of England. The banks issuing them have lodged the money to cover their value at the Bank of England

 

Unfortunately, that isn't correct. Any business has the right to decide which form(s) of payment they will accept and can refuse to accept any, or all banknotes. Here is the relevant information from Bank of England.

 

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/knowledgebank/what-is-legal-tender

 

The 3 Scottish banks and 3 Northern Ireland banks that issue bank notes are not licenced by the Bank of England. Like the Bank of England, they are authorised to issue banknotes by the UK Parliament, an arrangement which was established back in the mid 1800's and most recently updated by the UK Banking Act 2009. The notes are not trading tokens, they are legal currency, which is not the same as being legal tender.

 

To protect the public, in the event of a bank failure, the Banking Act requires any bank issuing currency to maintain reserves equal to the value of the currency in circulation. The Scottish & Northern Ireland bank's reserves are retained at the Bank of England.

 

With respect to "Legal Tender", in Scotland and Northern Ireland, no banknotes are considered as being legal tender, only coins issued by the Royal Mint. However, all British banknotes, regardless of the issuing bank are legal currency, and can be accepted anywhere in UK, at the discretion of the business.

 

https://www.scotbanks.org.uk/static/uploaded/8c982ba6-85c8-4569-965a6f21d196b46d.pdf