Are Northern Ireland banknotes legal tender in mainland UK?

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Courtney B

I have had people refuse, mainly in London. Someone once told me, "Sorry, we don't accept Irish money." Well, I said, "Last time I checked, 'Irish Money' was euros, and these are most certainly NOT euros, they are worth a wee bit more than that now!!!" In Scotland, northern England and Wales they took Ulster Bank, BOI, First Turst, NB, notes no problem, sans any cheeky comments. To avoid any situations like that, you are able to change money pound for pound at your own bank, or any bank (any they may NOT charge you a fee for that because you are NOT exchanging currency in anyway, just the notes).

seabhcan

They are not even "legal tender" in Northern Ireland!

Only England and Wales have laws on Legal Tender. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, there are no laws. Individual banks print what they like and shops accept what they like.

Paper money in Northern Ireland are promissory notes - they are IOU's for Bank of England bank notes.

Alex

No! Only notes and coinage issued by the Bank of England are legal tender in Britain.

Even Scottish banknotes are not legal tender. They may not be issued in England and are not even legal tender in Scotland! (yet!).

Similarly Ulsterbank notes, which may not be issued in England and are not even legal tender in Northern Ireland.

"Legal tender" means coins or notes that MUST be accepted in payment of a debt. It does not mean that the
other notes (which are not legal tender) have no value, but
that they can be refused as payment for a debt.

In practice, no one in Scotland is going to refuse payment in Scottish banknotes, and most English will know that they can be accepted and paid into a bank account with no difficulty, so they are freely exchanged AS IF they were legal tender. Ulsterbank notes similarly, but only Bank of England notes have the status of legal tender.

When travelling overseas, Scottish banknotes are often not accepted by foreign banks and money changers, presumably because their status is not widely understood.

I am not sure if Ulsterbank notes are accepted at English banks, who may be wary, since that major theft of newly printed Ulsterbank notes a few years ago.

greenorlagh

NI bank notes aren't legal tender anywhere. Neither are Scottish notes. However you will find that the banks in Scotland and England will change them for you although in the past I have been charged for the privilege.

You'll find shops won't take the money as a rule but some will - chiefly around Blackpool. Scottish places tend to have no bother but I have had a few difficulties in wee shops in Scotland.

Misty Blue

Shops wont take them in England.Sods won't even take Scottish ones.Change them in the banks over there.

BeatlesFan

Yes they are. They state on them that they are "sterling" and as such should be accepted. However I know from experience that some outlets are reluctant to accept them, that is of course until you point out that they are "sterling".

wastrel

They are, they've 'sterling' written on them, usually small on the front.

xxerinxx

yes, think so

Emma T

They Are - as long as they are sterling. Somewhere on the note it will say ....."promise to pay the bearer the sum of Â£x sterling"

I am scotiish and live in England - they will take them in the main stores, its the really small local shops that often don't.

Yarx

Yes, although as a previous answer points out it can be difficult to exchange them in shops. All banks will change them for English ones.

Suki Boo

They should be as they are " sterling" but since the Northern bank robbery a couple of years ago all the banks print their own money so all Â£5, Â£10, Â£20 are different - the Â£5 note from Northern bank is made of a plastic see through type material - freaky!

I have never had a problem exchanging in major shops in the UK, but on a recent visit to Poland they would not exchange sterling as "no queens head"!

mischievous

Most shopkeepers will not accept them, but you may find shops near large Irish communities may accept them, although I believe that the majority of those communities are closer to the Republic of Ireland than Northern Ireland. If you live near Glasgow you may stand a better chance, but make sure which side of the border they support.

Nobby

Yes.

Yep

And if any towel head in a shop won't take your legal tender you have my personal permission to smash the place up.

jed slade

Yes ,but the coins used to be refused.But now everyone in Europe uses the Euro,the Irish Euro is the same as the ,rest of the different countries Euro,s,The only odd one out is the UK,but they will go in when they have devalued the pound far enough.

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