Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Shops have to accept the old £10 note.

38 replies

runwalkrun · 13/12/2017 17:51

A small business was reluctant to accept my old £10 note yesterday.
They took it in the end, they had to, because I didn't have any other money on me.
Am I right in thinking that any business, whether big or small are still legally obliged to accept these notes, because they are still legal tender?

At least until 1 March 2018?

OP posts:
BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 17:52

No shop has to serve you at all, legally

Original poster
runwalkrun · 13/12/2017 17:53

True.
But I don't want to be queuing at the tills, wondering whether I'm going to be embarrassed because a cashier may, or may not accept my old tenners Confused

OP posts:
Auspiciouspanda · 13/12/2017 17:55

No they don't have the accept them if they don't want to.

Original poster
runwalkrun · 13/12/2017 17:55

I'm just wondering where the customer stands on all this.

OP posts:
stickytoffeevodka · 13/12/2017 17:56

They don't have to accept anything they don't want to accept.

Original poster
runwalkrun · 13/12/2017 17:57

Well that's a pain.

I have a little 'stash' of birthday money that includes old tenners.

I was going to use them to bulk out stocking fillers.
Christmas is stressful enough without wondering if you're going to be embarrassed at the till.

OP posts:
MrTrebus · 13/12/2017 17:57

Just go and pay all your old tenners into your bank account then pay with your debit card/draw out new tenners like everyone else.

Amanduh · 13/12/2017 17:59

Put them in your bank. Or change them at the bank. Solved

InsomniacAnonymous · 13/12/2017 18:00

I'm not sure I understand why a shop wouldn't want to take an old £10 note, as I understand banks accept them and don't shops take their cash takings to the bank to be put into their account any more? Maybe I'm living in the past. Ok, it might need to be taken out of the till so it's not given in change, but surely not a big deal.

hula008 · 13/12/2017 18:01

But shops can’t give old £10 in change or cash back so it makes sense for them not to accept them.

stickytoffeevodka · 13/12/2017 18:02

Change them at the bank or post office if you have an account there.

We're no longer allowed to give them out as change so any we get need to be banked, which costs us money.

stickytoffeevodka · 13/12/2017 18:04

don't shops take their cash takings to the bank to be put into their account any more?

Yes, but it costs money every time we bank. Small business can't necessarily afford to bank daily just because people have paid in old tenners.

Makes more sense not to accept them in the first place, especially when people can go to the bank and swap them themselves for free.

BMW6 · 13/12/2017 18:05

Same as the old pound coins - shops don't have to accept them. You should change them all to new notes at your bank. Don't give old ones as gifts - the recipient would have the same problem as you have now so it would be a bit off IMO.

Pilotguy · 13/12/2017 18:07

It's at the retailers discretion according to the Bank of England A bank branch or a Post Office will exchange the old Charles Darwin tenders for a slidey new Jane Austen one Xmas Smile

Betsy86 · 13/12/2017 18:12

They are still legal tender no reason for them not to be accepted. Use them in a big supermarket we still accept them and give them as change theres no reason not to until next march x

londonrach · 13/12/2017 18:16

Betsy...i dont think shops can hold them out as change now

RunningOutOfCharge · 13/12/2017 18:16

We have to bank in bundles

So for £10 notes we would need a thousand pound bundles of the things! We currently take them but can say no as cut off gets near

bumpertobumper · 13/12/2017 18:20

Legal tender, by definition, means that the seller of something is legally obliged to accept it as payment.
As the old tenner has not yet been withdrawn officially, yes shops do HAVE to accept it.
( See also Scottish notes in England Wink)

bumpertobumper · 13/12/2017 18:21

Not the same as old pound coins as they have been officially withdrawn

Nanasueathome · 13/12/2017 18:22

Twice in the last week when I have asked for cash back in M&S I have been given old £10 notes
I queried it the first time and was told by the cashier that they give me what they have!!!!!!
So I spent them in there and the cashiers who I gave them to were not happy

stickytoffeevodka · 13/12/2017 18:23

As the old tenner has not yet been withdrawn officially, yes shops do HAVE to accept it.

This is wrong.

"In addition, shops are not obliged to accept legal tender. If you hand over a £50 note to pay for a banana in your local grocery store, the staff are within their rights to choose not to accept it. Likewise for all other banknotes – it’s a matter of discretion."

From: http://edu.bankofengland.co.uk/knowledgebank/what-is-legal-tender/

BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 18:23

bumpertobumper you may want to check that
As far as I'm aware, it is only for a debt and not a current transaction

OnionKnight · 13/12/2017 18:23

The 'old' style tenners are still legal tender, why would shops not accept them?

stickytoffeevodka · 13/12/2017 18:25

The 'old' style tenners are still legal tender, why would shops not accept them?

Because they can no longer give them away as change and it costs them every time they bank.

Shops don't have to accept anything they don't want to accept. That's their choice.

Seniorcitizen1 · 13/12/2017 18:29

They can refuse to serve you but cant refuse to accept legal tender. In a shop they just refuse to serve you but in a cafe/restaurant where you have already consumed the good they cant refuse your old £10 note - if they do just walk out and you owe them nothing.