It's legal tender

[iwoulddoanything]

I'm sure by the title, you can guess where I live

Every day, without fail, I get asked for English notes back in change (manage a large store but often have to jump on tills). Or if I'm in England (actually where I'm from btw), they won't accept my money. I just don't get it. It is legal tender but people still refuse it (when I pay) or don't want it in change (when they're visiting Scotland ). It actually has sterling written on it when English notes don't as far as I'm aware. I just don't get it. And people wonder why Scottish people are fed up of being part of a union which seems our money (the exact same as 'english' money) as less than, or a phrase I hear every few weeks, 'monopoly' money. AIBU?

This must be a southern problem. Im in the north east, everyone takes them here and they are common.

Yes, I have spent and accepted NI notes in Scotland.

It would be much easier if GBP bank notes were like British Coins or Euros - where only one area/one side is different for English, Scottish and N.Irish currency. The rest of the design is common to all. What sort of problems have mumsnetters encountered changing Scottish and N.Irish notes at banks/bureaux de change outside the UK?

@coconuttelegraph maybe we're fed up of our British currency being seen less than or different, as it's British

I never take Scottish notes abroad as I've seen others have issues

I once bought fish and chips x 4 it came to £19 something and I tried to use a Scottish £20 note, the lady refused to take it so i said it's all I have so she GAVE ME THE FOOD FOR FREE!!!! Rather than take a Scottish note!

When I worked in retail I was told not to accept Scottish notes because there are so many counterfeit notes about.

Why is anyone trying to get English businesses to take Scottish notes? I get myself
some Bank of England notes when I go south.

I suppose the other question is “why do Scottish banknotes exist?” They only have nuisance value.

@dementedpixie but is England abroad?

I remember my mum getting into a massive Barney on oxford street H&M over Scottish notes a few years back even in my 20's mortified!!

I use my Scottish notes in self service tills when I get back to avoid the sniffy looks and any hassle

@Hirsutefirs agreed. Wish it was only British banknotes.

Yabu. I'm quite pro Scottish independence too, but the whole premise of this thread is stupid. Of course people are going to be reticent to accept notes they're less able to identify as forged or genuine.

I was answering this question

(What sort of problems have mumsnetters encountered changing Scottish and N.Irish notes at banks/bureaux de change outside the UK?*

@WellButterMyArse I don't think you understood then. My point was we accept English notes all the time, why is it fair when we go to England, our money isn't accepted? If it's an equal union?

“@WellButterMyArse I don't think you understood then. My point was we accept English notes all the time, why is it fair when we go to England, our money isn't accepted? If it's an equal union”

But you know the English money is good.

They are unfamiliar with the Scottish script.

Seems simple enough to me.

Lots of places won't except £50 notes. In our area we had a time when several shops were refusing £20 due to a sudden influx of forgeries.
English notes aren't always accepted.

Sorry I missed out “Yah boo it’s not fair!”

The only time I have ever travelled South and had trouble using my Scottish notes was when I was trying to leave a hospital car park at 2am with an injured child in a plaster cast.

The car park operator said he wouldn't take my note to pay the parking fee so we stared silently at each other for a while until he backed down and took the money.

I had plenty of coins but I wasn't going to tell him that.

One person I worked with, it was his first job, and I guess he'd always had a bank card (rich family) so when he was handed a fake English £20 note he just accepted it despite being very obviously fake to anyone who had handled £20 notes a lot.
I'd compare that to the English taking Scottish notes, we don't handle them very often, and the pens don't always work if it's a good fake, so if we were handed a fake one we might not notice despite it being very obvious to a Scottish person who has handled them daily.

I'm English I live in Scotland my parents still live in England near Birmingham
I have never had a problem in large shops Tesco, Waitrose Next WHSmith etc,
I would not expect a market stall holder or a hand car wash person to take Scottish notes but some do; occasionally there has been a wee discussion in a small shop, only once in a cash only situation have I said well I can't buy it as I have no English notes
on the other hand a Scottish shop might well not have English notes to give you as change if you hand over a £20 note for something £4 they may only have Scottish £10 and £5 in the till you can't demand change in English notes shops have to give correct change it is a favour if you ask can you give me 5 x £1 coins instead of £5 note
you could not buy it and ask for original £20 back
but from going back and forwards from England to Scotland since 1994 it has been an issue 2-3 times, with minor discussions maybe 2-3 times more the OP must be incredibly unlucky
The only place I would make sure I have English notes was if changing cash abroad from pound sterling to euros or dollars they will generally only take Bank of England notes

@Hirsutefirs but it isn't fair! Why is our money worth less than yours or why are you afraid of more forgeries when it's just as likely for forgeries for English money?

Try using a Bank of Ireland sterling note in England ...or actually don't even bother

But you know the English money is good.

Why would you assume that though? I rarely see English money where I live; I'd have no idea if its good or not. But I've never heard of a shop here refusing English notes.

I work in Scotland for an English company and we bank our takings in an English bank. There have never been any murmurings of it costing more to bank Scottish notes, so whoever told the pp that above was talking complete bullshit.

I've only once recently had Scottish notes refused in England and it was in a small local garage. He spouted some utter bullshit about the money which he had clearly made up on the spot. I paid by card, and asked me how I came to be in the small village. I explained I had stayed the night with my cousins there, had visited with my aunt there and was now heading off. He asked their names, and replied if he'd known that before I paid with the card, he would have accepted the Scottish notes, as clearly I was 'all right'. Aye, fuck off you wee neaff - you just thought I was some cheating Scots scumbag out to rip off your shitty little petrol station. When I needed petrol the next time I was down there, I went elsewhere.

Exactly @LittleCandle 😂

By the way, I'm English (and you can tell when I speak) but this is outrageous.