Asda, Tesco, Aldi, M&S, and Morrisons: Warning issued to anyone using £20 and £50 notes

You get to the check out.. you fancy using up that spare cash lingering in your wallet or purse since lockdown… you hand it over… But no, the notes are ‘wrong’ and the queue is looking.

Here’s how to avoid such a scenario from September if you’re shopping at the likes of ASDA, Tesco, Aldi, M&S or Morrisons from September. By then, your transaction will definitely be rejected because that’s when the old £20 and £50 notes will have been officially replaced.

The Bank of England will, however, allow the exchange of those old-style £20 and £50 notes after the September deadline. Chief Cashier Sarah John said : “We want to remind the public that they only have six months left to spend or deposit their paper £20 and £50 notes.

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“Over the past few years we have been changing our banknotes from paper to polymer, because these designs are more difficult to counterfeit, whilst also being more durable. A large number of these paper notes have now been returned to us, and replaced with the polymer £20 featuring the artist J.M.W. Turner, and the polymer £50 featuring the scientist Alan Turing. However if members of the public still have any of these paper notes in their possession, they should deposit or spend them whilst they can,” she said.

The notes are being replaced with the new polymer £20 notes featuring J.M.W. Turner, and polymer £50 notes featuring Alan Turing. The introduction of polymer banknotes allows for a new generation of security features which make them even harder to counterfeit.

It comes following similar banknotes for the £5 and £10 some years ago. The fiver was released back in 2016, featuring Sir Winston Churchill, Birmingham Live reports.

How to exchange old bank notes

The Bank of England (BoE) website has instructions for those who may still be clinging on to old paper banknotes. You can look to exchange them at the following places:

• At your bank : The BoE says the easiest way to exchange notes is to deposit them with your bank. You’ll need to visit your nearest bank branch in person to do this
• At the Post Office : The Post Office may also accept withdrawn notes as payment for goods and services, or as a deposit into any bank account you can access with them
• At the Bank of England : You can post old banknotes to the BoE and they’ll then send you a cheque for the amount, or the equivalent in new polymer notes