Say Goodbye to Paper £20 and £50 Notes This September!
The Bank of England is ditching paper £20 and £50 notes for tougher, longer-lasting plastic versions. These new polymer notes, like the current plastic £5 and £10 notes, are not just more durable—they’re also much harder to fake.
Deadline to Spend Paper Notes: 30th September
After September 30, paper £20 and £50 notes will no longer be accepted in shops. But don’t panic if you still have some tucked away—they can still be deposited into any UK bank account for the next 100 days.
There are still a whopping 163 million paper £50s and 314 million paper £20s floating around, so the Bank urges everyone to check their wallets and cupboards now.
New Polymer Notes: Durable, Secure, and Eco-Friendly
Bank of England chief cashier Sarah John said, “Changing our banknotes from paper to polymer has been an important development, making them harder to counterfeit and far more durable.”
The new plastic notes boast slick security features like see-through windows and holograms that make forgeries a thing of the past. Plus, they last longer—polymer £5 notes, for example, survive two and a half times longer than old paper fivers.
And there’s a green bonus: polymer notes have a 16% smaller carbon footprint, confirmed by The Carbon Trust, thanks to their extended lifespan.
What About Scottish, Northern Irish, and Irish Banknotes?
It’s not just Bank of England notes going plastic. Paper £20 and £50 notes issued by Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, AIB Group, Danske Bank, Ulster Bank, and Bank of Ireland will also be phased out after September 30.
Iconic paper £50s feature economist Adam Smith, while paper £20s show entrepreneur Matthew Boulton and engineer James Watt. These are now set to be replaced by sleek polymer versions, like last year’s new £50 note featuring codebreaker Alan Turing.
So, check your stash and spend or bank any paper £20 or £50 notes before the deadline. Don’t get caught out with worthless paper in your pocket!
