Are Scottish notes legal tender and accepted in England?

[Heyesey 11]

They are clearly marked as 'Sterling' (unlike Northern Irish notes, which are not), and therefore legal currency. A retailer who refuses to accept them is acting illegally himself.

 

Not so.

 

"Legal tender has a very narrow and technical meaning in the settlement of debts. It means that a debtor cannot successfully be sued for non-payment if he pays into court in legal tender. It does not mean that any ordinary transaction has to take place in legal tender or only within the amount denominated by the legislation."

 

In other words, a retailer can refuse English currency, if he really wants to tick off all of his customers, and he still would not be breaking the law.

 

Scottish notes are not legal tender, but there's no good reason for any shop not to accept them; even so some places will refuse to take them. If this is likely to cause you embarassment (I wouldn't care, I'd embarass the shopkeeper for being stupid and not knowing what notes are acceptable...) then it's safer to just change them at a bank and avoid any possible problems.

 

 

*edited because I didn't know that no Scottish currency is legal tender - live and learn*

[Andy 10]

They are clearly marked as 'Sterling' (unlike Northern Irish notes, which are not), and therefore legal currency. A retailer who refuses to accept them is acting illegally himself.

 

Legal currency means somthing which must be accepted in payment of a debt. It's not illegal to refuse legal tender, however, if a creditor was to do so, the debt would cease to exist.

 

However, in a shop, no debt exists to the shopkeeper, since he can refuse to sell the goods. So he's not obliged to accept any currency - even legal tender (which Scottish notes aren't anyway). He could insist in being paid in postage stamps, tomatoes or broken down tractors if he wanted. If you didn't agree, then the transaction wouldn't take place.

 

Remember that every business has the right to refuse service, provided this is not on the grounds of race/disability.

[Heyesey 11]

Legal currency means somthing which must be accepted in payment of a debt. It's not illegal to refuse legal tender, however, if a creditor was to do so, the debt would cease to exist.

 

And even at that, only if the debt was being paid off via a court.

[kwtcl1 10]

where i work on a market stall we have not taken them for bout 2 years now due to there been alot of fak ones around an many shops don't accept

[Rich 12]

That's the reason most places won't have them, cos there's so many duds around and it's hard to tell sometimes what's real and what's a dud, so it's safer to ban them all.

 

That being said though, I remember when I worked at Boots in Meadowhall in late 1997, a guy once came in with an English £50 note, and I'd been taught in my NVQ retail course at Loxley College that in many cases £50 notes weren't legal so I queried it, bloke wasn't too happy. but I wasn't wrong, I was following my previous training.

[mr craig 10]

I think its quite funny how some places wont except Scottish notes but are quite happy to except euros.

[PhilipB 10]

Live in Scotland and travel over the border regularly.

Never had any problem with shops, large or small, taking them.

All motorway services etc, no problem.

Did see a card in a shop window in Whitby this year that said they wouldn't accept Scottish notes though.

[rubydazzler 11]

p.s i know £1 notes aren't legal tender in england but my daughter was given a £1 note from a relative in scotland and on return to shefield it was mistaken for a fiver! lol

 

Yes that happened to me, I was a bit harrassed at the time and the bloke offering it took the change of a fiver, the git! I'm sure he did it on purpose. Might as well just have stolen the goods really, as least I wouldn't have been £4 cash down, as well as the cost of the goods!

[40summat 10]

Yes that happened to me, I was a bit harrassed at the time and the bloke offering it took the change of a fiver, the git! I'm sure he did it on purpose. Might as well just have stolen the goods really, as least I wouldn't have been £4 cash down, as well as the cost of the goods!

 

 

It's a well used con North of the border, many shopkeepers and bartenders try it on tourists.

I lost count of the times it was tried on me in the 6 years i lived up there.

[rubydazzler 11]

It's a well used con North of the border, many shopkeepers and bartenders try it on tourists.

I lost count of the times it was tried on me in the 6 years i lived up there.

 

I don't understand what you mean, they give you change of a £5 for a £1 note? How does that work then

 

sorry, bit slow tonight, you mean the scottish people give you change of a £1 for a fiver?

[tony2311 10]

It really annoys me at work when you have scottish bank notes in the till and you give them out as change and the customer goes "oh, no, can i have a 'normal' note i don't know if anyone will accept these"

 

 

EDIT: to add...not being funny Jambo! Its just we get them at work fairly often and i've had a few before and never had any problem with shops taking them.

Do you know how many fake scottish are out there? i wouldnt accept it as i cant tell which is real and which is fake as i cant tell the difference

[40summat 10]

sorry, bit slow tonight, you mean the scottish people give you change of a £1 for a fiver?

 

I didn't make myself very clear, what i should have said is... if you offer a £10 (or £20) note for something costing less than a fiver you are likely to get a £1 note instead of a fiver in your change.