Out with the old, in with the new
We will withdraw legal tender status of our paper £20 and £50 notes after 30 September 2022.
days left to use your paper £20 and £50 notes
If you have any paper £20 or £50 notes, we encourage you to use them or deposit them with your bank or Post Office before 30 September 2022.
As paper notes are returned to the Bank of England, they are being replaced with the new polymer £20 notes featuring JMW Turner, and polymer £50 notes featuring Alan Turing.
After 30 September, only our polymer notes will have legal tender status.
What to do with paper notes after 30 September
Once the 30 September 2022 deadline has passed, you will no longer be able to use Bank of England paper notes in shops, or use them to pay businesses.
After this date, many UK banks will accept withdrawn notes as deposits from customers. Some Post Offices may also accept withdrawn notes as a deposit into any bank account you can access with them.
The Bank of England will always exchange any withdrawn notes, including paper notes we have withdrawn in the past.
Continue to check your banknotes
You may still receive paper notes from businesses or other people until 30 September 2022. Focus on these key security features to help confirm that a £20 or £50 paper note is genuine:
£20 hologram image change
Tilt the note from side to side and check the images change between a '£' symbol and the number '20'.
£50 motion thread image change
Tilt the note up and down or side to side and check the images change between a '£' symbol and the number '50'.
Bright £20 or £50 in the watermark
Hold the note up to the light. Check there is a bright '£20' or '£50' at the top of the Queen's portrait.
Resources
Download free materials on the withdrawal of our paper notes.
Download our free education materials to help check your banknotes.
You can also order our free education materials online:
This page was last updated 10 June 2022
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