Frequently Asked Questions
Questions? We've Got You Covered.
Answers to common questions about ordering foreign currency — US dollars, euros and British pounds — and about the banknotes themselves.
Requesting Currency
Making a Request
How the request works and what you can ask for.
How do I request currency?
Choose the currency you need, enter the amount, select your denomination preference, provide your details and submit the request. The team will then review your request and contact you to confirm the applicable details. See the full step-by-step process.
Which currencies can I request?
Foreign Currency Banknote currently offers requests for US Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR) and British Pounds (GBP). View the currencies.
Can I choose the amount I need?
Yes. The Request Currency form allows you to enter the amount you need.
Can I request specific denominations?
Yes. You can specify your preferred denominations. Availability of those denominations is confirmed by the team.
What if I don't know which denominations I need?
Say so on the form and we will suggest a mix for you. As a rule, a spread of smaller notes is more useful day to day — taxis, tips, cafés and small shops often will not take large denominations — with a few larger notes for hotels or deposits. Tell us roughly what the money is for and we will suggest accordingly.
Rates
Exchange Rates
How rates are handled for your request.
Are exchange rates displayed on the website?
No, and that is deliberate. A published rate would be out of date the moment it changed, and it would not account for the currency, amount and denominations you have actually asked for. Instead, your exact rate is worked out when we review your request and confirmed with you directly.
Will I know the rate before I commit to anything?
Yes, always. You are told the exact rate that applies to your request before any payment is arranged. Nothing is committed until you have it in front of you — and if the rate does not work for you, you can walk away without owing anything.
Payment and Fulfilment
Payment and Fulfilment
What is arranged with you after your request is reviewed.
Do I pay when I submit a request?
No. The Request Currency form sends us a request — it is not a checkout. No card details are asked for, no payment is taken, and submitting it does not commit you to anything.
How and when do I pay?
Payment comes after we have reviewed your request, not before. We confirm the currency, the denominations available, the exact rate and the total amount with you first, and the payment arrangements are agreed as part of that same conversation. You will know exactly what you are paying and how before anything is due.
How do I receive the currency?
Fulfilment is arranged with you once the details are agreed, and it is confirmed at the same time as the rate and the total — so you know how and when you will receive your currency before you pay, not after.
The Request Process
After You Submit
What happens once your request has been sent.
What happens after I submit my request?
Your request goes to a person, not an automated system. We check that the currency and the denominations you asked for are available, work out the rate that applies, and then come back to you with all of it together — availability, your rate, the total, and how payment and collection or delivery would work. Steps six to eight on the How It Works page set this out in detail.
How quickly will I hear back?
It depends on what you have asked for. A straightforward request in a common denomination is quicker to confirm than a large amount or an unusual mix of notes, because availability has to be checked before we can give you a firm answer. If your request is time-sensitive, say so in the notes field and we will take that into account.
Your Details
The Request Form
The information the form asks for.
What information do I need to provide?
Your name, email address and phone number, plus the currency, the amount and your denomination preference. There is also an optional notes field — use it for anything that affects your request, such as a deadline, an unusual mix of notes, or a question you want answered when we reply.
Why do you need my phone number?
Confirming a currency request often needs a quick back-and-forth about availability or denominations, and that is usually faster by phone than by email. Your details are used to handle and respond to your request, and nothing else. If you would rather ask something before sending a request, contact us here.
About the Notes
Banknote Facts
What is worth knowing about the notes themselves — expiry, legal tender and which ones get refused.
Do euro banknotes expire?
No. Euro banknotes never lose their value. Notes from the first series, issued from 2002, are still legal tender alongside the newer Europa series, and any euro note can be exchanged at a national central bank in the euro area at any time, according to the European Central Bank.
Is there still a €500 note?
Not a new one. The European Central Bank stopped issuing €500 notes on 27 April 2019. Notes already in circulation keep their full value, but many shops will not accept them, so we do not recommend asking for them. See which euro notes to ask for.
Are euro banknotes the same in every euro country?
Yes. Euro banknotes have the same design in every country that uses the euro, so a note you get for one country can be spent in any of the others. Only euro coins carry a national side.
Do old US dollar bills expire?
No. Every design of Federal Reserve note remains legal tender, whenever it was issued, according to the US Currency Education Program. In practice, older or damaged notes can be harder to spend outside the US.
Which US dollar bills are hardest to spend?
$100 bills. Larger stores and hotels usually take them, but taxis, food trucks and small shops in the US often refuse them, and older or damaged $100s are commonly turned away abroad. $20s are the safest everyday note. More on which dollar notes to take.
Are old paper £20 and £50 notes still accepted?
No. Paper £20 and £50 notes stopped being legal tender on 30 September 2022, and the paper £5 and £10 before that. Shops will not take them, but the Bank of England still exchanges withdrawn notes. Every Bank of England note we supply is the current polymer design.
Are Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes legal tender?
No. They are legal currency, but they are not legal tender anywhere in the UK — not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Some shops in England refuse them because staff see them less often, which is why we supply Bank of England notes.
Can a shop refuse a banknote?
Yes. “Legal tender” has a narrow legal meaning about settling a debt; it does not oblige a shop to accept any particular note, as the Bank of England explains. That is why large notes such as £50s and €200s are often turned down, and why the mix of notes you carry matters.
Travelling With Cash
Cash and Travel
Taking banknotes in and out of the UK, and which notes to carry.
How much cash can I take out of the UK?
There is no legal limit, but you must declare cash of £10,000 or more if you travel between Great Britain and any country outside the UK. Cash includes banknotes, coins and travellers’ cheques, and a family or group travelling together must declare if their combined total reaches £10,000. Undeclared cash can be seized. The rules are set out on GOV.UK; Northern Ireland has a separate €10,000 threshold for some journeys.
Where can I get US dollar bills in the UK?
From banks, bureaux de change and currency services like ours. If you want particular notes — a stack of $1s for tipping, say — ask for them specifically. Our request form lets you name the denominations you want, and we confirm availability before anything is agreed.
Which banknotes are best to take on holiday?
Mostly mid-value notes, with some small ones. For euros that means €20s and €50s plus a few €5s and €10s; for US dollars, mainly $20s with $1s and $5s for tips; for pounds, £10s and £20s. The largest notes — €200, $100, £50 — are the ones most often refused. Each currency page goes into more detail.
Get in Touch
Still Have a Question?
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, submit a currency request and the team can discuss your requirements with you.