# Use of N.Ireland sterling in UK



## Concert (26 Jun 2010)

Daughter flew to UK this morning for two days with college friends to visit Alton Towers.  She phoned me a while ago very upset to say that she cant use N Ireland sterling in the UK.  I bought the sterling for her in BOI yesterday and told the teller that she was visiting Alton in UK. She never asked me what kind of sterling I wanted and I never thought that there was any difference as I travel to the UK regularly myself to visit friends and never have a problem.  I realise that in some parts of UK they will not accept Scottish sterling.  Should teller have made me aware of this as it has upset her whole trip.  As a group of students I'm sure they dont have spare cash to give her and she can do nothing as its the week-end ?


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## mathepac (26 Jun 2010)

They are so thick and insular in parts of GB that even some banks  will not exchange "Ulster money" for sterling. They see them as different currencies, despite Lizzie's head, the words "Pounds Sterling", etc on the notes. All I can suggest is that some of her companions  exchange some sterling notes with her for her "Ulster money" to get her through the week-end.


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## ridcully (26 Jun 2010)

Northern Ireland notes are not classified as legal tender in Britain, they can be accepted as payment but the crucial fact is they don't have any legal obligation to, it is between the two parties involved.

In answer to your question, in my opinion it was not the teller's job to inform you that she could have a problem but it would have been helpful of her, assuming she had known.


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## Dirac (26 Jun 2010)

This seems to clarify the position of Northern Irish Sterling used in transactions in England:

[broken link removed]


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## Dirac (26 Jun 2010)

Don't know if it helps but she could buy a few low cost items from a shop/garage etc if they would accept the NI sterling and then the change she would get given would be English Sterling


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## Concert (26 Jun 2010)

Thanks for all answers.  Seemingly some of her sterling is UK and the remainder NI so she thinks if she uses it sparingly (not easy on a trip away) she will manage til Monday.  I will contact my bank to see why this happened as I did state where she was going.


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## bluemac (26 Jun 2010)

Yip I love that one, we always take a ntoe or 2 back to doncaster and they look at you like your mad.. 1 out of every 10 take it it is legal tender but no one ever sees it so they have no idea if its fake or not... so you carnt balme them pop into a bank and change it


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## seantheman (27 Jun 2010)

I love pulling into filling stations and getting a bottle of water, pull out Ulster bank stg and when they say they cant accept it, I ask what they want to do with the diesel i just filled. No-one has ever refused at that point. Likewise for restaurants.


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## Moral Ethos (28 Jun 2010)

The banks here should not be issuing NI notes to people who want sterling for the UK. 

A post office or bank on the mainland should accept them and exchange them for real currency.


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## deeobrien (28 Jun 2010)

I was in the UK recently and tried to change a £10 Ulster sterling note I had.  I went into a Halifax branch and they said they would only exchange notes for customers. 

I told them I was a customer in Halifax in ROI but it made no difference.   So even the bank wouldn't change it.   I didn't bother trying another bank - maybe I would have had better luck someplace else.


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## csirl (28 Jun 2010)

Can understand why these notes even exist? Why cant they use proper sterling in NI?


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## dereko1969 (28 Jun 2010)

Moral Ethos said:


> The banks here should not be issuing NI notes to people who want sterling for the UK.
> 
> A post office or bank on the *mainland *should accept them and exchange them for real currency.


 
Why should the French or Germans accept Sterling?????


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## Sunny (28 Jun 2010)

Moral Ethos said:


> The banks here should not be issuing NI notes to people who want sterling for the UK.


 
I didn't think they did. I have never been given NI or Scottish Notes when getting Sterling and I do it a few times each month.


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## Moral Ethos (28 Jun 2010)

A bank near the border?


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## Caveat (28 Jun 2010)

Been a while since I have needed sterling but when I did I was often given NI sterling and had to specifically ask for English if I was visiting London or wherever.


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## ardmacha (1 Jul 2010)

> The banks here should not be issuing NI notes to people who want  sterling for the UK.



Why should they not since NI is in the UK and the nearest part of the UK? If you can't tell the difference between Britain and the UK no wonder the bank doesn't know what you want. 


> Why cant they use proper sterling in NI?



Why should they use English notes since they are not England?



> Been a while since I have needed sterling but when I did I was often  given NI sterling and had to specifically ask for English if I was  visiting London or wherever.



Ask and you shall receive.


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## Caveat (1 Jul 2010)

ardmacha said:


> Ask and you shall receive.


 


I was responding to Sunny/Moral Ethos.


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## hopalong (1 Jul 2010)

an english bank should exchange it for english money.(apparently the bank of england issues the n.irl money)


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## Moral Ethos (1 Jul 2010)

> apparently the bank of england issues the n.irl money


No they don't.


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## TheShark (1 Jul 2010)

The NI notes all state £xx STERLING on them , surely the OP's daughter should be able to exchange them somewhere near Alton Towers.


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## Moral Ethos (1 Jul 2010)

It can be very difficult to do so.


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