To any bank operating in Russia. The exchange of damaged money is carried out by all institutions registered in our country and having state accreditation, including commercial ones. They must exchange damaged banknotes absolutely free of charge.

And if a large piece is torn off from the banknote?

The bank will accept a banknote that has retained at least 55% of its original area. They will also exchange a banknote glued together from two or more pieces. An important condition: one of the components must be more than 55% of the original area.

In addition, the bank must accept a bill glued together from two fragments of different banknotes. But there are a number of nuances here:

  • Fragments must be of the same denomination.
  • They must differ from each other in graphic design (that is, the option when the bill is glued together from two identical pieces will not work).
  • Each fragment must occupy at least 50% of the original area of ​​the banknote.

What to do if the money is not torn, but damaged by fire?

Burnt, exposed to aggressive environments (in particular, acids), charred and decayed banknotes are suitable for exchange if more than 55% of their original area is left of them.

The bank will also accept banknotes that have changed color and glow in ultraviolet rays, for example, after accidental washing. But only if the images are clearly visible on them.

cbr.ru

Will they accept damaged coins?

Yes. Coins that have even serious damage are subject to exchange - bent, flattened, having holes and traces of cutting, exposure to high temperatures and aggressive environments. But even on coins that have melted and changed color, the denomination and belonging to the Bank of Russia should be visible.

And if in the case of banknotes, 55% of the original area is sufficient, then a coin suitable for exchange should retain at least 75%.

What banknotes and coins will not be exchanged for anything?

  • Banknotes colored with substances that were designed to prevent theft during their transportation and storage.
  • Having a typographical inscription "Sample" or "Test".
  • Withdrawn from circulation (for example, those that were printed in 1995. They ceased to be valid in 2002).
  • Having less than 55% of the area (or, in the case of two different banknotes glued from pieces, less than 50%).
  • Those on which important inscriptions are not visible: denomination, series and number, belonging to the Bank of Russia. It is important that at least some of the signs are preserved.
  • Banknotes that have completely lost the inscriptions on one of the sides.

cbr.ru

Also, coins with a cut out center and those on which the image is completely lost will not be accepted.

cbr.ru

But what if the bank doubts the authenticity of the banknote?

In this case, you can write to the bank an application for an examination. After that, the banknote will be sent for research. If it is confirmed, the exchange will take place. The examination is free of charge.

Are there any restrictions on the amount for which damaged banknotes can be exchanged?

No. You can bring any number of banknotes for exchange. The bank employee will issue the money in cash or transfer it to your current account. Don't forget to take your passport with you to the bank.

What should I do if I washed the money along with the clothes?

Money is made of special paper, on which a rather resistant paint is applied. Therefore, most likely, after washing the bill will only become a little lighter.

The washed banknote must be properly dried. To do this, put it on a sheet of white paper, straighten it well, cover with another white sheet and put a thick book on top. The sheets will become damp, so change them several times until completely dry.

Will the bank exchange damaged foreign banknotes?

Yes, but not in all. Each institution sets its own currency exchange rules. Somewhere they accept banknotes with only minor damage, in other places they will not accept banknotes glued together from three or more fragments.

In addition, each bank sets its own commission, so you are unlikely to receive an amount equivalent to the face value of a banknote.

The signs of solvency of banknotes and coins of the Bank of Russia and the rules for the exchange of damaged banknotes and coins of the Bank of Russia are established by the Instruction of the Bank of Russia dated December 26, 2006 No. 1778-U “On the signs of solvency and the rules for the exchange of banknotes and coins of the Bank of Russia”, which can be found on the official website Bank of Russia on the Internet in the "Banknotes and coins" section.With damaged banknotes of the Bank of Russia, individuals can apply to credit institutions (banks) that provide cash services to individuals.

Banknotes of the Bank of Russia to be accepted in all types of payments:

Having small holes, punctures

Having extraneous inscriptions, lost corners and edges

Having tears, imprints of stamps

Having small stains (paints, oils, etc.)

With scuffs, dirt

Coins of the Bank of Russia to be accepted in all types of payments:

Having minor mechanical damage, but retaining its original shape

Banknotes and coins with more serious damage are subject to exchange in credit organizations (banks):

Banknotes that have lost a significant fragment, but retained at least 55% of their original area

Glued together from any number of fragments, if one or more fragments, unconditionally belonging to one banknote, occupy at least 55% of the original area of ​​the banknote

Glued together from two fragments belonging to different banknotes of the same denomination and complementing each other according to the graphic image to a full-size banknote. Moreover, each of the fragments occupies at least 50% of the original area of ​​the banknote

Discolored if images are clearly visible on them

Showing signs of a manufacturing defect

Coins with traces of exposure to high temperatures and aggressive environments (melted, discolored)

Having changes in the original shape (bent, flattened, filed, having holes and traces of metal removal)

If the cashier of the credit institution has no doubts about the solvency of the presented damaged banknote, then the exchange is carried out immediately. The exchange amount can be issued to an individual in cash or credited to his account.

In a situation where the cashier cannot determine the solvency of a banknote without conducting an examination, the credit institution, at the request of an individual, sends the banknote for examination to an institution of the Bank of Russia. Upon completion of the examination, the amount of banknotes recognized as solvent is paid to an individual through the cash desk of a credit institution or credited to his account.

The exchange of damaged banknotes of the Bank of Russia (including sending them for examination to the Bank of Russia and obtaining the results of the examination) is free of charge. The amount of exchanged banknotes is not limited.

The Bank of Russia shall not exchange the banknotes that have lost their legal tender, the period for exchange of which for banknotes of a new design has expired, as well as those that have damage, indicating the cancellation (annulment) of the banknote by the Bank of Russia. A decision to refuse to exchange a banknote of the Bank of Russia (declaring it insolvent) may be made by a credit institution on the basis of Bank of Russia Ordinance No. 1778-U dated December 26, 2006, or by the Bank of Russia based on the results of an expert examination.

Insolvent banknotes of the Bank of Russia not subject to exchange include:

A banknote that retains less than 55% of its original area

A banknote made up of more than two fragments belonging to different banknotes of the same denomination. At the same time, each individual fragment or group of fragments belonging to one banknote has an area of ​​​​less than 55% of the original banknote area.

Stratified banknote (completely missing one side)

A banknote dyed with special inks designed to prevent the theft of banknotes during their transportation and storage

Banknote with the word "Sample"

Insolvent coins not subject to exchange:

A coin that has completely lost its image

Separate parts of a coin having a "disk in a ring" design

Banknotes containing signs of a fake are insolvent, are not exchanged and are subject to transfer to the internal affairs bodies.

In most cases, in order to distinguish a fake banknote from a genuine one without special knowledge, it is enough to compare it in several ways with a banknote, the authenticity of which is beyond doubt. In conclusion, it should be noted that banknotes of the Bank of Russia are not only a payment instrument. The national currency is the visiting card of the state, because. banknotes reflect the history of the country's development, its cultural, spiritual, historical values, the country's status at the global level. In addition, each banknote and coin is still a thorough and painstaking work of a large number of people involved in the process of creating a banknote, from design development to the final stage of production.

Despite the fact that the strength of the banknote paper is calculated up to 2.5 thousand double folds, the average life of a banknote is short and amounts to:

10.50 rubles - about 6 months.

100, 500 rubles - 1-2 years;

1000, 5000 rub. - up to 5 years.

The average life of a coin is 10-15 years.

Therefore, a convincing request to citizens to ensure careful attitude to banknotes of the Bank of Russia, for this it is necessary:

  • store banknotes in places that exclude their damage;
  • carefully handle the Bank of Russia coin, regardless of its denomination;
  • exclude the facts of intentional and accidental damage to banknotes (applying extraneous inscriptions, drawings, imprints of stamps, cuts, etc.), as a result of which suitable banknotes become dilapidated and are subject to withdrawal from circulation.

Paper banknotes and coins that have been around for a long time can wear out and get damaged quite a lot. In addition, banknotes can be damaged in another way: for example, by washing them, accidentally tearing them, etc. Do not think that after that your money is irretrievably lost - they can always be exchanged at the bank for new ones. This article will focus on cases in which credit institutions issue new banknotes to replace worn and damaged ones, and how this procedure is performed.

So, you are the owner of damaged or badly worn bills and want to know if they can be exchanged. Let's start with the fact that stores are required to accept crumpled, “washed” banknotes, banknotes with small gaps or minor extraneous inscriptions that do not interfere with determining the denomination and authenticity as a means of payment.

All damaged banknotes that came out of circulation must be handed over to the bank for exchange. If you are given change by a torn or otherwise damaged banknote, feel free to demand a replacement.

However, if the bill is damaged so much that the sellers refuse it, you can contact any bank for the purpose of exchange. Employees of a credit institution will immediately exchange banknotes if:

  • The banknote has sealed tears;
  • The banknote has punctures, abrasions, inscriptions, dirt, which do not interfere with determining the serial number and denomination;
  • The banknote "lost" up to a third of its area (the edges were torn off), but the series and number were not damaged;
  • The banknote is glued together from several parts that undoubtedly belong to her.

There are situations in which the bank accepts a banknote, but an instant exchange is not possible. These include cases where additional examination of a dilapidated banknote is required:

  • The cashier had doubts that the glued parts belong to the same bill;
  • The banknote has lost more than 30 (but less than 50) percent of the area;
  • Damage (scuffs, tears, punctures, inscriptions) affected the series and number of the banknote, which is why it is not readable.

If you hand over a torn bill to the bank (and this is the most common case of exchange), you can find out in advance whether it will be exchanged or not. To do this, you need to determine the lost percentage of the area. Make a full-size banknote mock-up out of paper by drawing it into 200 equal squares. Then put the remaining part of the bill on the blank and circle the cells that it occupies. By dividing the number of filled cells by 2, you will find out how many percent the area of ​​the damaged bill occupies from the whole one. If this value exceeds 50, feel free to contact the bank to exchange banknotes.

What banknotes will the bank not accept for exchange?

There are times when the bank will immediately refuse to issue new banknotes to replace the damaged ones. There are only three of them:

  • On the banknote there is an inscription "Sample", moreover, made in a typographical way. If this word is written by hand, it is not a reason for refusal.
  • The banknote was withdrawn from circulation by the time of the visit to the bank. For example, the exchange of denominated money ended in 2002, and it will not be possible to carry out the exchange of banknotes of the sample of 95 years.
  • The banknote has lost more than 50% of its area. If the banknote is torn, you can exchange only one - large - half, or glue the pieces together.

Where are damaged banknotes exchanged?

When it comes to the need for an exchange, most owners of damaged banknotes sent to Sberbank, mistakenly believing that only there you can replace banknotes for free. In fact, this procedure can be performed at any commercial bank..

The exchange of damaged banknotes is regulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation. The text of the Federal Law contains the wording "credit organizations" - this means that the exchange is carried out by any bank registered in the country and having state accreditation. This includes those institutions that are considered "public" and private banks. Any of them is obliged to exchange damaged banknotes free of charge during the visit of the client.

If you do not want to spend money on a visit to the bank, you can try to pay off with a damaged banknote in transport, in a store. Torn and sealed banknotes are quite successfully accepted by ATMs and terminals. But in this case, it is worth sealing the gaps with glue and tracing paper, and not with tape.

Procedure for exchanging damaged banknotes

Consider how the procedure for exchanging a damaged banknote in a bank takes place:

  • Determine for yourself whether the banknote is subject to replacement.
  • Contact any branch of the bank of your choice, taking with you a damaged banknote and passport.
  • The exchange, as a rule, is made directly at the box office. Give the banknote and your document to the cashier for inspection.
  • Fill out an application for an exchange and, if necessary, leave a banknote for examination. Note that the mandatory examination was canceled several years ago, and additional analysis is prescribed only in certain cases. In all other situations, the exchange occurs immediately at the first call.
  • After an inspection by a cashier or an examination, you are given a new bill, and the damaged one is confiscated. At the same time, it should be remembered that the procedure should be absolutely free - it is illegal for the bank to charge money for the exchange of banknotes.
  • If the authenticity of the bill could not be established, it will be returned to you with a corresponding mark. If you disagree with the refusal, you have the right to contact another bank for the purpose of exchange or write a statement on the website of the Central Bank.

Can damaged currency be exchanged?

So far, we have been talking about the exchange of Russian money. However, there are cases when the currency is damaged - dollars, euros, other banknotes. You can also exchange them, but there are some nuances that need to be taken into account:

  • Can be exchanged not in every bank. Russian legislation does not apply to the replacement of such banknotes, and each bank itself determines whether it will carry out the procedure. Dollars and euros are exchanged by most of the large banks, in some it is also possible to replace the currency of neighboring countries, pounds, crowns. As for rare and exotic currencies, with a high degree of probability you will not be able to find a bank in Russia to exchange them.
  • The procedure is paid. Firstly, this is an additional service of the bank. Secondly, the bank will also have to pay for the expertise of the Central Bank. The commission can be from 3 to 10% of the face value.
  • The exchange process may take longer.. Depending on the complexity, the examination ranges from several days to a month.
  • banknote requirements may differ from those applied to the Russian currency.

conclusions

If stores and terminals do not accept banknotes from you due to their damage and deterioration, do not despair. Any Russian bank will replace a dilapidated banknote absolutely free of charge, and in most cases the procedure will take a few minutes.

You can apply for a replacement of Russian banknotes if more than half of the banknote has been preserved, the series, number and denomination are well read. In case of doubts about the authenticity of the banknote, the bank will appoint an examination, and if it is positive, it will exchange it.

Banknotes are dirty, worn, torn; having abrasions, small holes, punctures, extraneous inscriptions, stains, stamp imprints; having lost their corners, the edges are obliged to accept as a means of payment all enterprises and organizations, regardless of their form of ownership. At the same time, upon receipt of a banknote with such damage for change or other payments, citizens have the right to demand that it be replaced.

Banknotes with more significant damage are exchanged at face value by all commercial banks or accepted by them for transfer for examination to institutions of the Bank of Russia.

Detailed features of the solvency of domestic banknotes and the rules for their exchange are set out in Bank of Russia Directive No. 1778-U dated December 26, 2006 “On the features of solvency and the rules for the exchange of banknotes and coins of the Bank of Russia”.

Banknotes with significant damage, but not in doubt about solvency, must be exchanged free of charge by all credit organizations at face value.

The main condition for the exchange is that banknotes must retain in total at least 55% of their original area. Banknotes consisting of two fragments from different banknotes of the same denomination are also subject to exchange, provided that they do not match in graphic representation (the halves are different), and each fragment has retained at least 50% of its original area.

Banknotes that have changed color and glow in ultraviolet rays are also exchanged if an image is viewed on them. The exception is banknotes colored with substances intended to prevent the theft of cash. Banknotes that have signs of a manufacturing defect are also subject to exchange.

If the degree of damage to genuine banknotes does not make it possible to unequivocally establish their compliance with the signs of solvency, then such money is sent by credit organizations for examination to an institution of the Bank of Russia.

Acceptance of banknotes for examination is carried out at the request of the client and an inventory, which indicates the details of banknotes.

What about damaged coins?

Coins of the Bank of Russia are subject to exchange at face value, having the force of a legal means of cash payment on the territory of Russia, which do not contain signs of forgery, but have received damage of the following nature: a change in the original shape (bent, flattened, filed, having holes and traces of metal removal), traces of exposure to high temperatures and aggressive environments (melting, etching, discoloration), which do not prevent the unambiguous identification of the denomination and belonging to the Bank of Russia coin, retaining at least 75% of the original weight of the Bank of Russia coin, as well as coins with manufacturers' defects.

No fee is charged for acceptance for examination and exchange of banknotes of the Bank of Russia. The exchange of banknotes and coins of the Bank of Russia is carried out without limiting the amount.

Those who want to get more detailed explanations can refer to the website of the Bank of Russia: www.cbr.ru, section "Banknotes and coins".

Interestingly, have you found yourself in a situation where they refused to accept a damaged or already dilapidated banknote for payment. Personally, I have never been in such a situation before, but today my elderly neighbor asked me to make a few purchases in the store and gave me money, and so these bills were worn almost to the holes. I don’t even know how to call them correctly, whether they are branched bills, or just damaged ones. It became interesting to me, but until what point, in fact, does money remain solvent?

It turns out that there is a whole document issued by the Central Bank that lists all kinds of cases. Now I will try to list these cases very briefly. You are required to accept a banknote if:

  • First, there are no edges (even if all). They can be either torn off or burned.
  • Secondly, the bill is sealed with adhesive tape in one or more places at the same time.
  • Thirdly, there is even an uncountable number of handwritten inscriptions.
  • Fourthly, it is made up of several parts of the same banknote. There is an important clarification here, which reads as follows: "One of the fragments is at least 55% of its total size."
  • Fifthly, there are traces of paint, any dirt, dried drops of liquids, greasy spots.
  • Sixth, there are small punctures.

All these factors do not affect the value of money. How to behave and what to do if the damaged banknote is still refused to be accepted? If you refuse to accept a dilapidated or damaged banknote, you need to invite the administrator of the outlet. Most often, such a dispute is resolved in favor of the client if the banknote is not torn approximately in half or there are no more serious damages.

If the administrator also refused to pay you, do not rush to throw away money. Taking with you the passport of a citizen of the state, go to the bank. Here, a bill can be exchanged immediately for a new one of the same denomination, or sent for a free examination of authenticity to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, which takes no more than 10 days from the date of application. After checking, the banknote will also be replaced with an equivalent one, issuing it to the person who applied at the cash desk or, upon application, will transfer it to the account.

What are old and damaged banknotes

Now let's talk in more detail about damaged and dilapidated banknotes. To begin with, let's define what dilapidated and damaged banknotes are, which of them are payment and which are non-payment.

Each country has its own legislative acts of the Central Bank, regulating the division of all banknotes into payment and non-payment, as well as dilapidated and fit. They may have some differences, but the general essence is approximately the same, and the signs of classifying banknotes to one category or another are always generally similar, but may differ in details. Consider the general features of the division of banknotes into these categories.

Payment banknotes- these are those banknotes that have not lost their solvency and can be used as a means of payment.

Non-payment banknotes- these are banknotes that for some reason have lost their solvency and cannot be used as a means of payment.

In turn, banknotes are divided into dilapidated and usable.

Valid banknotes- these are banknotes that are in free circulation and can be repeatedly used as a means of payment.

shabby banknotes- these are banknotes that can be accepted as a means of payment at their real value, but when they enter the bank, they are withdrawn from circulation, as they have become unusable, and disposed of.

Consider the main signs of dilapidated money

Contamination of one or both sides of the bill, which leads to a change in color or a decrease in brightness by more than 8-10%;
Tearing a banknote by more than 5-10 mm, including tearing and gluing with glue, or paper, tape;
The presence in the bill of holes of more than a certain diameter (from 3-4 mm or more);
Absence on the banknote of one or more corners of more than a certain area (from 30 sq. mm. and more);
The absence of one or more edges of the bill, leading to a change in its length or width by more than a certain amount (by 2-3 mm or more);
Extraneous inscriptions and stamps that make it difficult to determine the solvency of a bill and occupy more than a certain area;
Changes in the surface or protective layers of the banknote due to mechanical impact (burned, washed, sun-bleached banknotes, etc.);
Excessive wear, deterioration of the bill, making it difficult to determine its solvency.


banknote stained with dyes, but the image is not affected



Thus, all torn banknotes (but not only them) are old money. The presence of at least one of these signs indicates that the banknote is dilapidated and is subject to withdrawal from circulation. However, until the moment of withdrawal, it is a full-fledged means of payment!

Merchants, banks and any other institutions cannot refuse to accept a shabby, torn banknote in the national currency, except in cases where expertise and special equipment are required to determine the authenticity of the banknote. In other words, you do not have the right not to accept a torn, glued or badly worn bill. In addition, you have every right to exchange such a bill for a valid one at any bank without additional fees.

Shabby banknotes that have retained 55 or more percent of their area are accepted for exchange. That is, in other words, exactly half of the bill can no longer be exchanged for a new one - such a bill is recognized as non-payment. This is logical, otherwise it would be possible to tear each banknote into 2 parts and exchange for 2 new banknotes. Percentages, all measurements of the degree of dilapidation of banknotes are determined in banks on special equipment.

In addition, it is important to distinguish dilapidated money and deliberately spoiled. The latter are not recognized as means of payment and cannot be exchanged or accepted as payment.

Spoiled money is banknotes that have clear signs of deliberate damage by a person.

For example, if something is drawn on the banknote, there are obscene inscriptions, part of the banknote is sketched with a fountain pen or felt-tip pen, some geometric figure is cut out in the banknote, inscriptions and signs are applied to the banknote with paint visible in ultraviolet light (for example, the inscription “bribe”, put by law enforcement agencies), etc. - all these are signs of deliberate damage by a person. Such bills lose their solvency and may not be accepted as a means of payment or by a bank for exchange.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that the free acceptance as payment or for the exchange of old banknotes is carried out only in relation to the national currency. Worn-out banknotes of foreign currency (dollars, euros, etc.) cannot be used as a full-fledged banknote, and can be exchanged for suitable ones only at banks providing such a service, and with the payment of a commission. Such an operation is called currency collection (you can read more about it at the link).

Thus, if dilapidated money, torn banknotes in the national currency fell into your hands, you should not worry about this: they must be accepted without any problems as payment for goods and services, and also exchanged at banks without charging additional fees. But with foreign currency, things are much more complicated, so be careful not to be "stuck" in a dilapidated foreign banknote.

Old dollars and euros, how to exchange damaged banknotes

At present, there are fewer and fewer people who would trust their savings to banks. And the point here is not only in the constant revocation of licenses from credit institutions. The love for cash foreign currency among our population is connected, rather, in general with distrust of the national currency. Very often it turned out that all the ruble savings of citizens were rapidly melting due to devaluation and hyperinflation.

Paper money, of course, is not something wear-resistant at all, and over time, traces of damage may appear on them: creases, stains, scuffs, tears, etc. And here some problems appear, because banks very often refuse to accept damaged dollars and euros, or they want 10-20% of the amount for this operation.

With rubles, the situation is quite different. According to the Instruction of the Bank of Russia dated December 26, 2006 1778-U “On the signs of solvency and the rules for the exchange of banknotes and coins of the Bank of Russia”, credit institutions are obliged to exchange damaged banknotes that retain signs of solvency for new banknotes free of charge.

Moreover, the nature of damage to such banknotes can be very significant and varied, it is enough for one fragment to retain at least 55% of the original area of ​​the banknote (we already wrote about this above).

How is the exchange of cash foreign currency regulated?

Acceptance of old or damaged currency by banks is regulated by Instruction of the Bank of Russia dated September 16, 2010 No. 136-I “On the procedure for carrying out ... operations with foreign currency in cash ...” and Instruction of the Bank of Russia dated August 14, 2008 N 2054-U “On the procedure for conducting cash transactions with cash foreign currency in authorized banks in the territory of the Russian Federation.

From these documents it follows that the banks themselves have the right to establish the rules for accepting damaged banknotes of foreign states. Despite this, some credit institutions manage to violate these loyal requirements.

If you have refused to accept damaged money of foreign countries, then first of all ask the cashier to show you the internal “Rules for accepting damaged banknotes of foreign countries”, and indicate a specific clause in these rules, according to which your damaged banknote can be exchanged only with a commission or in general not accepted. And only if such an item is found, then the refusal is legal;

In other words, no cashier’s objections that he “just doesn’t like” this bill will not be considered legitimate. Since the currency exchange procedure is an offer, and, accordingly, this operation must have clear criteria. And it is unlikely that these rules contain a clause that “if the cashier does not like the bill without explaining the reasons, then the exchange of dilapidated dollars is not carried out” :)

In this case, you can safely complain about the bank to the Bank of Russia about violations of the law (or just threaten to do so, sometimes this is enough).

First, ask the bank to give you a written refusal to make an exchange transaction. The bank may not immediately give you a written refusal. In this case, make a written claim yourself, which the bank will not be able to answer.

Of course, no one needs extra hassle, but you should know that you have the opportunity to protect your rights, but it's up to you to decide whether the game is worth the candle.

According to paragraph 2.4. in Instruction No. 136-I, the bank cannot set any restrictions on the denomination of banknotes or the year of issue when exchanging (if the banknotes are officially in circulation). Also, the bank cannot set different rates for different banknotes. And also the bank cannot impose restrictions on the amounts of accepted and issued cash foreign currency (with the exception of coins of foreign states);

Thus, even if you find a clause in the “Rules for the Exchange of Damaged Banknotes” that the Bank does not accept, for example, one-dollar bills, or the rate for them is less favorable, then such rules are illegal and you can safely complain to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. It is worth noting here that, of course, it is more expensive for a bank to deal with small denominations (more expenses for storage, transportation, etc.), but these are difficulties for a credit institution.

Why do banks not like dilapidated banknotes and set a commission for the exchange?

The answer is obvious: all expenses for operations with old money of foreign states are borne by the credit institution, and not by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (as is the case with rubles, when the Bank of Russia exchanges old banknotes for new ones at its own expense). Our Central Bank does not have the ability to print new dollars, euros or pounds to replace the old ones (although it would be funny :)).

Therefore, our banks can exchange damaged or dilapidated banknotes only in foreign issuing banks (pounds - in the Bank of England, euros - in the ECB, dollars - in the Fed), for this, damaged banknotes must be physically delivered abroad (which, of course, costs money) . Therefore, it is obvious that not a single bank wants to get involved with the coins of foreign countries.

It is obvious that only large credit organizations can afford to carry out such operations and credit foreign currency to their accounts abroad, smaller banks simply behave like intermediaries.

Thus, cash foreign currency is considered by the bank as a commodity, and not as a means of payment. Therefore, banks are interested in its ideal condition, so that later these same dollars, euros, pounds, francs, yen can be freely sold to you, earning on the spread (the difference between the buying and selling rate).

How to exchange old and damaged banknotes

Do not think that if you got any torn euros or dilapidated dollars, then the situation is hopeless. They can be quite exchanged. Everything, of course, depends on the specific case, on the degree of damage to the bill, but here are some general recommendations:

Try to exchange currency in several banks. All banks are different, and each has its own requirements for banknotes, besides, a purely subjective factor should not be excluded. Despite clear rules, very often it all depends on the cashier.
The bank will be more loyal to your damaged banknote if you are a client of this very bank and want to replenish your currency deposit with it (it makes no sense for the bank to go into conflict with an existing client, because attracting new customers is much more expensive than keeping old ones).
Quite often, banks refuse to accept banknotes that have any even minor marks, stamps. In this case, as well as in the case of small bruises, tears, breaks, stains, try depositing your dollars or euros into your account through ATMs with the Cash-in function (i.e. with the function of accepting money).
Take your damaged dollars, euros, etc. take with you on holiday abroad (or ask friends who are going abroad). Actually, there the currency is in circulation and is considered precisely as a means of payment, and not as a commodity. And you can freely pay with your wrinkled, torn, greasy, flooded banknotes. No one will tell you anything (by analogy with our Russian rubles, banknotes in circulation are far from ideal). Moreover, it is not at all necessary that your dilapidated dollars will be exchanged only in the USA, and euros - only in the EU countries. All popular resorts (Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam) will gladly accept your freely convertible currency.
If you still decide to pay a commission to the bank in order to sell your currency, then at least choose a better offer. Sberbank will ask you for 10% for the operation, but, for example, the Bank of Moscow is already only 5%. Rosselkhozbank also offers to exchange damaged banknotes with a 5% commission.
In case of significant damage to banknotes, or if the bank simply does not want to deal with damaged banknotes itself, the credit institution may offer you to send your currency for collection. Those. Your money will be sent to the issuing state (abroad, of course) to check their solvency and, in case of a positive decision, a refund will be transferred to your account. For example, "Sberbank" takes 10% for such a service, the bank "Moscow" 5%. The collection operation in the same Sberbank (as, indeed, in any other bank) can hardly be called a profitable deal, because. You have absolutely no guarantee that you will be paid something.

In any case, it is better to take good care of your currency than spend time selling or exchanging it. Do not forget also that it is not advisable to keep all the money in cash. Interest in banks on deposits in dollars and euros is, of course, low, but it's better than nothing. In addition, you do not need its cash form to buy and sell currency on the stock exchange.