Security Features for Canadian Bank Notes

Canadian bills have security features that are quick and easy to check. The Bank of Canada offers free material to show people who handle cash on the job how to verify that the money they accept is genuine.

Eligibility Criteria

All Canadians, including business owners and their staff.

Summary

Avoiding counterfeit bills

Cash is a convenient, secure, and immediate payment method. You can conduct financial transactions without revealing personal information; there are no transaction fees, and no interest is calculated on purchases.

Built-in security that's easy to use

The Bank of Canada is the sole issuer of Canada's paper money. The Bank of Canada puts security features into every bill that are reliable, quick, and easy to use. Make it a habit to check two or more of these features on every bill that you accept. You will prevent counterfeit bills from getting into your till and avoid inadvertently giving a fake bill back to a customer in change. Think of checking bank notes as the authorization process for cash transactions, just like you need an authorization for credit and debit card payments.

All five denominations of the latest series of bills (the ones with the metallic stripe) have the same security features. Once you know how to check one bill, you know how to check them all. For example, hold a bill up to the light and look through it. You can check three features in one glance: the ghost image that matches the portrait, the aligned puzzle number, and the dashes forming a solid line.

Older bills without the metallic stripe also have security features but they are not as secure. If you don't know how to check older bills, refuse them and ask for bills with the metallic stripe.

To learn more and order free training material for your business, visit the Bank of Canada's Web site. 

Manitoba Contact(s):
See National Contact.

 

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National Contact(s):
Bank Note Communication and Compliance Team
Bank of Canada
234 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0G9
Fax: 613-782-7533
Toll-free (information): 1-888-513-8212
E-mail: education@bankofcanada.ca
Web site: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/index.html