Paying in cash - what is the correct protocol?

Then the correct protocol would be to pick the least favourite child, which should bring the total cost below £20. Then that child would have to walk back home and be grateful that there is a home to go to.

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disintegration91@reddit

In Manchester that’s £8, possibly less

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Internal_Rise2658@reddit

Leave one kid behind and the fare might be £20. Problem solved.

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SeamasterCitizen@reddit

Railair? Prebook

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ImBonRurgundy@reddit

How far were you going?

Last time I travelled by bus with the family by the time I added everyone’s fees together I realised it was actually basically the same price to get an uber (and far more convenient)

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Empty_Estus@reddit

Just the next stop please mate. “That’ll be £24.50”

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Switch-Cool@reddit

My first question, lol

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Dry_Action1734@reddit

I can only assume it’s a long-distance like MegaBus.

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jamesckelsall@reddit

Probably a weekly ticket...

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Usaname91@reddit

Maybe a weekly pass or similar ?

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Complex_Box_7254@reddit

Why are you bothering to carry cash if you can so easily pay by card? It's so unnecessary in 2026.

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sapphire-sky-dragon@reddit

As a frequent bus user its been correct change for many years but expecting 15 quid odd change from a bus driver is wild they can only carry so much change they likely wouldnt if had a ten and a 5 note to give you. Yes its crazy to think you can get change for a 20 on a bus 🙄

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pajamakitten@reddit

Especially if it is early in the morning. I used to commute via bus a decade ago and the driver would decline large notes first thing because it would rain all of the change in one go at 7am.

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FlatCapNorthumbrian@reddit

Drivers have even less change available since the majority of people via card/phone or have tickets on the apps.

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liabilityno1@reddit

Our drivers carry no cash anymore. Exact change or card payments only

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FlatCapNorthumbrian@reddit

In the North East all the major companies still accept cash and give out change.

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clutchnorris123@reddit

Same in Fife Scotland but if you cross the bridge to Dundee they don't.

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liabilityno1@reddit

Yeh im east coastal but middle. Closer to london you get the more cashless it seems to be

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Intelligent-Sea3591@reddit

24 quid bus fare that's mental

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museedarsey@reddit

It was a coach. A regular bus would be £1.75. And it would take ages and probably require a transfer within bags and kids. So this person chose a more convenient coach but didn’t include that part of the story.

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SquiffSquiff@reddit

Frankly, I'm amazed that any buses these days are taking cash. It makes the driver a target for robbery and you have endless rubbish about not having the right change like this

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IcyPuffin@reddit

They may have no choice but to accept cash - there will be plenty older people who cannot use online payments and plenty people who cannot pay by card. They still need to get around. By not accepting cash they would be isolating some people.

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Conscious-Ball8373@reddit

Anyone old enough that they are cash-only has a bus pass, surely?

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InternationalRide5@reddit

You can lose a bus pass, or it can stop working or go out of date, so you need to be able to buy bus tickets while you wait for the replacement.

In many cases you have to buy a bus ticket to get to the council office to hand in the paperwork for the replacement anyway.

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museedarsey@reddit

So you go into the nearest corner shop and top up an oyster.

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Uniquorn527@reddit

Don't older people have a bus pass, or is that just a Wales thing? Over 60s get a pass.

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IcyPuffin@reddit

Scotland has a pass from age 60 i think. England is retirement age, so yes most of those wont need payment methods.

But thete will still be enough people who rely on cash to warrant buses still accepting it.

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Uniquorn527@reddit

Oh absolutely, and I think having both is important as long as it's practical and the drivers are safe with cash.

But at least it cuts down a little bit on older people not being able to use apps and things if they have a pass.

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FlatCapNorthumbrian@reddit

65 in England.

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Uniquorn527@reddit

That's annoying. I know a lot of people who were almost as excited about turning 60 as people are turning 18. Or maybe more so since we all drink before we're 18 anyway, but getting a free bus ride at before 60 (or 65) is much harder.

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Psylaine@reddit

State Pension age is 67 years

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streetmagix@reddit

Works fine in London, with Oyster as a backup.

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WarmCommunication750@reddit

When I moved to Nottingham from London in 2019, I was really surprised that some buses were cash-only when London buses hadn’t been accepting cash for years

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Rocky-bar@reddit

Well that's a surprise, I must remember that if I ever go to London again. What about the underground trains? Card only?

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Suspicious_Diet4570@reddit

In the larger ticket stations they have staff in booths behind glass, so they're not as vulnerable or compromised for space as bus drivers, so they have tills with a float. Other stations only have machines, but when I was last there those usually, if not invariably took cash and gave change as well.

You're likely to enter the city through one of the major stations, so it shouldn't be a problem.

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sja-p@reddit

You can also pay in interpretive dance.

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Crisps33@reddit

Can't be that long ago they were cash only outside London

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pixpix89@reddit

My dad used to be a bus driver and the amount of times he’s been attacked and mugged for his cash bag is insane.

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Ok-Flamingo2801@reddit

My grandad was attacked when he was a bus driver. Silver lining was when he went to the hospital, they found out he had diabetes.

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gentletonberry@reddit

Well that story took an unexpected turn, hope he’s doing alright

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Ok-Flamingo2801@reddit

It was a long time ago and he's doing okay now for his age

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Tall_Stick5608@reddit

Even if a vendor accepts cash you can’t expect them to have change. It’s a right hassle unless it’s a high street shop with a bank down the road

At that point you signal to other people to see if they have 2 5s and a 10 and have paid him 25. But in all honesty I can’t think of someone needing to travel in 2026 without at least 2 cards let alone 1. It’s just not sensible to do that. In an absolute emergency if I had to get home - I would ask someone to send me a bus ticket to my phone - if my phone was dead and no one was willing to help, I would have got out of the bus - went to a shop got the correct change and taken the next one with a bunch of a snacks. If my life was in danger and it was the last bus and no way out I would have given 40

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squigs@reddit

Kind of rare to see fivers these days though. I rarely have more than one. Food chance nobody would have 2.

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Suspicious_Diet4570@reddit

You tear your tenner in half and offer them that

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Upset-Elderberry3723@reddit

Public transit is used, especially outside of cities, by those who are often in vulnerable positions. The idea that bus drivers should casually drive around without a float of change, when they are literally an operating business with up-front payment, is pretty ridiculous, to me.

These are all large businesses, to. It's not a small, independent shop.

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Tall_Stick5608@reddit

That doesn’t offer any counter argument to my point. I have a disability and can be in a vulnerable position whilst travelling both abroad and within the UK and that’s why I have to ensure and take extra precautions that I don’t end up in unfortunate situations like carrying an extra emergency card or medical supplies or a phone charger and so forth

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BuildingArmor@reddit

I think you've limited your idea of what a vulnerable person is to something quite narrow.

There may be times or people who can't just nip to the cash machine first.

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Upset-Elderberry3723@reddit

Some peoples' disabilities specifically reduce their ability to plan things like that, though. It isn't satisfactory to say that disabled people should simply be better prepared when, for many of them, their disability is most pronounced in their capacity to prepare.

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BulkyAccident@reddit

Usually they're too overworked and underpaid to care so will either huff and wave you on because they can't be bothered, or just say 'no' and refuse you boarding.

It's very rare bus drivers will carry much if any change nowadays, particularly breaking into a 20, so this is worth remembering for future.

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MrPogoUK@reddit

Back in the day I had a bus driver go nuts and start ranting about how “everyone thinks I’m made of ducking change” because I had the audacity to offer two £1 coins and a 20p for a £2.10 fare.

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20127010603170562316@reddit

Back in my day, there was a little thing you dumped coins into with a clear window. You did not get change under any circumstances.

This was adjusted later, still no change, but they would print you a ticket that could be redeemed at the main station.

I haven't taken a bus in at least 20 years, but I would have assumed it's all contactless now.

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Gorrila_Doldos@reddit

So many times they where ranting and raving about 10-20p change or if I gave them all 10p Coins or coppers.

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SclerosisOfTheRiver@reddit

So they complain about not having enough change to give you but also complain when you try to give them a lot of change? Fuck 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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WeeklyExamination@reddit

"I'm a bus driver not a bloody Cashier" is one I used to get 🤣

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Gorrila_Doldos@reddit

Tbf I think they just got fed up with us taking the bus as it was the same 2 guys all the time

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Jesisawesome@reddit

If you had advised him to BE the change he wants to see in the world, that might have diffused the situation.

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BigBlueMountainStar@reddit

Ooooh, someone’s been on a fancy training course at work

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Randomperson3029@reddit

I would say to the driver "keep the change" just to see the reaction

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Original_Bad_3416@reddit

Tbf that’s a huge no no

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Floor-notlava@reddit

How 🤬🤬🤬🤬 date you!

🤣

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Drath101@reddit

You'll probably find if it's like my cash handling experiences, they'll get a bollocking if their cash is X amount above what it should be by the tickets sold when it's counted up, so as you say they'll likely either just waive the fee or tell you to get off

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Suspicious_Diet4570@reddit

Surely having less cash than tickets sold is worse from a management point of view?

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LittleSadRufus@reddit

In Edinburgh they've always gleefully taken the excess, so this may be a regional matter.

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TellMeManyStories@reddit

Probably just pocket some to keep the cash drawer correct.

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TheClnl@reddit

Tbh £24.50 only needs 50p change from £40, rest is notes so unless all his notes aren't accessible (in retail 20's go straight in a counter cache, dunno if it's the same on buses) it shouldn't have been an issue.

It's very rare bus drivers will carry much if any change nowadays, particularly breaking into a 20, so this is worth remembering for future.

It's not unreasonable to expect an airport route to carry a larger float though given the increased fares and higher likelihood of passengers not being familiar with local convention

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gyroda@reddit

Also, passengers not having had much chance to break a note yet. If you've just arrived in the country you might not have any change yet

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Suspicious_Diet4570@reddit

From the company's point of view from liability, and more importantly from the bus driver's point of view from safety, issuing drivers routinely with large floats of cash might conceivably lead to drivers being mugged.

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Cregavitch@reddit

I learned the hard way bus drivers can't break a £20 note when I started college and was late for my first day because the driver couldn't break my £20 nor wave me on

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sammy_zammy@reddit

Given they were paying more than £20, it would be reasonable to expect they’d have £20 in change though! This isn’t like paying for a £2 bus fare with a £20 note.

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Pickle-dee23@reddit

£20 notes are no good, they can't give them out as noone accepts £50 notes, so leaves you with a bunch of notes and no coins. People should just pay on card, quicker and simpler

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OrionGrant@reddit

OPs point still stands though. I wonder what their procedure is?

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VehicleWonderful6586@reddit

I remember a few years ago there was a story of a bus driver who refused a girl access to the bus because she didn’t have the correct change and she got attacked or something and it all kicked off so suspect they’d think twice before booting someone off but who knows

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iwannabeinnyc@reddit

I’ve been given a credit note before, which I could use or exchange on another bus, when they didn’t have change!!

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museedarsey@reddit

Besides the fact that London buses haven’t accepted cash for decades (and even when they did it was only exact change), all London buses are £1.75, and that includes transfers within the hour. OP is talking about a coach fare, so for a legitimate answer to his question about policy, we’d need to know which coach company.

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Dr-Moth@reddit

Before it was possible to pay by card Reading buses were exclusively exact change only. You had to put it in a hopper and the bus driver pressed a button to accept it. The driver didn't have any change. Naturally the bus prices were at difficult values to get those extra 20p. You either paid extra or got off the bus. It encouraged weekly or annual tickets.

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Cakebakerlover@reddit

Edinburgh buses are still like that if you pay in cash. I think most of scotland is the same actually

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Rubberfootman@reddit

Nottingham too. £1 was the de facto cost of a single long before it was the actual cost.

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Princes_Slayer@reddit

I went to Nottingham for the weekend for my 21st (Rock City…27 years ago) and was told it had to be exact change from where we were staying. Where I lived (Merseyside) drivers carried plenty of change usually, so it really threw me. Had to go the nearest pub to break a note

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Mission_Beach_7098@reddit

I'd never seen it before going to Nottingham to visit a friend. Similar to Merseyside in London, change was never an issue within reason. In pre internet days I could never figure out how you were expected to know what the fare would be in advance so that you could have the correct change. Thank goodness for card payment!

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Rubberfootman@reddit

It depended on the bus company. The main one, NCT, with the grumpy drivers, wanted exact change. The smaller Trent Barton company, with the nice drivers, were set up to give change.

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lammy82@reddit

I think in either Bristol or Sheffield if you overpaid you got a credit voucher with your ticket so you could put the overpayment towards your next fare.

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Insideout_Ink_Demon@reddit

Great insentive to use public transport more

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P-l-Staker@reddit

Birmingham checking in!

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HealthyWhereas3982@reddit

I heard Cardiff Bus made around £30,000 extra, per year, because of their 'exact money only' policy. So it's definitely deliberate!

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Sad_Introduction8995@reddit

Ours had a set of coin tubes (not sure what else to call them) and they could reluctantly give change.

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EntertainerAlone1300@reddit

Edinburghs the same

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Bumpyslide@reddit

Yes ours where the same

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Empty_Variety4550@reddit

It was like that in Cardiff too. Got held at a stop (at commuting time) for ages once because a man got on and put a £20 in the hopper without realising he wouldn't get change. We all had to wait while he foraged around the ground for a stick to get it out.

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Uniquorn527@reddit

Same with Cardiff. Luckily I worked in a shop that was fine with me sorting out my bus fare from the change because it was a nightmare otherwise. I didn't even know some places gave change.

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Lazy-Kaleidoscope179@reddit

I wouldn't expect a bus to have that much change. I'd have got some change from a shop beforehand.

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DennisDunkdalk@reddit

Buses used to issue credit tickets if they didn’t have change. This was late 90s to mid 2000’s. Surely they can still do this.

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virusdancer@reddit

Correct protocol, paying in cash, imho...don't.

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Pure-Dead-Brilliant@reddit

Where I grew up and then moved to it’s been the norm that you don’t get change for 30+ years. At least now you have the option of paying by card.

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Scratches_at_lvl_10@reddit

Ye icl if they didn't have enough im just handing them the 20 and walking on. Fuck it, they can collect the other 4.50 when they find change from other passengers.

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RoutineChampion7082@reddit

Told to leave the bus if you can’t pay the correct fee in cash.
Waved onto the bus for free travel (rarely happens but it happens)
Take your money and write you out a receipt/credit note which you can use on another bus (think of it as his credit) or cash in at their base of operations (generally a bus station has these in the info centres or at least they do around me)

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Accomplished-Web-488@reddit

You can’t pay in cash here

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Sir_Madfly@reddit

In NI it used to be (maybe still is?) that if the driver didn't have enough change they would give you a ticket stating the money you were owed and you could exchange it later.

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CaptainHope93@reddit

I got bitten by this in Reading about 10 years ago - only had a £10 note and the bus drivers didn’t give change. Paid £10 for a £3 ride. Still fuming.

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Avon_gent@reddit

If you didn't pay you wouldn't be allowed to travel yes. Despite popular misconceptions around "legal tender" companies are not obliged to accept cash.

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AdministrativeShip2@reddit

Depending on how the driver felt, you'd either ride for free, or pay once he had change.

Contactless payments are much better.

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JosephStalinho@reddit

Or just accept £20 why does the driver care

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

What do you mean?

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JosephStalinho@reddit

The driver isn't being audited. Just accept £20 for the fare not 24.50

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

What do you think happens when the driver pays in less than he should?

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JosephStalinho@reddit

Then charge them 19.50 on a ticket

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

I don’t know what kind of machine this driver was using but the ones I used things like that aren’t possible. They’re far more basic than people realise. You can’t even split payment so some cash some card.

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JosephStalinho@reddit

When I get on the bus I say "to town please" and it's distance based.

I could pay for 2 stops and not get off the bus, that will be a lesser fare.

So bus driver could have done 4 fares that totals less than £20 and let them on and just let them ride longer

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

It’s not been like that where I work for a long time, a single ticket is £2 for one stop or all the stops. The ticket lasts for an hour too, so you can use it on multiple buses in that time, it’s called a hopper fare.

I do remember it being done the way you’re talking about but that was pre-Covid for me.

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JosephStalinho@reddit

Fairs.

But realistically the driver needs to get a grip accommodate things, and I imagine most would.

Its a family of 4 who have 2 large notes, just get 4 fares and charge them £20

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

Yeah that’s fair. Shocking prices tbh I used to do buses that went to Manchester airport and the fares were no different than anywhere else in the city, two adults and teo children would cost £6. £24 is ridiculous.

If someone only has say £1.90 I just give them a £1 child’s ticket, it’s better to have something imo we also have a free fare ticket.

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JosephStalinho@reddit

Yeah I'm not sure exactly how it's £24.50 but like you do 3 child 1 adult or something to bring under £20. Or if there are distance fees like the tram zones just do it shorter.

Anyway! Its late

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DanielleBun@reddit

They could just issue fewer tickets, essentially letting one of the passengers ride ticketless / for free. I’ve been let off paying bus fare a couple of times over the years, driver just waves you on.

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

Yeah but that’s different than taking less for tickets you’ve issued, and if he just didn’t issue one of these 4 tickets and took £20 for say £17 instead he could be accused of stealing.

But if you pay in less than you’ve actually taken it gets taken directly out of your next wage.

I used to work for a company who didn’t really tally up what people were paying in, you just handed in a zip lock bag of cash every week rather than using a paying in machine, I was there over 12 months before they ever did the adding up and a few drives hadn’t paid in thousands of pounds over time, most quit on the spot.

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nadthegoat@reddit

They don’t carry enough change to give back, that’s the issue.

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JosephStalinho@reddit

No I mean just take £20 for the full fare stuff the £4.50

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sja-p@reddit

And lose £4.50 from their wages? Are you mental?

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JosephStalinho@reddit

They aren't self employed FFS

Also if they boot them off they lose 24.50

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sja-p@reddit

If they let someone off £4.50 that £4.50 comes from their wages, are you simple?

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JosephStalinho@reddit

They don't let them off 4.50 they just issue a ticket for a few stops less. Are you simple?

And even then that is the issue here - the bus company would rather they don't bus 4 people than make £20.

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Skanedog@reddit

Came here to post this, there's no requirement for businesses to accept cash or give you change.

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Character-Bid-5089@reddit

Surely if they take cash they should be prepared to give change unless there are signs saying correct fare only. If there isn't then the driver should let u travel, especially if there are children there.

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

Change doesn’t last long when people are paying with £20 notes. We used to get a £50 float of change, you’d be surprised how fast it disappears.

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deathangel539@reddit

Used to work in a decently busy pub, on a busy friday night we would easily go through £500 re floating the till and this is in an era where I’d say around 80% of transactions were card

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BuildingArmor@reddit

Even if we say that's the moral thing for the driver to do, they still aren't compelled to. I'd rather pay by card than walk

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Character-Bid-5089@reddit

I know they aren't morally obligated or legally obligated to give her change or let her travel but she had the means to pay. She might not have had any money available on her cards. I know these drivers put up with a lot of stick from people and i grew up with the saying "its nice to be nice" and most of the drivers in Newcastle would let a woman with children travel as long as she wasn't screaming and shouting to be let on.

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VOOLUL@reddit

Where do you draw the line? Do you expect them to carry a big bucket of cash?

What about machines that are limited in the amount of cash they hold? Parking meters have took exact change for as long as I remember. Would it be that if you're a person you have to give change but machines are okay?

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wbqqq@reddit

And especially with non-standard fares from an airport.

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RealLongwayround@reddit

Maybe they were prepared to give change before someone else got on the bus and required change from a £50 note.

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Curious_Orange8592@reddit

I used to have to catch the first bus of the day in order to get to work, the driver had literally no cash until a few tickets had been purchased

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Skanedog@reddit

Never derive an ought from an issue etc etc

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Pircster38@reddit

You would have got a chitty for the change which you'd have to claim from their Head Office. You would probably have to wait for ages to receive it. Just pay by card it eliminates these scenarios. If you've got the right money then there's no argument as long as it's not all small denomination coins and unacceptable as not being legal tender.

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Tasty_Job822@reddit

cash monkey

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bekcy@reddit

I thought needing exact change on buses was the norm. I've definitely seen that displayed on buses near me.

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Rockin-Robin66@reddit

Personally I would have phoned the bus company, and complained about the driver who would not let you pay by cash.

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shakesfistatmoon@reddit

It's unusual to pay by cash now and I haven't heard of drivers giving change (other than a change ticket) for years.

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rageofa1000suns@reddit

It is always the consumers responsibility to have the correct cash, and legally no shop or service provider is required to give change at all. So in theory, he could have just taken your £40 if you wanted to ride the bus and get nothing back. It's either that or you can walk.

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MaggieMcB@reddit

Got on the bus one day with a fiver , bus fare was 4.20 , driver said to me I've no silver change and just stared at me , I said this 5quid is all I've got to pay with , again he repeats he's no silver change , an older gentleman behind me actually gave me 20p so the driver could give me a pound change , bus was full , I was mortified

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

If he’s no change what did you want him to do?

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front-wipers-unite@reddit

I remember getting the bus to school and it being 40p

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

I remember a 37p concession on old GM Buses, what an unusual number.

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fezzuk@reddit

Yeah and god forbid you try and give the driver anythijg but exact change.

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Spinxy88@reddit

I once had a bus driver try to refuse to take me when I was on the way to an exam at college. £4 return and the cash machine only spits out £10 at a minimum. I said to him to simply take the whole note, he also refused this. I then stood there arguing with him until one of the other bus passengers tapped my journey for me. That guy then wouldn't take the note, which I offered to him.

Nothing like a jobsworth. I enjoyed writing that complaint email, but I never heard back. Was the Oxford Bus Company X3 in Abingdon in 2007. Making me a little angry thinking about it now.

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Suspicious_Neck_5156@reddit

He’s might be a jobsworth but you write complaints to his companies.

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OwnUse237@reddit

The correct protocol is to come with correct change or as close to it as possible. Turning up with 2 £20 notes and expecting them to carry more than a till’s worth of change comes across as a bit entitled

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BigSkyFace@reddit

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I'm curious because the driver wanting exact change was commonplace when taking the bus when I was younger (I'm in my early 30s now). Since you mentioned in another comment that the bus fare was for 2 adults and 2 kids, it surprises me this wasn't something you encountered in the past too.

I don't remember personally being refused by a bus driver but I recall times where the driver would just let you on anyway if they didn't have much on them to cover your change. They would then take your money a bit later/when you got off because they'd have likely taken some more coins off other customers to be able to cover it. I doubt they'd do this now though, with most customers presumably paying by card, or instead using bus passes or apps.

I remember back in the day a friend of mine didn't have the correct change for his bus fare. The driver wasn't having it but after some back and forth, he let my friend on board under the condition that he'd try to swap his banknote for change from other customers on the bus. I don't recall how it ended but I remember my friend telling me that everyone on the bus looked at the floor and pretended he wasn't there, because they all perceived this as some kind of con and they were going to get swindled out of their coins.

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Live-Appearance8466@reddit

Many years ago I paid with a £10 note for a £2 fare and same situation, bus driver had no change. I was given what was effectively an IOU. I was told to take that to the main bus station in the city center and I would be given the correct change.

I was going to the center anyways and it worked exactly as described. The carrier was First Buses, so perhaps it is only something they offer and/or it is no longer something they do.

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badger906@reddit

It’s a business. They don’t have to accept any form of payment. It’s 2026.. just use a card. No company other than tax evading companies likes cash over card. Cash costs to pay into a business account, and someone has to go there or pay someone to collect it.

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zenz3ro@reddit

The correct protocol is to leave the 1990s and just tap your phone

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trillspectre@reddit

Either they will just wave you on and not care or take the 40 and give you a reciept to claim the change off the company. Thats only ever happened to me once but I generally pay on card.

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CAN-IDIOTS-GAME@reddit

i use my legs lol

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wearecake@reddit

I never pay a bus in cash unless I have exact change. Seen too many friends and strangers get huffed at because they didn’t. Once watched an older lady stand there counting out change though, which pissed everyone off

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No_Star_7408@reddit

Bus drivers are not obligated to carry change, but can print out a voucher for you equal to the change,l to use on there busses.

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MissKoalaBag@reddit

In Hull at least, you can get a ticket that essentially acts as a sort of 'change receipt', where if the driver doesn't have the correct change, they'll give you a receipt and you can give it to another bus driver to get the change from them. I don't know if they still do it, but I've had it happen a couple of times if they're a few pounds short or so.

[-]

Rosswaldo@reddit

Did you have any stamps on you? A postage stamp is legal tender. A bus driver would have to accept that as currency.

[-]

slimboyslim9@reddit

Of the realm

[-]

Radioactive_Shrimp@reddit

Nice

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-puffinstuff-@reddit

And if he doesn’t, report him

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Fuzzy-Replacement609@reddit

I'll report him when I'm walking home

[-]

Rosswaldo@reddit

At least someone got the reference! You try summat and thats...

[-]

arfski@reddit

That's a myth. "English banknotes are not legal tender in Scotland. Scottish notes are not legal tender in England or Scotland. Debit cards, cheques and contactless payments are not legal tender anywhere.

[-]

Djinjja-Ninja@reddit

No they wouldn't, firstly stamps are not legal tender, but anyway legal tender has almost zero bearing on day to day life.

Legal tender only applies to actual debts, and then you must tender the exact amount, and even then there are limitations, for instance 1p and 2p coins are only legal tender up to 20p worth, so you can't try and pay a £20 debt with only pennies.

Any shop/company can decide what they accept as payment. Hence why shops can decide to only accept contactless.

Hilariously, English banknotes are only legal tender in England and Wales, while Scottish banknotes aren't legal tender anywhere, not even in Scotland.

[-]

charlie_boo@reddit

Legal tender doesn’t mean what you think it means.

[-]

Radioactive_Shrimp@reddit

Nice

[-]

Camoxide2@reddit

r/confidentlyincorrect

[-]

hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit

A stamp isn't legal tender and even if it was, vendors and shopkeepers don't have to accept legal tender anyway.

[-]

CraftBeerFomo@reddit

Me when I lie.

[-]

MrsValentine@reddit

Back in the day the driver would take your note and then give you your change when they’d receive it as payment from other passengers who were boarding. Now I suspect you’d be less likely to get other passengers paying cash so he may have either given you a credit note or else turned you away. I doubt he would have waived the fee if it was that much.

[-]

New_Line4049@reddit

No one can say what the outcome would've been, that would ultimately come down to a judgement call on the drivers part, but yes, the option of refusing you travel is open to them. A buisness can refuse your buisness for any reason at all, or no reason at all. Generally not a bad idea to ensure you have a couple of means of payment on you, just in case. That goes for card users too.

[-]

Diligent-Worth-2019@reddit

It’s only a £10, £5 note and 50p, it’s not like it was £xx.01

[-]

Apprehensive-Ad9210@reddit

The result is you wouldn’t have gone on the bus.

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Dolgar01@reddit

In answer to your question, could he either. Your choice.

You could choose to over pay and lose the excess. Or not ride the bus.

There is no legal obligation to take cash or to give change.

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Dolgar01@reddit

Went I when to university I was shocked that buses gave change. They didn’t where I grew up.

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Etheria_system@reddit

Why pay in cash when you had your card with you?

[-]

SleepyCommuter@reddit

Some people just like to be difficult.

[-]

Marcovanbastardo@reddit

Anybody who grew up in the UK must've been on buses, especially ones by the local, they had correct fare sign next to the driver when I was a bairn, literally every town had them, unless you got the ones that had a conductor then you know you got change.

[-]

Wilburrkins@reddit

Could you have paid £20 cash and £4.50 on your card?

[-]

MaleFeministActuary@reddit

Step 1: Adjust your monicle

Step 2: Pull out thine handkerchief and cough and splutter into it for a good 10 seconds

Step 3: Angrily bash your walking stick against the floor whilst your shout "BOY, HERE BOY, NOW BOY WHERE IS THAT DAMNED USELESS INFERNAL BOY?"

Step 4: Have your boy present the driver with the physical cash

[-]

Chemical-Mouse-9903@reddit

Been on many a bus where the driver couldn’t change a large note, they always let the passenger on and give them their change when they have enough

[-]

weekedipie1@reddit

its been like that for years

[-]

PrizeCrew994@reddit

Correct change for the bus is an unwritten rule.

[-]

Alundra828@reddit

That bus driver couldn't be bothered to work out change. I guarantee if you'd have said "I don't have a card" they would've huffed, opened their change drawer, and magically found the correct change after probably some embarrassing time of working out how much they owe you.

And to be clear, this was a thing before cards as well. Customers used to just have smaller amounts of change on them, and were more comfortable trading change as well.

I think you were just unfortunate to have two 20's, so the bus driver couldn't be bothered to deal with it.

[-]

No_Room_3932@reddit

“Would I not have been allowed to travel despite having enough money for the fare?”

When London buses used to accept cash I saw drivers not let people on in these circumstances several times. They would tell them to go to the shop to get change and get the next bus.

[-]

Hampshire-UK@reddit

The driver just can’t be arsed

[-]

Potential-Wheel-5899@reddit

Drivers dont have to carry change, its up to you to have means of payment. Read the conditions of travel for the bus company.

[-]

Sirlacker@reddit

I mean they can refuse cash payments. It's that simple.

The only time any type of payment is allowed is when it comes to paying debt off essentially. Any business can refuse to accept a form of payment if they like.

They could have refused you service or told you that it'd be £40 because they literally dont have the change or just charged you £20.

The only correct thing here, as much as it may not be liked, is to either have the correct change.

If you have to, break notes down by buying a bag of crisp or a bottle of water or just even asking a shop keeper to break it down for you.

[-]

yehyehyehyeh@reddit

But remember, cash is king…

[-]

P-l-Staker@reddit

You either pay £40 and get no change or you get off.

If the driver is nice, they may just wave you through.

[-]

Zubi_Q@reddit

Why not pay on card? But yes, 2 x £20 notes is way too much for the price you were paying. £25 or £30 in noted would have been ideal.

[-]

Conscious-Pie-4794@reddit

I don't remember a bus giving change even 20 years ago. Where I live bus drivers haven't carried cash for a long long time. What they used to do is you used to pay with the money you had and they would give you a receipt to take to the bus depo office and they would give you the overpayment back. It was such hassle that you would just pay on card. I'm not really sure what they do now but I imagine you could have paid but just got no change.

[-]

RandomPsychic20@reddit

When I rode the bus in my teens 8/9 years ago if they couldn't provide correct change they would give me a voucher that I could take to the bus station in the city and exchange for the cash, so buses not so things like that anymore?

[-]

Proof_Ring_4505@reddit

Usually they used to tell you to come back for the rest of the change when you get off, or print a change voucher

[-]

Bowtie327@reddit

At that price I’d expect the front seat on the top r deck with table service

[-]

Smudger105e@reddit

Is £3 not still the maximum fare?

[-]

SeniorMoonlight21@reddit

OP said in another comment it was from an airport and these services are not included in the £3 cap scheme

[-]

AE_Phoenix@reddit

Your choices would have been pay 40 or don't travel. Some bus companies give you a receipt you can cash in at their head office if you really want, but it's Uncommon.

[-]

Ok-Personality-6630@reddit

Back in the day you would sort it on way off when they had more change, and either would take the hit.

[-]

VOODOO285@reddit

Admittedly it’s been 25 years since I was on a bus, wow I am old. But in and around Manchester, say the ticket was 75p, you’d put a pound down and the driver would give you change. They’d then slide the coins into specific slots for that coin so they could easily give change.

I think in all honesty the law is on your side as what you provided is legal tender and they should have facility to provide change. But the situational reality is that they can’t carry money as they always got robbed, it takes extra time to process and when the bus is late after faffing with change you end up with a bunch of angry people. So yeah, card all the way.

I’ve also heard of a lot of people trying to pay for a £5 ticket with a £20 note because the driver having no change would just let them on for free. Obviously that had to stop.

[-]

_Verc1ngetorix_@reddit

'Legal tender' is a complete myth, google it

[-]

VOODOO285@reddit

I didn’t cite it in the way you’re implying and I then went on to say why they don’t accept it.

Of course the actual only answer is that every business can set its own policies on what it accepts as payment. One of them does not have to be cash.

[-]

-Copenhagen@reddit

Cash?
Really?

[-]

Metrobolist3@reddit

I don't recall buses where I live ever giving change (since the late 90s anyway). Exact change only.

[-]

Available-Spray2576@reddit

If you had no other way to pay they may have just let you on. But very few bus drivers are going to break into a twenty like that.

[-]

yiddoboy@reddit

You could have given him 20 and paid the 4.50 on a card.

[-]

Kind_Material5415@reddit

I've been given a slip before with the amount of change I was owed. Went into the bus station office to claim it.

[-]

ServerLost@reddit

Did you notice literally everybody else on the bus tapping on?

[-]

eric-artman@reddit

I guess you pay and you get change this is a correct protocol since almost forever.

[-]

WheresWalldough@reddit

Do you mean a coach? Buses don't cost £24.50

[-]

rectangularjunksack@reddit

Firstly, a coach is a type of bus. Secondly, even the type of "bus" you are thinking of can indeed cost £24.50 depending on journey length and number of passengers.

[-]

WheresWalldough@reddit

In the UK it's normal to distinguish between coaches and buses.

[-]

rectangularjunksack@reddit

Yeah colloquially but i wouldn't try to correct somebody on their technically correct use of "bus".

[-]

PlatJC@reddit

You never got on a bus with more than person in your party? I have 2 5 year olds, so it costs me like £15 into my city center.

[-]

WheresWalldough@reddit

AFAIK there's a £3 bus fare cap.

Usually buses are free for under 5s so with two 5 year old I'd just pay for one £3 fare. Not really sure how that adds up to £15.

[-]

LowFIyingMissile@reddit

Is this a thing? I feel like it was more expensive than that when I went to town as a kid 20 years ago.

[-]

DeadBallDescendant@reddit

£2 cap in Greater Manchester

[-]

PlatJC@reddit

A cap of £3 for a single way journey. I also have to get home. So it’s £5.60 for me. My children cost £4 each. So apologies it’s £13.60. My point was, bus fares can be more than a few quid if you’re paying for multiple people, which a lot of people in this thread seem to forget exists..

[-]

WheresWalldough@reddit

yes that's fair, but the OP specifically said "Would I not have been allowed to travel despite having enough money for the fare", so it's reasonable to interpret this as one fare, not multiple

[-]

PlatJC@reddit

The reference to “would I not be allowed…” was a follow up to the comment “the driver told me I could not…”. I was used because OP was the sole purchaser of the tickets, so direct to them.

Anyway I’m being picky for no reason, it was fair to assume OP was solo with that language. Have a lovely evening my fellow commenter. I hope your tea is extra delicious today.

[-]

BillWilberforce@reddit

I thought they were free for under 18s.

Transport for London already gives unlimited free bus and tram travel to all under 18s in London. Under 11s also get free Tube and rail travel, and those aged 11-18 travel at a child rate. Students aged 18 and older studying in London are eligible for cheaper season tickets and anyone with a 16-25 or 26-30 Railcard gets cheaper off-peak travel.

[-]

WheresWalldough@reddit

The under 18 is a London thing, I don't think it's UK-wide.

[-]

Top-Significance-304@reddit

Bus fare cap is only England. Airport bus in Glasgow is £11 for an adult and Edinburgh is something like £9, so could be up here. Buses are a fortune

[-]

AtebYngNghymraeg@reddit

OP says it's 2 adults, 2 children from the airport.

[-]

zorba-9@reddit

Remember watching a bus driver at the terminus using a comb to retrieve a fiver from the slot.

[-]

GodBeard85@reddit

Hate how anti cash buses are, my local bus company refuses to give a float to drivers so either you get a decent one that keeps their own float or you get the ones that round the price of a ticket up and pocket the difference themselves, 99% of the time I use a bus I pay with my phone, I hate being in the position of having to buy a ticket with a pound note

[-]

Scottish_squirrel@reddit

Back into airport/nearest shop and gain the correct change from there. Otherwise no travel

[-]

screbbysloth@reddit

forced me to pay by card

Oh the humanity.

[-]

Glittering-Draw-6223@reddit

you would have been told to get off the bus.

[-]

TreatFriendly7477@reddit

Our local busses don't carry a lot of change so give a credit note instead. Some chap got on the other day and paid with, credit then cash then put the balance on his card. Was only. £5 fare.

[-]

AffectionateJump7896@reddit

The bus driver would give you a "no change".ticket. Essentially an IOU from the bus company for the change which is redeemable at the bus station.

You're then left having to make another trip (probably by bus no less) to the bus station and back to redeem your IOU. Clearly they want to avoid that as it's a pretty rough customer experience.

[-]

PurplePlodder1945@reddit

I’m glad you can pay by card now - in south wales we’ve got tap on tap off for buses and trains the same as TFL. It’s so much easier. I used to avoid buses because you had to have the correct change

[-]

Opening_Succotash_95@reddit

Buses have been exact change only for decades. Coaches and longer distance buses will have some change but not much.

[-]

dinkidoo7693@reddit

Local depot doesn’t give drivers a cash float anymore.

[-]

BarNo3385@reddit

You pay the £40.

The bus company is offering a service (rides) with certain conditons (pay by card or by correct cash). You're free to accept or not.

If you choose to accept the offered trade then you've accepted the parameters, including cash no change.

You aren't being refused service in either case.

[-]

jimmywhereareya@reddit

The bus from Liverpool JLA to Liverpool city center would have cost the princely sum of £6. £2 each for adults £1 each for kids. Not much help if you're in London though... Lol

[-]

Ok_Analyst_5640@reddit

Bus drivers get annoyed if you have anything other than the correct amount. I paid for a week ticket before (was £19.50 at the time) and paid with a ten and two fivers. Oh the look I got off the bus driver because he had to give me 50p change... 🫩

[-]

Character-Bid-5089@reddit

If u had kids with u and the right money he should have let u travel. He should be prepared with change.

[-]

JobAnxious2005@reddit

Bus drivers are usually very grumpy and well… bus drivers

What do you expect the outcome to be

[-]

fezzuk@reddit

Busses have always been like this. Before contactless can in makkjg sure you had the correct change for the bus was always a pain in the arse.

And you knew at least one person was gonna turn up with a £20 note for their 80p fair and argue with the bus driver for ten minutes.

Its nothing new.

[-]

NotYourEverydayHero@reddit

They give you a voucher for the remaining amount.

[-]

FlatCapNorthumbrian@reddit

Depends on the operating company. Not all of them issue change vouchers.

[-]

idontlikemondays321@reddit

I’ve know bus drivers give out some sort of receipt or card that passengers can use to get back their change at the station. It was a while ago though

[-]

Wood-Pigeon-125@reddit

We still do that at my company

[-]

jesuseatsbees@reddit

I’ve been sent off busses in the past before card payments were a thing. Usually, the driver would just let you on or tell you to pay at your destination when they’d likely have more change, in my experience at least.

[-]

TheSmallestPlap@reddit

Back when I used to get the bus to college, before I got a bank account I'd pay with cash, occasionally I'd need more change than the driver actually had so they'd print an IOU ticket that you could redeem on the next bus you got on. The issue was, that bus didn't have the change either, so you'd have to keep redeeming it a bit at a time.

Nowadays, I just get my partner to pay on her debit card, because for whatever reason, my credit card always gets declined on the bus, only place it happens too. Not sure why that is.

[-]

I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

I used to get given a 'change ticket' for the value of what they owed me, which I could then exchange for cash at the desk in the bus station, or indeed for another journey on a different bus. I would imagine a lot fewer bus operators have staffed desks these days, do this may well not be a thing anymore.

[-]

AuroraDF@reddit

I live in London and buses don't take cash, and haven't for years. I'm from Edinburgh and often visit there, and use buses. They take cash as well as cards, but it's been exact change only for decades. If you got on with enough money but not exact, you had to overpay. I've done it many times (although usually by less than a pound!). Now, I always pay by card. Maybe it's just my experience but I'd always expect buses to be card only, or exact change only.

[-]

Western-Mall5505@reddit

I can't see any driver having over £15 in change, my bus company might let you get on as a one off it depends on the driver.

[-]

Educational-Angle717@reddit

Not used the bus that frequently but I think if you really had no other means to pay and he had no way to give you change they issue you like a credit reciept and you have to take that to the nearest office or send away to get the money back.

[-]

Adventurous-Cry8398@reddit

They’re within their rights to refuse you travel for any (lawful) reason. That can be literally anything except something like discrimination, etc. It’s as simple as that.

[-]

Ok_Situation_4351@reddit

Ive been in this sort of situation before but slightly worse. Im disabled with a disability bus pass. My replacement card was a little late but the council said it was okay to use my expired one as there's a grace period. The bus driver wouldn't have it, even when I had the bus pass person on the phone, he wouldn't speak to them and told me to get off the bus.

Im not able to use cash, (this was before buses accepted contactless payment), so i didn't have any cash on me to pay for the bus, I was left stranded miles from home and had to wait till my dad came to collect me.

So yeh, they wouldve just told you to get off the bus.

[-]

joe_ally@reddit

Back when I used to get the bus to school we were required to pay the exact amount in coins. There was a slot to put the coins and it would spread them out so the driver could count them.

Thank fuck for contactless payment.

[-]

-puffinstuff-@reddit

I can still hear the noise of all the change going into the slot, particularly when it was a shit ton of coppers, to try and hide the fact you didn’t actually have 50p for a half single

[-]

SeniorMoonlight21@reddit

If your card did not have enough money on it then the driver could have kicked you off, its down to their discretion. What they'd have most likely have done is take the £40 and given you a change voucher to take to a depot/travel shop to your change.

[-]

spidertattootim@reddit

Service providers and retailers aren't obliged to let you pay in cash.

They're definitely not obliged to carry enough change to let you pay using any particular combination of notes and coins. If you want to pay in cash it's up to you to make sure you've got sensible sizes of notes and coins for the thing you're going to be paying for.

[-]

YouCantArgueWithThis@reddit

It is expected from the passenger to have exact cash, yes. Paying with a card is more common, though.

[-]

Miserable_Future6694@reddit

If it was arriva they have a fairly simple policy. Driver has no change you cant be refused travel. Play dumb, say you dont have a bank card.

[-]

pepelepew2724@reddit

What a hill to try to die on.

[-]

ClericalRogue@reddit

Most buses here only take cirrect change or card now. Im not surprised you were declined over providing a £20 note for that extra 40p, as not many bus services are likely to carry much if any change these days. Doesent make it right though.

[-]

spidertattootim@reddit

If you can't afford to pay for a service, or can't pay using the method the service provider prefers, then you don't get the service. It's absolutely the same as anything you pay for, the supplier / service provider doesn't have to do business with you if they don't want to.

[-]

FilDaFunk@reddit

NGL my answer to your question is "don't."

[-]

OkTadpole2920@reddit

Bus drivers are regularly assaulted and or robbed, they avoid cash for that reason. Buses in my area all take contactless payments, it's even written all over the bus! I try to have the correct change, if I'm paying cash.

[-]

Remote-Pool7787@reddit

It’s like any other transaction, they don’t have to have change and they don’t have to sell you the product or service. Exactly the same as in a shop. If they don’t have change, you aren’t getting it.

[-]

GordonLivingstone@reddit

Cards are the default now but if you are paying by cash, carry tens, fives and some coins. At worst, you can make a small overpayment.

There is even less chance nowadays that the trader will have a good selection of change.

[-]

Puzzleheaded-Put-154@reddit

I have had the situation before argued with the bus driver about it, they didn't even have a card reader at the time, had to run to a shop buy something i didn't want to get change.

I told I'd see him next Tuesday as I got off and he got off too :) had a altercation, think I was 16/17 at the time.

Another passenger got off and thankfully broke it up as the guy would have battered me honestly.

Neither of us were right but it taught me to consider the other person. He had obviously had a day, a week, god knows, but I don't blame him for snapping. I hope he learned something from it too.

[-]

Browntown-magician@reddit

I’ve had this a few times, tried to pay with a £20 for a £3 bus ride and they just let you get on for nothing.

[-]

TKRS67@reddit (OP)

This guy just straight up told me no if I was paying by cash

[-]

Browntown-magician@reddit

Next time tell the power hungry chap that he can’t refuse legal tender.

Also don’t know where you’re based but where I’m from it’s Trent Barton/stagecoach that run the bus lines and they’re pretty spot on.

[-]

HistoryDisastrous493@reddit

Anyone can refuse legal tender

[-]

Browntown-magician@reddit

No, they can refuse service.

they cannot refuse you offering to pay them in GBP.

[-]

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