Places where you can use your old Rs 500 notes

Government in a late-night notification asked the banks to stop over-the-counter exchange of old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 from Friday, 25 November 2016. However, in a major relief to the common people, there are exemptions where certain payments could be paid through old 500 rupee notes.

People now cannot exchange their old notes against the new ones at banks. Now public must deposit their old notes in their respective accounts and withdraw new currency from ATMs or through cheque.

In a change from now on, old Rs 1000 notes have been banned and cannot be used. However, till December 15, old Rs 500 notes can be used at various places mentioned below: -

• Payment at toll plazas and petrol pumps.

• Payment of school fees up to Rs 2,000 per student in Central government, state governments, municipality, and local body schools.

• Payment of fees in Central or state government colleges.

• Payments towards prepaid mobile top-up up to a limit of Rs 500 per top-up.

• Purchases at consumer cooperative stores (Safal, Mother Dairy) operated under authorisation of Central or state governments with identity proof up to Rs 5,000 at a time.

• Purchases at milk booths under Central or state governments.

• Payment of current bill and arrears to utilities will be limited to only water and electricity.

• Payments in government hospitals for medical treatment.

• Use in all pharmacies for buying medicines with doctor's prescription.

• At railway ticketing counters, bus ticket counters of government or public sector undertakings and airline counters at airports for purchase of tickets.

• Payments at crematoria and burial grounds.

• Use at international airports for arriving and departing passengers up to Rs 5,000.

• Purchase of LPG gas cylinders.

• Payments towards on-board catering during travel by rail.

• Purchase of tickets for suburban and metro rail travel.

• Purchase of entry tickets for monuments maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

• Payments towards fees, charges, taxes, or penalties, payable to Central or state governments including municipal and local bodies.

• Payments towards utility charges, including water and electricity, but no advance payments.

• Payments towards court fees.

• Payments towards purchase of seeds from designated state-run outlets.