Making marks on currency: Is it legal?

[sweeps]

What's the deal with businesses marking up the money that you hand them. You give a clerk a clean, crisp $20 bill and then she pulls out a big magic marker and writes on it. I don't use cash much anymore but when I have to, this really bugs me.

[meaghanchan]

It's to test if it's counterfeit.

[cicy33]

Yep, they are testing, it is usually a yellow one or a clear one and if it turns black it is counterfeit. I frequently get money back as change that has writing on it from other people. I don't let it bug me, its a small detail. not legal exactly from what I have heard but I am not going to waste my time worrying about something I cannot change. Cannot control other people.

[zakity]

Yeah, that is a thing to check to make sure they aren't counterfiet. They passed some counterfiet money locally not too long ago. I don't blame them for checking everything.

There is a cool site, something like "where's george" or something like that tracks where the money has been. It is sort of cool. You register the serial number on the bill and then you can track where it has been and then check back and see where it went.

I see lots of that too -- marks on paper money. It doesnt bother me so long as it still spends ok. As long as places still take it in exchange for stuff I buy, Im ok with it.