Are bigger banknotes making a comeback? 

For years, many retailers weren’t exactly queuing up for it. But the €100 banknote is coming back. In the Netherlands, ATMs are now handing out €100 notes as part of a test, and the first results are in. Read along to find out why this is happening, what retailers think, and what it could mean for your business.

A test in the Netherlands

Until recently, €50 was the highest banknote you could withdraw from a Dutch ATM. That’s changing, at least for now. The Dutch central bank (DNB) is working together with ATM operator Geldmaat to test the €100 banknote at 46 locations across the country.

So, how is it going? Pretty well. Of all the customers who get the choice, 57% pick the €100 note. And the more money people withdraw, the more often they go for the green banknote. A decision on whether the notes stay in the ATMs will be made in early 2027.

Why now?

Around one in five payments is made in cash. But a lot has changed since the euro was introduced in 2002. Prices have risen by roughly 70% since then, which means a €50 banknote simply buys you a lot less than it used to.

Why not everyone is happy about it

Not every business owner is thrilled when a customer hands over a €100 note. Some market traders and fast-food restaurants don’t accept them at all. Their reasons? Having too little change, and having to check the note more carefully.

Retailers are happy with the sales, but they point out that a €100 note isn’t very efficient. If every customer starts paying with €100, you quickly run out of change. That’s why the bank asks consumers to keep their €100 notes for bigger purchases. In other words, don’t buy a pack of chewing gum with a €100 banknote!

Is the €200 banknote next?

Here’s where it gets interesting. The €200 banknote is also still in circulation across the eurozone, and in many countries paying with one isn’t unusual. The €500 note is a different story, as it’s no longer issued by the central bank.

As the value of the euro keeps changing, the €100 note might become what the €50 note is today. And if you wait long enough, the €200 note could well be next.

Be ready for bigger notes

Whether you’re in the Netherlands or somewhere else, larger banknotes mean higher risks. Counterfeiters love high-value notes, because a single fake €100 note costs you much more than a fake €10.

The good news? Checking takes just a second. Our counterfeit detectors help you verify every large note at the moment you receive it. And at the end of the day, our banknote counters count and check your cash in no time, whatever the denomination.

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The following source has been consulted and used as a reference in this article: https://nos.nl/artikel/2635323-heeft-u-terug-van-100-grotere-biljetten-in-geldautomaat-lijken-aan-te-slaan

Written by Peter de Waal. Edited by Melissa Reeuwijk.