Getting a few 5 pound notes for tips

If you’ve only got 90 minutes I would suggest…

1) Buy cash at home at the foreign exchange desk at your bank. They will LIKELY be able to sell you 5 quid notes… but do check first.

2) Grab cash from an airport ATM in odd numbered withdrawals… a -£50 should get you 2 twenty pound notes and a tenner, for example. Then just proffer cash as a tip while saying, “So sorry! I don’t have anything smaller. Can you please sort it out so everyone gets a tip?”

Good luck!

If you're from Atlanta, have you looked for local money changers? I have to think every major city has some. They would have a mix of bills.

Fallback would be, and you wouldn't be the first, Sorry I've only got dollars but thanks for your help. They work in a place where they can easily change money.

Thanks to you both. I am actually from the Birmingham AL area but one of our party lives near Nashville. Perhaps they would have money changers. I’ll check it out.

I always bring home a few £ or € for my next trip. Since you only want a small amount have you tried asking friends/family if anybody has any they would be willing to sell to you?

Actually that was my first thought. A group of friends recently went on a pilgrimage to Ireland and several extended their Tim in England. So far none have not exchanged their pounds. One of us has a friend going to the British Isles before our trip. We thought to Scotland but alas it’s Ireland. Unless she goes to the north she won’t be able together pounds for us.

If it's a tip, I'm sure they would accept dollars in this instance. They will understand that you are only in the country for a short time. They will be able to exchange it themselves very easily.

As briwire says they will be happy to take dollars. In truth I suspect that it’s mostly North Americans who tip them. I for one wouldn’t dream of it, any more than I would tip check-in staff or anyone working on the plane.

rewarding so many people for doing their jobs is a particularly American habit, and if you want to do that I am sure that the person will be glad to receive extra money.

But as the English husband of a wife who regularly needs assistance on and off trains and tubes, in and out of buildings without step free access, etc., I wouldn't expect to tip a wheelchair pusher. They aren't volunteers and are doing their jobs. They won't expect to be tipped except by Americans.

I wouldn't stress about it. A big smile and genuine thanks will be very welcome and appreciated.

Have a great trip.

Because you are transiting on a single ticket and not entering the country (right?) you do not need an ETA.

Thanks for the feedback especially from UK folk. Americans tip service workers because they’re not paid an adequate wage. Now about the ETA. I have gotten mine but my travel companions have not yet as they can’t figure out the tech. The reason I got it is because of the flight itinerary caused by a change in our original booking. We have two flights from Birmingham to Charlotte then Philadelphia where we get our flight to Heathrow. We have more than adequate connection time in both Charlotte and Philadelphia but having missed my flight to Rome several years ago due to weather including tornados I am skittish about this issue. So what if we are stranded and need to go to a hotel. How will that work without an ETA. By the way, even though they say approval will come within a few business days I got mine in minutes.

Thanks for the feedback especially from UK folk. Americans tip service workers because they’re not paid an adequate wage.

Yes, we know that but service workers in the UK are paid a living wage and there's no expectation to tip anyone.

The official position is that you need an ETA to enter the country (or during this transition period, proof of application).
No one on this forum appears to have tried to enter in an emergency situation without one, leading to a lot of speculation and 'ah but, an immigration officer will take pity on you'. There is nothing at all in law to support that theory.

According to the law you would have to apply for an ETA at the border (hopefully an immigration officer or airline clerk would assist the technologically challenged).

The problem is that it you wait until the border and are then refused either for good reason (past convictions etc) or wrong information on file you are then in a bad situation. Border Force can see that refusal and that will determine their response.

Thanks. It’s worth the $22 USD for the peace of mind. I will help my tech challenged friends.

Reality is that the U.K. ‘living wage’ of £12.21 an hour is not enough for anyone to live on, especially near London, so the idea that they won’t value receiving a small tip is absurd. I agree that it’s not necessary culturally and a British person would not tip, but anyone earning a low wage who gets extra money is going to be very grateful for it.

The ETA is for travel, not entry. Why waste money on something you don't need?

To Helen. Would these low wage workers have more trouble than it’s worth to receive USD instead of pounds. We want to give a small tip but having difficulty figuring out how to get the small bills we need in the tight timeframe we have.

GerriPat, is there a foreign exchange desk at your departing airport? You won't get a great rate. But for a small amount it might be worth it.

Jeanm I doubt Birmingham airport has one but I’m sure Philadelphia does and we have lots of time before our transatlantic flight.

This was the AI summary to a Google search

Currency exchange services at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL
Currency Exchange International (CXI) is the primary provider of currency exchange services at Philadelphia International Airport.
Locations and hours
Terminal A-West: Located just before Gate A14, open daily from 7 am to 9:30 pm.
A/B Connector: Located between the AA credit union and Minute Suites, open daily from 12 pm to 8 pm.
Additional CXI locations: There are other CXI locations within the airport, but details are not available in the search results.
An easy if not most economical solution for a small exchange. Safe travels

Thanks Denny

Yes very easy to change dollars. You can change up foreign currency on any high street. There’s a money exchange in my local supermarket and a desk at the travel agent 5 minutes walk from my house. People travel abroad all the time so it’s very easy to do it here. They could also do it at the airport but the rates are much worse if you do that.

so the idea that they won’t value receiving a small tip is absurd.

No-one has said that they wouldn't value receiving a tip, who doesn't want free money! However the point being made is that it is not an expectation or a requirement and personally I don't want to see a tip culture in the UK similar to the one in the US where there is an expectation to tip every low paid service worker.

As for paying the tip in $US the value would be so low that changing it in a currency exchange would be more effort than it's worth.

GerriPat, here's an idea. Purchase a few Starbucks gift cards as a thank you tip.

Starbucks Cards purchased in the United States may also be used in Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico and Australia. When you make a purchase in a different country, the Transaction total is converted from the currency of that country (the "local currency") to the base currency and deducted from your Starbucks Card balance. No fees or other charges are made to your Starbucks Card for the currency conversion.