Rules for cash payments

There are rules for cash payments in the Netherlands. For example, rules for the maximum amount of cash you may accept and when you must refuse cash payments. And you must comply with the rules of the Prevention of Money Laundring and Financing of Terrorism Act (Wet ter voorkoming van witwassen en financieren van terrorisme, Wwft, in Dutch).

When can you refuse cash payments?

You may refuse cash payments if you have a valid reason to do so, for example, if:

• you cannot keep enough change
• you cannot check whether the money is counterfeit
• the banknote is damaged (in Dutch)
• the banknote is not in proportion to the amount the customer has to pay
• it is unsafe to have cash in your business
• you round off the amounts (you do not accept 1 or 2 euro cents)

If you refuse cash, you must clearly indicate this in advance and offer another payment method.

When must you refuse cash payments?

You must refuse cash payments in these situations:

• If the amount of cash exceeds €3,000 (in Dutch). It does not matter whether the amount is paid all at once or in instalments. Please note that depositing cash into a bank account is also a cash payment.
• If you offer services, you cannot accept amounts of €10.000 or more.
• You cannot accept counterfeit money. If you do so, you are liable to prosecution.
• If you suspect money laundering or terrorist financing. You must report this to FIU-Netherlands or the police.

Commemorative or collectors coins

Commemorative or collector coins are also legal tender. A commemorative coin has a value of €2 and is lawful currency throughout the Eurozone. 

A collector coin usually has a value of €5 or €10 and is lawful currency only in the country of issue.

Rounding cash payments

You may round the total amount of a cash payment (in Dutch) to 0 euro cents or 5 euro cents if:

• the customer pays in cash (you may not round amounts for debit card payments)
• you clearly indicate that you are rounding the amounts (for example, with a sticker on a window or the till)

Counterfeit money

To receive, hold, or pay with counterfeit money is prohibited. If you do so, you are liable to prosecution.

You can check if cash is real with the feel-look-tilt method or with a counterfeit money detector. 

If you do get counterfeit money, you must refuse it and you may not pass it on. You must always report counterfeit money and hand it in at the local police, bank, or De Nederlandsche Bank (Dutch Central Bank). If the cash turns out to be real, you will get it back.