How to Check Canadian Banknote Security Features

A Canadian banknote can be checked with the Bank of Canada’s four-step Feel, Look, Tilt and Flip routine.

Canadian polymer banknotes contain security features that can be checked without special equipment. The Bank of Canada recommends a four-part routine: Feel, Look, Tilt and Flip.[1] Learning that routine is useful for anyone who handles cash—travellers, newcomers, small businesses and customers exchanging currency in Newmarket.

The goal is not to turn customers into forensic experts. It is to notice inconsistencies, compare a suspect note with a known genuine note and hand concerns to police rather than passing the note to someone else. This guide focuses on current polymer-note principles; older series can have different features.

Canadian banknote check: start by feeling the note

Canadian polymer notes are made from a smooth, durable polymer substrate rather than ordinary paper. Feel the surface and the raised ink on selected areas. Genuine notes use tactile printing that should be noticeable with a fingertip, although wear and handling can affect how prominent it feels.

Do not rely on texture alone. Counterfeits can imitate one feature while failing others. Use the entire Feel–Look–Tilt–Flip sequence and compare the same denomination and series.

If you work at a cash counter, handle notes in good light and avoid rushing. A consistent routine is more reliable than checking only transactions that “look suspicious.”

Look through the transparent window

Modern Canadian notes have a large transparent window containing detailed metallic and transparent elements. Look at the clarity, fine detail and integration of the window into the polymer. The elements should not appear like a simple sticker placed on the surface.

The exact portrait, building or symbols vary by denomination and series. Consult the Bank of Canada page for the note you are checking rather than memorizing a feature from a different value. Its vertical $20 security page, for example, provides denomination-specific instructions and images.[2]

Hold the note up to a light source and inspect both transparent and printed areas. Blurry detail, opaque patches where transparency should exist or crude edges deserve closer comparison.

Tilt to see changing effects

Tilt the note slowly. Metallic or holographic elements should change appearance as the angle changes. Fine features may move from one colour or brightness to another. A flat printed imitation will often lack the depth and transition of the genuine feature.

Use ordinary room lighting and then a directed light if needed. Do not damage the note by scratching, cutting or applying chemicals. Destructive “tests” can ruin a genuine banknote and are unnecessary for the public verification process.

Flip and compare both sides

Turn the note over. Features in the transparent window should be visible from both sides with the expected relationship between metallic, transparent and printed components. Check registration, sharpness and overall print quality.

Then compare the suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series. Comparing a vertical polymer note with an older horizontal series can create false alarms. The Bank of Canada maintains educational materials for different note designs.[1][2]

What to do with a suspected counterfeit

The Bank of Canada advises people who suspect a counterfeit note to give it to local police. Do not try to use it, return it into circulation or confront someone in a way that puts safety at risk.[1] Canadian police services also investigate counterfeit-money passing and encourage evidence-based reporting.[5] If you notice the issue during a transaction, follow the business’s safety procedure and contact police when appropriate.

Write down factual details while they are fresh: when and where you received the note and relevant transaction information. Avoid public accusations. A note can be damaged or unfamiliar without being counterfeit; police and trained examiners determine the outcome.

Genuine notes that are badly damaged are a separate issue. The Bank of Canada has a redemption process for contaminated or mutilated banknotes, subject to its assessment and conditions.[3]

Cash handling at a Newmarket currency exchange

A professional cash exchange counts and examines banknotes as part of an in-person transaction. Customers should still count their funds, review the receipt and protect cash after leaving. Elysee Exchange explains its currency exchange service and trust and compliance approach online. Local details are available on the Newmarket branch page.

If you are exchanging foreign banknotes, remember that each issuing country has its own security system. The Canadian Feel–Look–Tilt–Flip routine is a helpful habit, but the specific features must come from the official issuer of that currency.

Tips for travellers and small businesses

• Learn the features of denominations you handle most often.
• Check notes before the customer leaves, while remaining respectful.
• Use good lighting and keep a genuine comparison note available.
• Train every staff member on the same routine.
• Store cash securely and reconcile the till regularly.
• Report suspected counterfeit notes rather than recirculating them.

Newcomers should be cautious of anyone who offers unfamiliar cash at an unusual discount or pressures them to exchange privately. Use an established service and request a receipt.

About banknote images online

The Bank of Canada sets conditions for reproducing banknote images.[4] Businesses publishing educational content should use official materials or compliant illustrations and should not create realistic mock notes that could be mistaken for currency. That is why the feature image for this article should show abstract polymer security materials rather than a reproduction of a Canadian banknote.

Compare a Canadian banknote with a genuine note of the same value and series. Do not recirculate a Canadian banknote that still appears counterfeit. Use official Canadian banknote guidance for each denomination and series.

The takeaway

For Canadian polymer notes, use a repeatable four-step check: Feel the substrate and raised ink, Look through the transparent window, Tilt for changing effects, and Flip to inspect both sides. Compare with a genuine note of the same denomination and series. If a note still appears counterfeit, do not pass it on; contact local police. For current, denomination-specific examples, rely on the Bank of Canada.

Sources

[1] Bank of Canada, “Counterfeit prevention.”
[2] Bank of Canada, vertical $20 note security features.
[3] Bank of Canada, redeeming damaged banknotes.
[4] Bank of Canada, policy on using banknote images. [5] Royal Canadian Mounted Police, counterfeit-money investigation notice.