Pound coin deadline: THESE shops will accept old £1 coins, including Aldi and Poundland

The old pound coin deadline is tonight, but plenty of shops have defied the Royal Mint and the Treasury, and state they will still accept the pound coins after the deadline.

Royal Mint urged Britons to change their coins at a bank or the Post Office before the deadline, but many might choose to hang on to their change. Some might be worth something, so it could we worth checking if you have these coins in your wallet.

Legally shops may take the pound coin for as long as they wish, although many have imposed their own deadline, which is a little more lenient.

There are around 5 million old £1 coins still in circulation, according to the latest figures.

Which shops will accept the old £1 coin after the deadline?

Aldi

This German supermarket has announced it will take the old pound coins for two weeks after the deadline.

Aldi said: “We’ve been ready to accept the new £1 coins since they first came into circulation in March. To make the transition as easy as possible for our customers, we will continue to accept the old £1 coins as payment across our stores until 31 October.”

Tesco

This supermarket will also accept the old £1 at tills and self-service machines for one week over the official Treasury deadline.

Poundland

The discount store will accept the old pounds until 31 October.

Iceland

Foreseen foods specialist will accept the old pounds until 31 October.

Greggs 

High street pastry shop will accept the coins after the deadline, with no cut off date yet proposed.

The Entertainer

A toy shop, The Entertainer will take the old coins until the end of 2017.

Smaller shops

The Federation of Small Businesses, which represent 170,000 small shops such as corner shops, advised their members tokeep taking the coins after the deadline.

Supermarkets have also advised shoppers to hold on to their old round £1 coins to use for their trolleys.

A Treasury spokesman told the Telegraph: “The new pound coin was brought in to reduce the multimillion-pound cost to British business from counterfeits.

“Businesses told us they wanted certainty on a cut-off date, which is why we introduced the October 15 deadline.

“The overwhelming majority of businesses tell us they are ready, and the small minority who choose to keep accepting the old coin, after it ceases to be legal tender, will have to make their own arrangements with their banks.”

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis told Britons they should do this with their old pound coins.