Reminder: Today is the last day to pay utility bills, fuel up cars with old notes

Pay up on your bills and needs before its too late

Today is the last date for old notes to be accepted as payment for water and electricity bills, government penalties, and at state-run petrol pumps, government hospitals, metros and for railway tickets. 

After Friday midnight, even these utility payments would have to be done in either lower denomination currency notes or in new currency notes, which will add to the pressure on banks and ATMs.

While demonetising the high-value currency notes on Tuesday, the government had permitted people to use such notes for payment of certain services till a set deadline.

It is not too late yet, so here are the payments you can clear till midnight:

1) Utility bills: Utility bills for water, gas and electricity can be paid for in old currency notes. LPG cylinders can also be purchased with the now defunct notes. Petrol pumps will also be accpeting the old notes till midnight. 

2) Railway and airline travel: Train and airline tickets, along with railway catering, can be paid for with old currency notes. However, the government has instructed airlines to make PAN cards mandatory for transactions above Rs 25,000. Also, bookings made via cash payment till Friday midnight have been made non-refundable. Metro tickets can also be paid for with old currency notes. 

3) Medicine: Any medicine with a doctor's prescription can be bought with the defunct notes. 

4) Government penalties and fines: The old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes will be accepted for payment of fees, charges, taxes, penalty to central and state governments, including municipalities and local bodies. 

5) Essential services: Exemptions have also been made for payments at government hospitals, milk booths, crematoria/burial grounds and petrol pumps till November 11.