- Everyone has ripped paper money from time to time.
- Most try to tape it up or toss it out.
- But you may be able to return it to the bank for a refund.
- If it's torn too badly, you can mail it in for a refund.
Most people have painstakingly taped together a ripped dollar bill at some point in their lives in the hopes of salvaging the mangled money. But one enterprising Twitter user tipped off the internet to an easier way of recovering the torn cash.
"Daily Show" writer Dan Amira took to Twitter on Tuesday with a money hack that will have people regretting giving up on their cash just because it went through the laundry a few too many times. He shared a photo of a $10 bill ripped in half, a letter he wrote to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing asking for a reimbursement check, and a check from the U.S. Treasury for $10.
"I used to think the government was bad, but now I think it is good," he tweeted. Judging by the 2,000+ favorites his tweet has amassed in less than 24 hours, he isn't the only one.
I used to think the government was bad, but now I think it is good pic.twitter.com/0qXsWfBlsB
— Dan Amira (@DanAmira) April 3, 2018
Amira learned about the trick from Planet Money's podcast episode "The Money Fixers," and it absolutely works.
The Mutilated Currency Division of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has a team of US currency experts that handle damaged money for free. Time reported that the BEP handles "about 30,000 claims a year to the tune of more than $30 million."
When asked for comment about the hack, Amira told INSIDER: "I thought this was pretty cool until I posted it on Twitter and dozens of people told me I could have just brought it to the bank."
Those commenters are correct in pointing out that returning the money to a physical bank is a viable option – so long as three-quarters of a bill are intact, and the bill is only ripped in two.
For more aggressive tears and barely-legible currency, the BEP is the best option. According to its website, some of the "most common causes" of mutilated currency include explosives, fire, animal damage, and deterioration by burying.
Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.
SEE ALSO: I saved $1,000 a month using these 5 easy tricks
FOLLOW US: INSIDER is on Facebook
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: An artist with a background in physics builds sculptures that disappear into thin air
0 Comments