The practical answer
If a Paraguayan guaraní note is torn, worn or incomplete, do not treat it the same way as a note that may be false or a note stained with red anti-theft ink. The Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) and supervised financial entities use different paths for these three situations.
The simple split is this: ordinary damage may be presented for the BCP exchange and withdrawal process, but BCP does not exchange a note that cannot be identified or that has lost more than two fifths of its area. A note or coin whose authenticity is doubtful must be received by supervised entities for the prescribed process. A note marked with red ink from an activated ATM anti-theft system is a separate case: BCP says it is not exchangeable by the public; financial entities retain it and send it to the police.
They do not mean that every damaged or marked item will be replaced. They tell the cash holder which lane to use.
Decision tree
| What you see | Best first classification | What the rule says | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| The note is worn, torn, dirty or partly missing, but still identifiable | Ordinary damage | It belongs in the damaged-note exchange and withdrawal path handled by BCP and supervised entities | Do not assume automatic exchange |
| The note cannot be identified, or more than two fifths of its area is missing | Damage beyond the stated exchange limit | BCP does not exchange it | Do not convert the two-fifths limit into another percentage or exception |
| The note looks possibly false or its authenticity is doubtful | Doubtful authenticity | Supervised entities must receive it from the public for the prescribed process | Do not try to pass it on or test it in circulation |
| The note has red ink associated with an activated ATM anti-theft system | Anti-theft ink | It is not exchangeable by the public; financial entities retain it and send it to police | Do not treat red ink as ordinary dirt or wear |
| A coin has filing or cuts | Excluded coin damage | BCP excludes coins with filing or cuts from exchange | Do not apply the note-area rule to coins |
Lane 1: ordinary damage
Ordinary damage is the lane for cash that has suffered physical wear or loss but is not being treated as doubtful authenticity and is not the red-ink ATM case. The relevant BCP rule is restrictive as well as practical: BCP does not exchange a note that cannot be identified, and it does not exchange a note that has lost more than two fifths of its area.
A useful way to visualize the area rule is to divide the note into five equal parts. If the missing portion is more than two of those five parts, it is outside the stated exchange condition. If the note is so damaged that it cannot be identified, it is also outside the exchange path. This is only a visualization of the rule; it is not a new measuring method, an exception or a guarantee of replacement.
Lane 2: doubtful authenticity
A note or coin that may not be genuine is not simply a damaged item. BCP's regulation creates a process for notes or coins with doubtful authenticity, and supervised entities must receive them from the public for that process.
The practical consequence is that the holder should separate doubt about authenticity from ordinary wear. A torn note that is otherwise identifiable belongs in one lane; a note whose authenticity is in doubt belongs in another. BCP's rule supports reception by supervised entities and remittance through the official process. It does not support advising readers to spend the item, compare it informally in circulation or create their own test with legal effect.
Lane 3: red anti-theft ink
Red ink from an activated ATM anti-theft system is the clearest separate lane. BCP says these banknotes cannot be exchanged by the public. Financial entities retain them and send them to the police.
That is different from a note with ordinary stains or wear. The public-facing result is also different: the person presenting the note should not expect the same exchange treatment described for ordinary damaged notes. The red-ink rule exists because the stain is tied to an activated anti-theft system, not because the note is merely dirty.
Quick checklist before going to a counter
- Can the note still be identified? If not, BCP states it is not exchangeable.
- Is more than two fifths of the note missing? If yes, BCP states it is not exchangeable.
- Is the problem doubt about authenticity rather than damage? If yes, supervised entities must receive the item for the prescribed process.
- Is there red ink from an activated ATM anti-theft system? If yes, the public exchange path does not apply; financial entities retain the note and send it to police.
- Is it a coin with filing or cuts? BCP excludes those coins from exchange.
Worked examples
| Example | Likely lane | Reason | Expected caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| A note is old and torn at the edge, but the denomination and identity remain clear | Ordinary damage | The issue is wear or tear, not stated doubt about authenticity or anti-theft ink | Exchange is not promised; the BCP exclusions still matter |
| A note has lost about half of its physical area | Excluded damaged note | Half is more than two fifths | BCP states it does not exchange notes beyond that loss |
| A note feels or looks suspicious even if it is physically intact | Doubtful authenticity | The problem is authenticity, not ordinary damage | Use the supervised-entity reception process, not recirculation |
| A note from an ATM has red anti-theft ink | Anti-theft ink | BCP treats this as non-exchangeable by the public | The financial entity retains it and sends it to police |