UPDATE: The government has extended its deadline to 24 November for these transactions. This copy has been updated to reflect the same.
The government and the Reserve Bank of India are urging the public to use plastic money and avoid repeated trips to bank branches to avoid hassles, in the wake of the currency demonetisation move. The long queues outside ATMs and banks are set to get worse on Sunday as banks will be shut on Monday.
However, people have until 24th November, RBI says, to use the discontinued ₹500 and ₹1000 bank notes at the following 15 places:
1. For making payments in government hospitals for medical treatment and pharmacies in government hospitals for buying medicines with doctor's prescription.
2. For making payments in all pharmacies on production of doctor's prescription and proof of identity.
3. For purchases at consumer cooperative stores operated under authorisation of central or state governments. This will require ID proof.
4. For purchase at milk booths operating under authorisation of the central or state governments.
5. For payments on purchases LPG gas cylinders.
6. For purchase of petrol, diesel and gas at the stations operating under the authorisation of public sector oil marketing companies.
7. For making payments towards utility charges including water and electricity. These will be restricted to individuals or households for payment of only arrears or current charges and no advance payments will be allowed.
8. For making payments towards any fees, charges, taxes or penalties, payable to the central or state governments including municipal and local bodies.
9. At railway ticketing counters, ticket counters of government or public sector buses and airline ticketing counters at airports for purchase of tickets
10. For making payments to catering services on board, during travel by rail.
11. For making payments for purchasing tickets for travel by suburban and metro rail services.
12. At international airports, for arriving and departing passengers, who possess specified bank notes, the value of which does not exceed five thousand rupees to exchange them for notes having legal tender character;
13. For making payments for purchase of entry tickets for any monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.
14. For foreign tourists to exchange foreign currency or specified bank notes, the value of which does not exceed Rs 5,000 to exchange.
15. For payments at crematoria and burial grounds.
Read RBI's full list of FAQs on currency exchange here.