Long queues are witnessed at banks across the country. People faced difficulties in paying for household items, essential commodities and vegetables as they ran out of savings of small currencies while it was tough to get cash from ATMs due to huge rush and long queues.

10 facts to know before you head to your bank or ATM:

1. All banks will be working for 12 hours on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to clear the rush of desperate customers for exchange transactions and, if required, remain open even next Sunday (November 20).
2. At branches, the queues moved slowly as cashiers laboriously counted out notes of lower denominations adding up to either Rs 4,000 in case of an exchange, or Rs 10,000 in case of withdrawals. For many, waits of up to five to six hours were exercises in futility as branches ran out of cash.
3. New software not installed in many ATMs making them useless in the new system.
4. All the ATMs have not yet been cleared of the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.
5. Only 7 currency logistics firm currently operating in the country with around 9,000 currency vans.
6. Bankers have said it could take a few days for all ATMs to be reprogrammed to dispense the new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 notes. They also said ATMs are being replenished with Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes as and when they run out.
7. The limit on free transactions at ATM and the surcharge levied on non-free transactions have been waived for the time being.
8. Some banks have also started accepting cash deposits through their cash deposit machines.
9. Petrol pumps, hospitals, railways stations and airports will stop accepting the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes from midnight, when Friday ends.
10. Old notes can be deposited or exchanged at any bank or post office. So, it is not necessary to visit your home branch to deposit your money into your account.