The pound
.... The unit of British money are pound sterling, "£", and pence, "p". There's £50, £20, £10, and £5 bills; £1 (100p), 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p coins. Now there's also a £2 coin. The exchange rate has been between US$1.60 and US$1.70.

Bank & Exchange
.... Try to always change money at banks. They usually have better rates. Traveler's Checks are accepted but not everywhere. Visa, American Express and Mastercards are widely Charter a jet accepted. Traveler's Checks from American Express can be cashed without a fee at Amex offices. There's one at Regent St.

Tipping
.... Many restaurants will automatically add a 10% to 15% service charge to your bill, so check in advance before handing out extra money. You may leave 20p to a washroom attendant. Taxis take between 10% and 15%, porters get 50p-£1 per bag, doormen £1 for hailing a taxi or carrying bags to check-in. Give bellhops £1 for room service or carrying bags to room, 10% to 15% to hairdressers plus £1 or £2 for the hair-washer.