ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Promotional United States fake currency

Okay kiddo, sometimes people make fake money that looks like real money but it's not real. This is called counterfeit money.

Now, sometimes businesses or organizations make fake money that looks like real money but it's not meant to fool anyone. This is called promotional fake currency. These are usually made to advertise a product or service.

So, if you go to a store and they give you a fake $5 bill with a picture of their logo on it, that's promotional fake currency. It's not real money that you can use to buy things, but it might have a special offer or discount code on it that you can use at that store.

It's important to always check the money you receive to make sure it's real. If you're not sure, you can ask a grown-up for help or take it to a bank to check. And remember, real money is important and valuable, so we need to treat it with respect and only use it for things we really need.