6 Places to Cash in Coins for Free
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Want to get cash for coins? I can help.
One way my family saves money is by saving coins. When we pay cash and get the change back, the coins go into a jar. Once the jars are full, it is time to cash them in.
Where to Get Cash for Coins
Here are our top places to get those coins turned into cash.
1. Bank of America
Bank of America accepts rolled coins. If you have the patience to stick your loose change into rolls, then this is a good option for Bank of America customers.
For those with an account, the bank will simply deposit the rolls into your savings account. If you don’t have an account with Bank of America, they won’t be able to help you. Use their branch locator to find one near you.
2. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo is an option for their existing customers. It is worth noting that you’ll need to roll your coins before the bank will accept them.
Personally, I’ve used Wells Fargo to exchange coins for dollar bills. I brought a jar of coins to the bank, and the teller gave me rolls at the counter.
They also have a branch locator page to make it easy to find a location in your area.
3. US Bank
US Bank offers coin exchange services for customers.
As a customer, you can bring your coins to the bank without rolls. The banker will deposit the coins into your account. From there, you can pull out cash funds if you’d like to or leave them in there for a rainy day.
It’s convenient to skip the tedious coin-rolling process. However, only US Bank customers will find this option available. Click here to find a U.S. Bank near you.
4. Citibank
Citibank accepts rolled coins as deposits from account holders. Although you’ll need to roll your coins ahead of time, the bank will place them directly into your account.
Unfortunately, non-customers are out of luck at Citibank. Without an account, you won’t be able to exchange coins for cash at a Citibank location.
Use their location finder to locate a branch in your area.
5. Credit Unions
Many credit unions have coin-counting machines. You typically have to be a member to have coins counted for free. Non-members usually have to pay a fee.
If you aren’t sure what the credit unions in your area offer, make some calls around town. The receptionist should be able to let you know if a coin machine is available. Plus, they can explain if there are any fees involved.
One bonus with having a local credit union that will convert the coins is you can add the money directly to your account, where it can earn interest. Money in the jar only earns dust.
6. QuikTrip
QuikTrip gas stations and convenience stores have over 800 locations in the Southeastern, Midwestern, and Southern U.S.
You can turn your coins into any QuikTrip location and get cash.
If your local store doesn’t have enough cash to cash out your coins, they’ll give you the remaining balance as a QuikTrip gift card.
QuikTrip isn’t charging a fee for this service.
Get Cash From Coin Counting Machines
Retailers sometimes have coin-counting machines that let you exchange coins for cash. You pour your coins into the machine, and it will count them.
Note that it will spit out any coins it can’t identify. This could include foreign coins, damaged coins, and non-coins.
If the machine spits out a real coin, put it in again. Sometimes, you can get it to register by doing that.
Know that this service isn’t free. One popular coin-counting machine is run by Coinstar. Coinstar has coin-counting machines in stores everywhere.
What is Coinstar’s Fee?
Coinstar charges 11.9% to turn your coins into cash. You can read about how to get around that toward the bottom of this article.
Check the Coinstar website for kiosks near you. Here is a list of stores that might have coin-counting machines in your area.
- Walmart
- Kroger
- CVS
- ShopRite
- Hy-Vee
- Meijer
- Albertsons
- Harris Teeter
- Hannaford
- Cash Wise
- Target
- Safeway
- Lowe’s
- Winco
Relevant article: Where To Get Quarters – 10 Great Options
Coinstar Fees
As I mentioned before, Coinstar charges a whopping 11.9% fee if you want cash for your coins. So, if you have $100 in coins, you’ll get charged $11.90.
I know that’s a LOT of money. I’m not a big fan of paying fees. You’re likely not, either.
However, there are a few options for avoiding the fee. Check out these choices.
Get an e-Gift Card for Free
Coinstar does have an option for you to get an e-gift card instead of actual cash for your coins.
You won’t pay a fee if you get an e-gift card. Coinstar has several e-gift card options. They all come with minimum and maximum dollar amounts.
Gift Card Options
| Company | Gift Card Amounts |
| Amazon | $5 to $1,000 |
| Applebee’s | $5 to $500 |
| Best Buy | $5 to $500 |
| Gamestop | $15 to $500 |
| Home Depot | $10 to $500 |
| iTunes | $5 to $500 |
| Southwest Airlines | $25 to $500 |
| Starbucks | $5 to $500 |
Note that the retailers and amounts are subject to change. However, if you’re looking to avoid the Coinstar fee, this could help.
Give the Money to Charity
Coinstar will waive the coin counting fee if you donate the money to charity through them. Their list of available charities is small. However, they are all good choices.
- Unicef
- United Way
- American Red Cross
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
- World Wildlife Foundation
- Feeding America
- Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
There’s something for everyone on the charity list. If you want to give your coins to a good cause, you can go this route.
How To Roll Coins
Rolling your coins can be a great way to organize loose change and make it easier to deposit or exchange for cash. Whether you have a collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters, the process is relatively simple and can be done in just a few steps.
Before getting ready to wrap your coins, you will first need some coin wrappers. They can be purchased at Dollar Tree, Staples, Walmart and Amazon. Next, organize your coins by value.
Once you have sorted the coins, it is time to start rolling. Begin by placing a stack of coins at one end of a coin wrapper. Make sure the coins are lined up neatly and facing in the same direction.
Then, fold the wrapper over the coins and press firmly on the edges to create a tight seal. Continue rolling the wrapper until all the coins are inside.
Finally, label the wrapper with the type of coin and the total amount inside. This will help you keep track of your rolled coins and make it easier to exchange them for cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I exchange my coins for cash for free?
Many banks and credit unions offer coin exchange services to their customers free of charge. Laundrymats and grocery stores are also a great option.
Some supermarkets and retail stores may also have coin counting machines that exchange coins for cash, although they may charge a fee.
What is the best way to prepare my coins for free exchange?
Before taking your coins to a coin exchange service, it is important to sort them by denomination and remove any foreign objects or damaged coins. This will make the process faster and easier for the service provider.
Additionally, consider using coin wrappers to organize your coins and label them.
When using places like Coinstar, you do not need to sort your coins. Just bring your stash to the machine and dump them in. However, make sure there is no debris in the mix.
Are there any restrictions?
Many banks and credit unions have a limit on the amount of coins that can be exchanged for cash for free. It’s important to check with your financial institution to see if there are any limits or fees associated with coin exchange services.
Using coin counting systems like Coinstar, there are no limits on coins. You will however lose up to 11% due to fees they charge.
Summary
I’ve found saving coins is a great way to save money. You don’t miss them when you throw them into the jar. They almost don’t seem like real cash.
Sometimes, we’ll throw dollar bills into our coin jar, too. They really add up over time. You can save several hundred dollars a year this way.
Using your own bank is the cheapest way to get cash for coins. However, if that’s not an option, you have Coinstar. You may pay a fee with Coinstar, but at least you’ll get cash.
Excellent and very informative info about Coinstar. I have a much better opinion of their service. THANK YOU.
I’m in California and the Indian casinos here will cash in your change absolutely free. And directly into cash. Of course they assume you will spend it there but you’re free to walk out the door.
Being a coin collector ,I get a $500 box of coins, half dollars, from certain banks. That means it would cost me over $50 to use a Coin star machine. Ridiculli. I take it to a bank that has a machine. No fee.
I went to Bank of America and they did need it in rolls
Yeah, I’m pretty sure when i first used a coinstar kiosk, they skimmed I think around %4.5 (I could be a little off – but not much) now that rate has nearly tripled !? I think I will try the Amazon egift card option next time…
Thanks for the article. One thing I think should be mentioned, based on my experience. I decided to get an Amazon gift card to avoid the fee, and then simply use the gift card to purchase a Visa gift card on Amazon. This would allow me to use the money wherever credit cards were accepted! Well, not exactly. No. Amazon doesn’t allow you to purchase Visa gift cards with Amazon gift cards, AND there’s an additional $4.95 “purchasing fee” even if they DID allow this.
Just wanted to mention this in case anyone was thinking of taking advantage of what seems like a pretty sweet loophole.
I recently rolled up all the quarters and dimes I had saved. It took me less than an hour, and I ended up with over $200, which means I saved $24+ (more than my hourly wage at work). The nickels and pennies didn’t seem worth my time, so I took those to the coinstar machine and paid them around $5 to count $40+ — well worth it in my opinion, as it would have taken nearly the same amount of time to roll the small denominations.
Personally I think this is horrible coins are in approved and federal he backed American currency. All banks credit unions and other financial establishments should offer the service for free to convert coins to bills.
I agree Rolled. I belong to a credit union and they don’t accept change or say they don’t have a change counter. What bank on God’s green earth doesn’t have a change counter. Do they mean to tell us the tellers count all their change… every day!!! My credit union won’t take change weather it’s rolled or not and don’t have a counter. What kind of customer service is that? We get charged for everything. Greed has become the forefront in every business. And remember when the banks were given a helping hand and alot of the money went towards bonuses?! What do you expect from greedy b____________s.
I used coinstar a few times until I realized how much money they took. This is very useful information. I save coins all the time. I get up early and go to the stores and self check out at Krogers. I will contact my bank to see if they take coins.
Rockland Federal Savings Bank in Massachusetts has coin counting machines in some locations and are free for bank customers.
Webster 5 in Massachusetts also has these machines in some of their branches but charge 4% for bank customers.
That’s a great idea!!! Thanks for the share.
Some grocery stores have self checkout for cash. You can pay with all coins and no fee, as long as you pay within the time limit. I can put 5 bucks worth of quarters in easily. Every Tuesday, I go to one and get a couple small items. I stuff in the week’s change, and problem solved.
That’s good to know! Thanks for the idea!
Hi there – Update. I followed this advice and went to my bank. I’m in Arizona. Both my bank Chase and then Wells Fargo said they do not have coin counters.
If your bank doesn’t have any coin counters, then check out some of the other options in this article. Many Walmarts have a coinstar, and there are lots of other options! Best of luck!
Thank for all the information! I can’t afford Coinstar’s fee, but it’s great to know both the fee percentage and the choices for the gift cards and charities. I also appreciate the information on taking the money to a bank. My bank has been unhelpful in the past but it’s worth trying again.
I hope you can find something that works for you! Glad this article could help. Best of luck!
It is absurd to call Coinstar cheap, it is almost 12%, Very misleading headline.
That is a big percentage! However, there are many different options for cashing in coins in this article. Also, many people who have a vast number of coins that they just want to get rid of don’t mind the fee!
I agree. Coinstar WAY overcharges.
Agree with George
I agree with you George. Article is misleading. Your not cashing in if you get a gift card. I looked at them all listed. A joke. I hear people at the kiosks complain when I walk by. I will not give 11.90 per 100 just to dump my hard earned money into a machine. I can do this several times a year, maybe 3x or more. So that’s 34+ dollars I am giving to a machine. That’s ridiculous. My bank is more than an hour away from me and I won’t change banks because I’ve been with them 15+ years. I go with a friend to their bank to cash. I might just open a savings with it. Another good idea that isn’t listed. It’s already not being used and out of sight so why not.
Thanks for the feedback Amy. Make sure to check out our articles on best banks for savings accounts.
I have n R5 coin of 2018. How much is the value of it?
Check out some of the links in the article on ways you can find the value of your coin! You can also seek out an appraiser or go to a pawn shop to see if they can find the value of it as well!
It’s a great idea and I don’t mind the fee. Had a lot of change around my place.
Glad you had some success!
The site name is deceptive. Except for going to a bank or giving to charity, which isn’t exchanging your coins for cash, there’s only stores that have Coinstar, and they’re not cheap or free.
It depends on your definition of cheap, I suppose. Thanks for your comments and opinion.
This information is great. I didn’t realize there are so many ways to avoid the fee and receive a gift card for places like Amazon. Thank you for this post.
Your welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful.