Coinstar is totally awesome

[Greg]

Coinstar: "Would you, Greg, like to take the $63 in change you've been carrying in an old oatmeal container in the trunk of your car, and turn it into an Amazon gift certificate for the exact same amount?"

Greg: "Um...yes. Yes, I would."

http://www.coinstar.com/us/html/a-home

[tahoedrew]

Used it for iTunes credit just last month!

I agree, pretty cool deal (though I wouldn't take the 7% hit on taking just cash instead of a gift card/credit).

~A

[Biff Lugnut]

Yeah, last year we brought $400+ to partially subsidize a D80 purchase on Amazon.

[rgG]

Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.

[Biff Lugnut]

Chevy Chase bank here in NOVA has free coin counting machines, but sure, you can always invest the labor.

[GGD]

rgG wrote:
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.

Casinos always seemed like the logical place to take buckets of coins and turn them into paper money with no service charge, although I've never done that.

[Jack D.]

rgG wrote:
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.

My sentiment exactly. It's still legal tender and many banks get testy when you bring in unrolled coin. They all have the coin counters but they can't seem to be bothered helping a customer when there's no fee involved.

[Doc]

rgG wrote:
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.

If you're a customer, they should take rolled coins. They may make you jump through some hoops, though. My old bank used to make me write my name and account number on every roll and sign an affidavit that I'd counted them. It's a royal PITA to wrap the coins and then write on every roll.

One of the local banks that used to take loose coins with a Coinstar-like machine for free started charging for the service last year. They now take $7 bucks for the first $99.99 and then $15 for each $100 worth of coins.

It's going to make the holidays a little tougher this year. I always cash in the year's worth of change for holiday gift money. It's often well over $100.

[rz]

most banks these days charge for that service. My credit union will allow you to bring in up to 20 rolls a month... after that they charge $2 a roll. Screw that. Plus you have to roll the coins.

I used Coinstar a couple of years ago to get over $400 in Amazon GC's, which paid for almost half my Macbook. I probably have about $150 in change right now. Just waiting for the next thing I need from Amazon.

[Lee3]

I agree, Coinstar with an Amazon gift card is the way to go.