I just learned that Coinstar machines will trade for gift cards at no loss...

[Phentex]

If you enjoy wrapping your own coins, that's probably the most frugal way to exchange. But if you want to drop them in a machine, many of the Coinstar machines will offer gift cards or e-cards instead of keeping a fee. I think that's pretty neat.

Have any of you done this?

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I don't know what a Coinstar machine is.

I guess that there are none in my part of this world. I wrap my own coins, but if it is true that they will take and count your coins and give you a gift card without keeping a fee, that would be a better solution. Wrapping does take time----although I do it when I am really not doing anything else, and it isn't taxing work.

[Phentex]

2. coinstar.com lets you put in your zip code

and search.

They have been in grocery stores here for years because I remember taking my kids to drop off coins. They used to love looking for coins and weren't too proud to stop and pick them up!

And now as teens, they seemed excited when I mentioned itunes cards.

[hlthe2b]

3. Unfortunately, I have found that those options are not available all the time and everywhere...

I was more than willing to go for an Amazon.com or Starbucks card on the two occasions I hauled a bunch of change after my recent move. But I used coinstar at two different grocery stores and that feature, though listed, was ultimately not available and I had to get the cash minus a 10% service charge. The other option was to purchase a special pre-paid "Green Dot" visa card (which cost $5 or $6, just for the card and you are required to put, I think, $25 on it to activate it)....

So, while it sounds good, in practice, I haven't found it to necessarily be the case. I'm told my credit union will let you come in with un-rolled coins, but I haven't tried it. Coinstar is convenient, I'll give them that.

[quakerboy]

5. My CU

brought in the machines, and you have to pay a fee. Its one of only 2 things that irks me about my cu.

But US bank has always taken my coins without issue. I used to take them to BOA, but BOA stole from me(they take coin, but seal and send it to a vault to be counted rather than doing it onsite, and revise your deposit if their count comes up different. Several deposits were revised down, so I brought them some coin that I had unrolled from another bank just to test, and money went missing again. Literal theft of cash, not just figurative fee theft), so I don't bank there anymore.

[uppityperson]

4. I've never heard of that but it sounds like a good option so long as you use the gift cards.

[safeinOhio]

6. I have an account at 5/3rd bank.

If I go to the main branch in town, I can use the CoinStar for free. One must have an account there. However, they usually just ask and never check. When the 44 ounce fast food cup is almost full, I get over 60 bucks.

[Phentex]

7. That's cool

And convenient.