You probably have a jar. Maybe it’s an old Taster’s Choice coffee container or a sophisticated ceramic piggy bank, but it’s sitting there, heavy and mocking you from the corner of the dresser. It’s "free" money, yet it feels like a chore. Most people asking where can i turn in coins for cash are usually looking for the path of least resistance, but that path often comes with a 12% "convenience fee" that eats your lunch.
I’ve spent way too much time hauling heavy bags of nickels into various lobbies just to see who’s actually playing fair. Honestly, the landscape has changed. Banks aren't the friendly neighborhood coin-counters they used to be back in the 90s.
The Bank Situation is Kinda Complicated Now
It used to be a given. You’d walk into a branch, hand over a heavy bag, and they’d dump it into a machine behind the counter. Not anymore. Now, big players like Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo have largely phased out their in-lobby coin counting machines. Why? Maintenance. Those machines break constantly because people try to feed them washers, transit tokens, and literal teeth.
If you want to use a bank, you’ve basically got two options. First, you can roll them yourself. It’s tedious. It’s messy. You’ll get that weird metallic smell on your hands that doesn't wash off for three hours. Most major banks will provide the paper wrappers for free if you ask, and they will usually take the rolled coins without a fee if you have an account there.
But there’s a catch. Some branches are getting picky. They might limit you to $50 in rolls per day, or they might require you to write your account number on every single roll. It's a massive time sink.
Then you have the "send away" banks. Some Credit Unions and smaller regional banks, like PNC or TD Bank (though TD famously settled a massive lawsuit over their "Penny Arcade" machines being inaccurate and subsequently pulled them), might still have machines. However, the golden rule of the 2020s is: Call ahead. Don't be the person lugging 40 pounds of zinc across a parking lot only to be told they don't accept loose change.
The Coinstar Reality Check
We have to talk about the big green giant. Coinstar is everywhere. You see them at Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and CVS. They are the ultimate "I give up" solution for where can i turn in coins for cash.
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The convenience is unmatched. You dump the coins, the machine screams for a bit, and you get a voucher. But that voucher comes with a sting. As of early 2026, the service fee for cash usually hovers around 12.5% plus a small transaction fee in some regions. If you have $100 in coins, you’re handing $12.50 to a machine for the privilege of it doing its job. That’s a couple of burritos.
There is a workaround, though. If you choose the "eGift Card" option, Coinstar usually waives the fee. You get 100% of your value for places like Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, or Home Depot. If you know you’re going to spend money there anyway, it’s the smartest way to use the machine. Just check the "Live" status on the screen before you start; sometimes the gift card server is down, and you’re stuck with the cash fee or a heavy bag to take back home.
QuikTrip and the Retail Workaround
Here’s a weird one most people ignore: gas stations and fast food. During the various "coin shortages" of the last few years, places like QuikTrip or even certain McDonald's franchises were practically begging for change.
While they won’t sit there and count $400 in pennies while a line forms behind you, many convenience stores are happy to swap a $10 or $20 roll of quarters for a bill. If you have smaller amounts—say, under $20—just using them for your morning coffee is the only way to ensure you get 100% value without manual labor or fees.
The "Secret" Credit Union Hack
If you are serious about getting your full value and you have a lot of change—I’m talking "buckets in the garage" levels—you need to join a Credit Union.
Not all of them, but many local credit unions still view coin counting as a member benefit. Some, like Navy Federal Credit Union or smaller local teachers' unions, often keep machines in the lobby that are free for members to use. Even if they charge a fee for non-members, it’s usually significantly lower than Coinstar’s double-digit bite. Sometimes it’s as low as 2% or 5%.
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Why You Should Check for "The Good Stuff" First
Before you dump everything into a hopper, you need to look for silver. Seriously.
Before 1965, U.S. dimes, quarters, and half-dollars were 90% silver. If you have a 1964 quarter, it isn’t worth 25 cents. It’s worth about $5 based on the melt value of silver (fluctuating with the market, of course).
- Dimes/Quarters/Halves: Look for anything dated 1964 or earlier.
- Nickels: Look for "War Nickels" (1942–1945) which have a large mint mark above the Monticello.
- Pennies: Look for "Wheat Pennies" (1909–1958). They aren't usually worth a fortune, but a 1943 steel penny or certain rare dates can be worth way more than a cent.
It sounds like a hassle to sort, but if you’re looking for where can i turn in coins for cash, you might as well make sure you aren't giving the machine a $10 bill disguised as a quarter.
The Retailer "Cash Back" Strategy
This is a bit of a "life hack" that requires a self-checkout lane and zero shame. If you have a modest amount of change—maybe $10 or $15—go to a grocery store with a self-checkout that accepts cash.
Buy your groceries, and when it’s time to pay, start feeding the coins into the slot. The machine counts them at 100% value toward your bill. It’s slower than a Coinstar, but it’s free. If you do this during a slow time at the store, no one cares. It’s an easy way to bleed off a coin collection without ever "cashing out" at all.
Dealing with "Damaged" Currency
What if your coins are gross? We’ve all found that jar that lived in a damp basement, and now the coins are green, sticky, or corroded.
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Most machines—both at banks and Coinstar—will spit these back out. They can jam the sensors. If you have significantly damaged or "mutilated" coins, the bank won't take them. In that case, you technically have to send them to the U.S. Mint through their Mutilated Coin Redemption Program. However, they’ve been known to pause this program periodically due to fraud concerns, so check the current status on the official Mint website before mailing anything.
Breaking Down the Options
If you have $200 in change:
- Bank (Rolled): You get $200. Cost: 2 hours of your life and sticky fingers.
- Coinstar (Cash): You get roughly $175. Cost: 5 minutes.
- Coinstar (eGift Card): You get $200 in Amazon credit. Cost: 5 minutes.
- Credit Union Machine: You get $200 (if a member). Cost: 10 minutes.
The Strategy for Moving Forward
Don't let the change accumulate for five years. That’s the mistake. When the jar gets heavy, it becomes a logistical nightmare.
Instead, adopt a "rolling" system. Keep a few pre-formed paper tubes in your junk drawer. When you get home and empty your pockets, put the quarters in one tube, the dimes in another. When a tube is full, fold the ends. Next time you go to the bank for anything else, drop those three or four rolls off. It feels like a bonus instead of a chore.
If you are sitting on a massive hoard right now, the best move is to call your local branch and ask their specific policy. If they say they don't take loose coins, ask if they provide free wrappers. Most do. Grab a beer, put on a podcast, and start rolling. It’s the only way to keep every cent that belongs to you.
Once you’ve cleared out the hoard, consider going digital. Using a debit card or "round-up" apps like Acorns or Chime can help you save that "spare change" in a digital account where it actually earns interest instead of sitting in a jar gathering dust and oxidizing into a green mess.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your stash: Spend 10 minutes pulling out any quarters or dimes dated 1964 or earlier. Check for the "S" mint mark on newer coins which might indicate a proof coin.
- Locate your nearest Credit Union: Search for one that specifically advertises a "free coin counter" for members. It’s often worth opening a basic savings account just for this perk.
- Check Coinstar Gift Card options: Go to the Coinstar website and see which specific retailers are offering "no-fee" cards at the machine in your local grocery store.
- Pick up wrappers: Stop by your bank and ask for two sleeves of each denomination. Even if you don't roll them today, having them removes the friction for when you finally decide to tackle the jar.