Want to learn how a CVS Coinstar Kiosk machine work? Are you looking for different ways to avoid the extra fee while converting coins into cash? Here we will provide valuable information to make your work easier.
What Is Coinstar?
An American company founded it in February 1991 and prepared a device that converts coins into paper money. It is easy to find a nearby machine.
Many coin-counting machines are fixed at several locations across the United States. According to recent research, approximately 90% of the US population find it within 5 miles radius.
There is no limitation while converting coins. You can easily convert a coin of one cent to one dollar. It is trendy nationwide and is considered one of the most reliable and leading sources for converting peonies into paper money.
Additionally, the company offers the service of getting an Egift card against the value of your money. You also directly donate your money to charity. Many people collect coins and face difficulties converting them into paper money because many banks don’t accept them.
Secondly, sometimes you don’t have bank access on your premises and are not a credit union member. The coin-counting machine is the right choice in these conditions because it will fix all your worries in a short time.
Calculate Coinstar’s Fee
This coin-exchanging machine removes a lot of users’ worries and charges some fees against services. It includes maintenance, transaction, and service charges.
Selecting the cash option will automatically deduct an 11.9% fee from your total money. For example, if you exchange $100 coins, you will get a payout voucher of $88.1.
Many argue why they pay the extra money and think it is a stupid tax. But they should remember that this machine indirectly saves time and money.
Use banks as an alternative to Coinstar machines, but people feel annoyed with their strict rules. For example, they asked to count, clean, and wrap coins in rolls. It is a very hectic job and wastes precious time.
Ultimately, it all depends on your preference of which option suits you best. You have both options and need to consider their pros and cons. For example, if you want to save time and hassle, Coinstar is the best option. You can choose banks and avoid extra charges if you have much extra time.
How to Avoid The Coinstar Fee
There are a lot of methods to avoid the fee, and it is up to you which option suits you more.
Firstly, use the Gift Card option to avoid the Coinstar fees. Before dumping coins in the machine, choose the gift card option from the machine’s screen. So, you will get a card instead of paper money and get more benefits from this card.
For example, you get a discount if you get an Amazon Gift card and purchase something from amazon.com. Get double the benefit using your gift card with coupons and deals.
On the other hand, if you don’t like the gift card option. Utilize the Local Banks and Credit Unions to exchange your coins without charging fees. Before visiting your desired branch, confirm whether they have a coin-counting machine and their terms and conditions.
How Does Coinstar Work?
It is a self-service machine that counts all your coins carefully and quickly. It is easy to manage all its operations and requires no technical skill or knowledge.
There is no need to visit banks and wait for a long time for your turn. You will easily find it because it is large in size and green in color. The Coinstar machine is mainly installed near the customer service desk.
Additionally, remove all the dirt from the coins before using a machine. Dry coins carefully because the debris may sometimes jam the machine and not accept coins.
Consider the following steps to cash your coins at a local Coinstar kiosk.
- Firstly, explore the machine near your premises.
- Then you will find different payment options on the screen like cash, eGift Card, and e Certificate. Choose your desired payment option.
- After that, accept all the terms and conditions for the next step.
- Nextly, add all your coins to the specific slot.
- The machine will automatically count your coins and identify their worth. It automatically sends back the rejected coins due to any issues.
- Now the machine will create a payout voucher based on the coins’ worth.
- In the end, against the value of the voucher, take cash or an Egift card from the customer service desk.
What are the Coinstar E-gift Card Options?
| Retailers | Minimum Exchange Limits Amount ($) | Maximum Exchange Limits Amount($) |
| Applebee’s | 5 | 500 |
| Amazon | 5 | 1,000 |
| AMC | 10 | 100 |
| Burlington | 10 | 250 |
| Cabela’s | 5 | 500 |
| Chuck E Cheese | 5 | 250 |
| Chili’s | 5 | 100 |
| Domino’s | 10 | 100 |
| GameStop | 5 | 500 |
| Hotels | 10 | 500 |
| IHop | 5 | 200 |
| Krispy Kreme | 5 | 200 |
| Karma Koin | 10 | 500 |
| Lowe’s | 5 | 1,000 |
| Outback Steakhouse | 10 | 500 |
| Razer Gold | 10 | 500 |
| Regal Entertainment | 5 | 100 |
| Roblox | 5 | 500 |
| Red Robin | 5 | 150 |
| Ruby Tuesday | 5 | 200 |
| Southwest | 25 | 500 |
| Sephora | 10 | 500 |
| Steam | 10 | 100 |
| Starbucks | 5 | 500 |
| The Home Depot | 5 | 2,000 |
| iTunes | 5 | 500 |
Get a gift card from the retailers, as mentioned earlier. Before dumping the coins, ensure these Kiosks offer the gift card service.
How to find Kiosks?
- Firstly, click on the provided button.
- You will move to the next tab, where you enter your address or zip code and insert it into the search bar.
- A system will access your location and show the nearby machines on the map.
- Choose your desired machine option from the map.
- A system will show related Kiosks services on the left side of the screen.
- Click on the See Brands option next to the Egift card icon.
- Now check the different brand’s available offers. It is easy to make a good decision.
- In the end, if you are still looking for kiosk offers, you again check it by changing the location because it varies by the kiosk.
Is Coinstar Free at Walmart?
Yes, the services are available only in some Walmart stores. They do not deduct the Coinstar fees if you use the payout voucher again in their store. Check whether it offers coin exchanging services before dumping the coins in the machine. You can also call the related store and verify them from the service desk.
What Stores Have Coinstar Kiosks?
Many grocery stores and retailer shops in the USA installed Coinstar kiosks to assist their customers. In the below section, we compile a list of stores. Before visiting the store, confirm them on call and save your time.
| CVS |
| Food Maxx |
| Fred Meyer |
| Gristede’s |
| H.E.B |
| Harvey’s |
| Ideal Market |
| Jewel Osco |
| King Soopers |
| Kroger |
| Mariano’s |
| Neighborhood Market |
| QFC |
What Other Banks Have a Free Coin Counting Machine?
In the United States, plenty of banks offer coin-counting machine services. Confirm the machine before visiting the bank if you have a pile of pennies because some local banks don’t have machines. It will save a lot of your time and effort. The list of the most popular banks that provide the service without charging fees is as follows.
- American Eagle Credit Union
- First County Bank
- TCF Bank
- JBT Bank
- Manasquan Bank
- Shelby Savings Bank
- Glenview State Bank
- People’s United Bank
- Hancock County Savings Bank
- Westerra Credit Union
- Apple River State Bank
- State Bank of Dekalb
How to Donate Your Coins to Charity?
You can directly donate your coins to charity causes and help out needy persons. If you choose the donate option from the machine, it will not deduct their fees. Many organizations need your charity. Some of the reputable charity choices are as mentioned;
- American Red Cross
- Feeding America
- Make a Wish
- NAACP
- The Humane Society
- UNICEF USA
- Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
- United Way
- WWF
Where can I Cash in Coins for Free?
It is challenging to change your money because there are many options, but each has different demands and restrictions. For example, a coin exchange machine charges 11.9% fees of your total income. Secondly, banks demand that you separate, clean, and wrap your coins before exchanging them.
Thirdly, many local banks or credit unions charge a fee from non-members. After researching my personal experience, I found the only suitable option is Chase Bank. They equally treat all members without any discrimination.
The only demand of Chase Bank is that you only exchange a maximum of $200 cash from each branch. The good thing is that you can easily exchange $200 from each branch if you have more branches on your premises. They will never deduct any fees.
Best Redemptions for Coinstair E Gift Cards
There are many redemption options if you have extra coins and want to exchange them for e-gift cards. Amazon is the trendiest and easiest option because you get many benefits with an Amazon Gift card. Use the vouchers to buy your required product from their online store.
Amazon has many product options and offers approximately more than 450 million products. Southwest Airlines is a fantastic e-gift card redemption option. Easily travel and book flights or hotels with the help of this card, and no need to pay with a credit card or other mediums.
Coinstar Opening Time
Use a coin change machine anytime because there are no specific time restrictions. Compared to other vending machines, use it during the day or night. However, there is a time limitation if you utilize it in the Banks and other departmental stores.
Penny Arcade Coin Machines
In the past, penny card machines were top-rated, but in the last few years, it is completely disappeared. Initially, they are installed in TD Bank, where account holders or non-account holders can use them equally.
Secondly, users can win small prizes while guessing the coins’ total value. However, if the user guesses the correct amount, they will receive a small prize from the bank teller when clearing their payout receipt.
How to Use an E-gift Card?
A gift card is made with plastic material and has a unique code on the upper face of the card. Use this card for online shopping and insert a special card code at a specific spot. Secondly, you can also utilize this card in the retail store. Check the card balance from the related store’s official website or contact their customer service center.
Conclusion
In the end, saving money is a valuable habit that allows you to set aside extra funds for challenging times. You can save your spare change and exchange it for paper money or e-gift cards, which can be used for charitable purposes. The coin-counting machine effortlessly converts your coins into cash, making the process hassle-free.
If you have a lot of coins at your home and want to change them for paper money, the CVS Coinstar Kiosk machine will make your work easier.
They quickly tally all your pennies and provide a voucher that you can redeem. We discuss many redemption methods to save money. You can also buy bitcoins instead of cash from the nearest Coinstar location.
FAQs
How much does Coinstar charge for $20?
If you want to exchange $20 from the machine, it will deduct $2.38 from your total income as a service fee.
Where can I change coins for free?
- Many banks and credit unions exchange coins without any fees. According to our research and personal experiences, we listed some local banks and credit unions.
- JBT
- Hancock County Savings Bank
- Manasquan Bank
- Republic Bank
- Rockland Trust Bank
What stores have Coin Star?
- There are a lot of stores across the globe where you can easily find kiosk machines. The prominent store names are as follows;
- CVS
- Food Lion
- Hannaford
- Kroger
- Meijer
- Safeway
- Walmart
Is Coinstar accurate?
Yes, it is entirely accurate and safe. It uses unique technology to determine the coin’s weight, size, and metal quality by using sensors. After collecting all the data, the machine compared the coins from their database.
Is there a limit for Coinstar?
Yes, there is a limitation while using a Coinstar. You can only get $2000 in each transaction.
Does Food Lion have a Coinstar?
You can use Coinstar Kiosks in Food Lion stores, depending on location. Before visiting the store, you must confirm it to avoid any difficulty.
Can I use small changes for small purchases?
You can use small changes to pay for gas, grocery, water, vacation, and other bills. If you use the small change, it will help you to avoid credit card interest and additional bank charges.
Does Meijer have a coinstar?
Yes, Coin Star is available in many Meijer store locations. You can easily find it because it is mainly fixed at the front of the store.
Can I convert Conistar to PayPal?
You cannot exchange the coins and transfer the cash directly to PayPal.
