Coinstar Fees: How To Avoid Them and Get the Most Money Back

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Coinstar fees as of 2025 charge up to 12.% of your coin total, plus a transaction fee of 99 cents, unless you choose a no-fee gift card option.

There are ways to avoid Coinstar fees or at least reduce the percentage it will take. Here’s what you should know, including how to avoid any unnecessary costs.

What Are Coinstar’s Fees?

Coinstar’s service fee is up to 12.5%, and its transaction fee is 99 cents, but the exact amount will vary depending on the location.

How To Avoid Coinstar Fees

To avoid the Coinstar fee, you’ll have to choose to receive an e-gift card instead of cash. Before you choose to get a gift card, review the list of participating restaurants and retailers.

Available Gift Card Options from Coinstar:

• AMC Theatres
• Apple
• Applebee’s
• Cabela’s
• Chili’s
• Domino’s
• DoorDash
• GameStop
• Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta
• Hotels.com
• IHOP

• Lowe’s
• Nike
• Outback Steakhouse
• Roblox
• Red Robin
• Southwest Airlines
• Starbucks
• Steam
• Texas Roadhouse
• The Home Depot

Are There Free Alternatives to Coinstar?

Options for Coinstar alternatives are limited. Some banks have change-counting machines, although fewer and fewer banks these days provide them.

Where To Cash In Coins for Free

To avoid Coinstar fees, there are two ways to cash in your coins for free.

Roll Your Coins

First, you can sort and fill a coin roll and take that to your bank to deposit or exchange for cash. Depending on how much change you have, the process might be time-consuming, but at least you’ll save money.

Visit your local branch first and ask them for the paper coin sleeves. Most banks will provide them for free, or you can buy them at an office supply store.

Use a Bank’s Coin-Counting Machine

The other option is to go to one of the few banks that still have coin-counting machines. It might be worth the trip if you have a lot of change to roll. Most banks with these machines provide the machine to customers free of charge, but some charge a fee to noncustomers.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide if your time is well spent rolling coins or driving to a distant bank. Say you’re cashing in $10 worth of change. Using Coinstar to automate the process will cost you up to $1.75. With $100 worth of change to cash in, Coinstar fees can be as much as $13. Compare that to the time and effort it will take you to sort your change and drop it into rolls or drive it to a bank with a counting machine.

Banks With Coin-Counting Machines

Coin machines have been relegated to smaller regional banks and credit unions. The following banks have coin-counting machines:

• American Eagle Financial Credit Union: Free for customers, 10% for noncustomers; not available at all locations
• Apple River State Bank: Free for customers
• First County Bank: Free for customers, 10% for noncustomers
• Hancock County Savings Bank: Free for customers
• JBT: Free for customers, 5% for noncustomers
• Manasquan Bank: Free for customers, 15% for noncustomers
• Shelby Savings Bank: Free for customers; available at Center and Hemphill branches
• State Bank of Dekalb: Free for customers; available at Texarkana branch only

Accuracy and Machine Concerns

There have been issues in the past with the accuracy of coin-counting machines. Machines that reportedly shortchanged customers were the reason why some banks, such as TD Bank, pulled their coin machines.

Coinstar machines undergo “rigorous testing to ensure kiosks are highly accurate and reliable,” and technicians routinely service them, as noted on the company’s website.

For anyone worried about getting ripped off by the coin counter, consider rolling the change manually to cash in or deposit at a bank. Alternatively, you can count your change before you visit a Coinstar kiosk to ensure the machine is counting the coins accurately.

Tips for Using Change to Reach Your Savings Goals

Saving up your change can help you pay for plenty of goals, either short-term or long-term. Here are some ways you can use that change:

• A weekend getaway
• A big-ticket item or a splurge, such as tech, sneakers or a designer handbag
• An upscale dinner
• A spa day
• Concert tickets or a Broadway show
• A unique vacation experience
• A mini-emergency fund.

Every time you get change back after paying, put the coins in a jar or a bowl. Depending on how often you pay for goods and services with cash, you might have the funds you need soon enough. Take your coins to Coinstar or roll them to exchange them at your bank and use the funds to pay for your goal.

Information is accurate as of May 1, 2025.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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