Smart Hack That'll Get Your Coinstar Fees Waived Quickly

Most people have some loose change lying around in a jar. There are Coinstar kiosks available in many locations to exchange coins for money. are charged when you make your transaction at the machine.

What are those fees, and is there a way to avoid them?

How Much Are the Coinstar Fees at Their Kiosk?

is a kiosk you find in many grocery stores or gas stations. It takes all your loose change and turns it into either cash or an eGift card. Or, if you like, you can also donate the money your change brings to a worthy charity.

Not all kiosks are alike. You'll find that not all of them will provide the same features. You'll have to check their website for the nearest location and what it will offer. As far as fees are concerned, how much you're charged will depend on what you want to exchange your coins for. The costs are as follows:

Turn coins in for cash	11.9% charge on the total amount of coins you place in the machine
eGift card	Counting coins is free for this option
Donation	Free as well

The kiosk will lay out the fees when you get started at the Coinstar machine. Some kiosks may have different fees, so be sure you know what they are before agreeing to their terms. When it comes to eGift cards, the kiosk will give a number of options to choose from. Not all machines offer the same choice, though, so be sure to know which location is the one you're looking to get.

How to Avoid Coinstar Fees

With a charge of 11.9%, they can take a huge chunk of your money. For example, if you had $100 worth of loose change, the fees they would take would be approximately $11.90, leaving you with just over $88. If you wanted to avoid paying , you would have to choose to get your money back in eGift card form.

It's not as much fun as getting cash, but selecting an eGift card will allow you to get the full amount back into your pocket. All you would have to do is to choose one from a store you frequent or use their website the most, like Amazon. Other eGift options include

Walmart
Lowe's
Applebee's
Best Buy
iTunes
Starbucks

To get one of them, you will need at least a minimum of $5-$10. There's also a maximum amount, which is $500-$1,000 (depending on the eGift card you choose), but most people only cash in around $50-$100.

Is Coinstar Error Free?

The Coinstar kiosk is a computerized machine, so you'd expect it to be pretty accurate. For the most part, it is, but as with any computer, glitches and various other things can happen. When you place the coins in the basket of the machine, you need to make sure that they're clean and free of any debris or dirt. Soiled coins can cause issues with the coin counting mechanism.

However, problems can occur with clean coins as well. On occasion, the machine may report a smaller number than the total you feel you had. It might happen due to software issues, or maybe someone before you damaged the kiosk without your knowledge. Regardless, more steps would need to be taken if you want to pursue the correct amount for your change.

Software problems within the machine can cause other issues as well. It could charge a larger fee for getting cash than what the kiosk reports they take. Regardless of what the problem is, there are steps you can take to solve the discrepancies.

What Can You Do About Issues of Coinstar, Including Errors in Coinstar Fees?

According to Coinstar's terms of service, the company doesn't guarantee perfect accuracy when the kiosk counts the coins. They recognize that issues happen every now and then, but they feel it's just something that happens beyond anyone's control.

You can, however, dispute the amount of the coins or the fees if you choose. They require that the dispute be put in motion within 30 days, and they have an arbitration clause, which says you need to file a dispute outside of the court system.

To file a dispute, there needs to be a letter written to them that explains what happened exactly as well as other information, like what kiosk it was and the store where it's located. Once the letter is sent, the Coinstar company will review the situation and offer a resolution if they determine a problem occurred.

It seems straightforward, but figuring out what all to put in the letter to best represent your case, is very difficult to do. If you leave out too much information, you may not get any resolution at all, which means you're out the money you feel you deserve.

Can DoNotPay Help With Problems With Coinstar Fees or Other Issues?

DoNotPay can help with whatever issues you're having with a Coinstar machine, including errors in the fees. Because of our experience in this area, we can help you appeal the error in fees or help you get the correct amount of money. By using our easy-to-understand tool, you can find out the best argument for your situation to use in writing the letter. Here's how to use it:

Search "appeal fees" on DoNotPay, choose the Fight and Waive Fees product, and select the type of fee you want to appeal.
Select the merchant you want to appeal fees for and enter the details of your transaction, including an associated account if you have one.
Submit your case! DoNotPay will generate the best argument for your case and make sure your fee waiver request gets sent to the merchant for processing.

DoNotPay is:

Fast—You don't have to spend hours trying to solve the issue.
Easy—You don't have to struggle to fill out tedious forms or keep track of all the steps involved in solving your problem.
Successful—You can rest assured knowing we'll make the best case for you.