Filed under: iTunes, Deals, iPhone, App Store
Turn your change into apps
Ryan P sent us a nice tip about using Coinstar units to turn your spare change into iTunes apps. You've seen Coinstar at the grocery store before -- you throw your spare change in there, and then it spits out a receipt you can take to the service counter for cash (minus a little off the top for the counting). But Ryan told us Coinstar now offers gift certificates instead of cash, if you want, minus the coin counting charge.And one of those certificates can be used at the iTunes store, which means you can throw your coins in, and instead of paying Coinstar to count them, get the full value of your change in an iTunes card. And since apps on the App Store are so cheap, you can use your former quarters and dimes to pick up some terrific apps (may we recommend Sketches, or maybe Pennies -- since you're so coin-conscious anyway). And considering that the amount Coinstar takes out is almost 9%, putting the money in an iTunes card (if you're going to buy the apps anyway) can be a nice chunk of change.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Eric said 2:10PM on 8-11-2008
They've been doing this for ages... most people get a gift card rather than cash.
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ibaign said 2:12PM on 8-11-2008
If I remember correctly, itunes, amazon, and other will take care of the coin counting charge if you get a gift certificate instead of cash.
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Eric Juul said 2:16PM on 8-11-2008
Don't use coinstar, its a rip off because they take nearly 10% from you as a service charge.
Go to a bank instead they will turn that change into dollars for free.
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Travis said 2:28PM on 8-11-2008
not all banks do it for free anymore -- most will hand you a stack of coin rolls.
if you get a gift certificate from coinstar there is no charge -- it's penny for penny. so if you exchange your change for somewhere you shop anyway you're not losing anything.
itunes has been on coinstar for at least a few years now...
CaptSaltyJack said 2:34PM on 8-11-2008
Some banks don't cash change. WaMu, for example. I was even at a main branch, and they told me they don't cash change. I ought to write a complaint to corporate.
Michael P McHugh said 2:36PM on 8-11-2008
Not true. If you take any of the Gift Card options offered, the counting fees are waved in their entirety, so it's FREE.
They only charge you the 9-10% service charge if you opt for cash.
So, if you opt for iTunes gift card, you get 100% of the money you count back.
DC said 6:39PM on 8-11-2008
There's no fee charged if you get a gift cert. that's the beauty. everyone wins.
Rob said 3:01PM on 8-11-2008
Exactly right! I bring a ton of change every couple of months to whatever Commerce Bank I happen to be near here in nYc. They have machines very much like CoinStar, except they count your coins and give you YOUR money back in bills... TOTALLY FOR FREE.
eff-CoinStar!
bjgoetz said 3:09PM on 8-11-2008
go to any commerce bank. they have a machine there and they do it for free also.
Michael P McHugh said 5:57PM on 8-11-2008
Commerce is the only bank I know of that still does this for free, which is great, but Commerce is only on the east coast as far as I know. There are none in California. The Coinstar gift card option is the next best thing.
Galley said 2:21PM on 8-11-2008
For the past two years I've been turning my change into Amazon certificates to support my CD habit. You can easily save $20 per month if you always break a bill to pay for stuff, never using your pocket change.
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emil said 2:49PM on 8-11-2008
Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Adam said 4:31PM on 8-11-2008
Inconceivable!
joe said 2:33PM on 8-11-2008
You have to have AT LEAST $5 in change to get an iTunes card so no $1 apps in two seconds of counting.
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ChillyWilly said 4:11PM on 8-11-2008
This is correct. The minimum to add to a gift card is $5. I normally do iTunes or Starbucks.
rmanigold said 2:34PM on 8-11-2008
I have been doing this for a few years now and it is fantastic.
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ksmith said 2:42PM on 8-11-2008
Been there, done that [two days ago], and now I have $40 to spend towards those sweet, sweet apps.
The only down side is that I didn't get the chance to mug any hobos and use their dimes to buy the I am Rich app before it was pulled.
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DB said 2:43PM on 8-11-2008
In Canada you can't use an iTunes card (or store credit) for Applications. Only Music, Movies and TV. I just went through the whole ordeal with Apple trying to use my available credit for an Application. Couldn't do it.
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emil said 2:48PM on 8-11-2008
...or you can just go to any Commerce bank and use their Penny Arcade to get bills for change for free, then spend it as you wish. I realize that Coinstar is a business, and maybe their fees are as low as they can go (although in this case, there don't seem to be any), but their rates simply aren't competitive.
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Chris said 2:55PM on 8-11-2008
Does this work in Canada???
I just looked at the Coinstar.ca site, and there is no mention of certificates.
If I could load up an iTunes card or get certs, then I'd be all over it!!
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