Coinstar Offers Fee-Free Gift Cards in Exchange for Change

Green Coinstar machines are ubiquitous in grocery and big discount stores around the country; for a nearly 10% fee, they'll sort your change for you and give you bills in return. We'll be the first to admit that rolling coins is tedious work (especially since many banks make you put your name and address on every single roll), but that 9.8% fee that the company charges seems steep for something your kid could do in his or her spare time.

Now comes the news that Coinstar has begun expanding on a little-known program that eliminates that fee as long as the customer is willing to have their pennies converted into retailer gift cards rather than cash.