Coinstar Kiosk in Buffalo, NY

Coinstar is a long-established operator of self-service kiosks found in grocery stores and retail locations across the United States. The company was recently acquired by Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) as of February 2026. Coinstar kiosks provide multiple financial services beyond traditional coin exchange, positioning themselves as convenient alternatives to bank visits for various cash and digital currency needs.

The company's core offering remains Coins to Cash®, which converts loose change into paper currency without requiring customers to sort, count, or roll coins. Beyond coin services, Coinstar has significantly expanded into cryptocurrency services through partnerships with Coinme and their proprietary CINQ by Coinstar platform, allowing customers to convert cash into 25+ cryptocurrency forms. Additional services include Amazon Cash (loading funds to Amazon accounts with $5-$500 limits), eGift card exchanges with no-fee options, charitable donations through their Coins that Count® program, and account transfers to checking accounts via partner financial institutions. The kiosks also issue CINQ debit cards.

Coinstar distinguishes itself through its ubiquitous retail presence and multi-service approach that combines traditional financial services with emerging fintech offerings. The company explicitly states that kiosks do NOT exchange gift cards or foreign currency, and accepts bills only at select locations (this specific Long Island City kiosk does not accept bills). Their expansion into cryptocurrency reflects an attempt to serve customers interested in digital assets through familiar physical infrastructure.

While Coinstar provides genuine convenience for coin conversion and emerging financial services, consumers should note that fees vary by location and service type. The cryptocurrency offerings require downloading separate apps (Coinme or CINQ) prior to visiting a kiosk. The company's breadth of services may obscure that not all kiosks offer all services, and some services like account transfers charge fees that vary by financial institution.