Coin Machines Don’t Take Foreign Coins – Here’s What to Do

💰 Coinstar Machines vs Foreign Coins: What to Do with the Change They Won’t Accept

If you’ve ever used a Coinstar machine to turn your loose change into spendable money, you’ll know how convenient they are — just pour in your coins and walk away with a voucher or donation.

But if you’ve ever dropped in a foreign coin by mistake, you’ll also know what happens next:

🚫 Rejected.

That’s because while these machines are great for sorting UK coins, they can’t process foreign or old currency.

And that leaves millions of people across the UK wondering:

“What should I do with my leftover foreign coins?”

That’s where Cash4Coins comes in — the UK’s trusted service for exchanging foreign coins and banknotes into real, spendable pounds.

Why Coin Machines Reject Foreign Coins

Coin-counting machines in supermarkets are designed to recognise UK coins only — the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2 denominations.

They use sensors and magnets to detect size, weight, and metal content — and anything that doesn’t match a UK coin profile is automatically rejected.

That means if you try to feed in:

• Euros from your last trip abroad

• U.S. quarters or dimes

• Old British £1 coins

• Canadian, Australian, or other international currency

…the machine will simply return them.

Coin machines are perfect for sorting domestic change, but for foreign currency, you need a specialist service.

What to Do with Your Foreign Coins Instead

Instead of letting foreign coins gather dust in drawers or jars, you can turn them into real cash quickly and securely through Cash4Coins.

We accept all 180 world currencies and over 400 outmoded ones, including:

• Euros (EUR)

• U.S. Dollars (USD)

• Canadian Dollars (CAD)

• Australian Dollars (AUD)

• Swiss Francs (CHF)

• Japanese Yen (JPY)

• Pre-euro currencies like pesetas, francs, marks, and drachmas

Whether you have a handful of coins from a recent holiday or bags full collected over years, we’ll turn them into spendable pounds.

How It Works — Simple, Fast, and Secure

At Cash4Coins, we’ve made the process as easy as using a coin machine — but without the limitations.

1️⃣ Gather Your Coins

Collect all your foreign coins, old UK coins, and notes — no sorting required.

2️⃣ Send or Drop Off

Send them via Freepost, Royal Mail Tracked, or courier collection (depending on weight).

3️⃣ We Sort & Count

We use high-precision counting machines and manual checks to value your coins accurately.

4️⃣ Get Paid

We transfer the payment directly into your bank account — fast, safe, and hassle-free.

You can even choose to donate your coins to charity, supporting causes across the UK.

Coin Machines vs Cash4Coins — What’s the Difference?

Feature	Coin Machines	Cash4Coins
Accepts UK Coins	✅	✅
Accepts Foreign Coins	❌	✅ All 180 currencies
Accepts Old £1 Coins	❌	✅
Accepts Banknotes	❌	✅
Offers Charity Donations	✅	✅ Direct to charity or partner
Typical Use	Loose UK change	Foreign & outmoded coins
Convenience	In-store machines	Postal or courier service

In short: Coin machines are great for your UK coins.

Cash4Coins is perfect for everything else.

Start Exchange

Why People Use Both

Many of our customers use both services:

• Drop your UK coins into a local change machine for instant value

• Then send your foreign coins and notes to Cash4Coins for a full exchange

That way, you’re maximising the value of every coin you own — no matter where it’s from.

Sustainable and Responsible

Every coin we receive is counted, repurposed, or recycled.

Nothing goes to waste.

Where possible, we repatriate coins to their home countries for reuse. Metals and materials that can’t be reused are recycled responsibly — supporting the circular economy and reducing environmental impact.

So you’re not only unlocking the value of your foreign coins — you’re doing it sustainably.

💬 Real Example

A family from Manchester sent in 4.7 kg of mixed coins — mostly euros, dollars, and yen they’d collected over years of travel.

Total value: £182.40 paid directly to their bank account within days.

That’s money they couldn’t exchange anywhere else — and it would have been completely useless at a coin machine.

💡 Pro Tip: Check Your Old Wallets and Travel Bags

You’ll be surprised how many coins you’ll find hidden away.

Common places include:

• Old purses or wallets

• Suitcases or travel pouches

• Kids’ holiday souvenirs

• Car gloveboxes

• Desk drawers at work

Even small handfuls quickly add up!

For Charities and Businesses

If you’re a charity, school, or retailer, you can also use Cash4Coins to turn foreign coins from collection boxes, tills, or donation tins into real income.

We work with:

• Charities and hospices

• Airports and travel businesses

• Museums and attractions

• Banks and retailers

Every coin counts — and we make sure nothing is wasted.

The Takeaway

Coin machines are brilliant for UK coins, but they stop short when it comes to foreign or old currency.

So if you’ve ever stood at a supermarket machine watching your euros, dollars, or Swiss francs get rejected — don’t throw them away.

👉 Instead, send them to Cash4Coins.co.uk and turn that leftover travel money into real, spendable pounds.

Cash4Coins — Turning spare change into real change.