Coinstar no longer offers its former gift-card exchange service, which allowed customers to sell unwanted gift cards for cash. Its current gift-card service works in the opposite direction: eligible Coinstar kiosks allow customers to convert loose coins into eGift cards from participating retailers.

Anyone holding an unused Amazon, Walmart, restaurant, or other retail gift card must instead consider a gift-card resale marketplace, an eligible retailer trade-in program, or another legitimate buyer. Before choosing a service, compare the payout, payment method, processing time, and applicable restrictions.

Does Coinstar Still Exchange Gift Cards for Cash?

No. Coinstar does not currently provide its former gift-card-to-cash exchange service through standard U.S. kiosks. Customers should not expect a green Coinstar kiosk to purchase an existing retail gift card and pay cash in return.

The distinction matters because Coinstar still lists gift cards among its services. Its current eGift-card service allows customers to convert loose coins into a gift card from a participating retailer; it does not allow them to sell a gift card they already own.

The former Coinstar Exchange service was associated with dedicated yellow kiosks. Those machines should not be confused with the green coin-counting kiosks used today.

Customers with an unused gift card should compare gift-card resale services and retailer-specific trade-in options. Customers with loose coins may be able to exchange them for cash or an eligible eGift card through Coinstar. Anyone looking for a nearby service should use Coinstar’s official kiosk locator to check current offerings, but should not assume that a kiosk accepts existing gift cards for cash.

What Gift-Card Services Does Coinstar Offer Today?

Coinstar’s current services focus on converting loose coins into other forms of value. Available options depend on the kiosk, retailer, and location.

Coins to cash

Coinstar kiosks count loose coins and issue a cash voucher that can be redeemed according to the kiosk’s instructions. A service fee may apply. Coinstar says fees are displayed at the kiosk before a transaction begins, so customers should check the actual terms instead of relying on an old fee estimate.

Coins to eGift cards

Coinstar’s Coin to Card service allows customers to convert eligible loose coins into a digital or paper-format eGift card from a participating retailer. The selection varies by kiosk. Some eGift-card options may have no fee, while fees for others depend on the retailer, brand, and location. Current information is available on Coinstar’s official gift-card page.

Buying an eGift card with coins is not the same as exchanging an unwanted gift card for cash. Coinstar’s current eGift-card service does not provide a way to cash out an existing retail gift card.

Charity donations

Participating Coinstar kiosks may allow customers to donate eligible loose change to supported charitable organizations. Available charities depend on the location.

How Coinstar fees work

Fees vary by transaction and service. Cashing in coins may involve a service fee and, where applicable, an additional transaction fee. Some participating eGift cards may be available without a coin-counting fee.

Customers should review the fee shown on the kiosk before confirming a transaction. An old Coinstar Exchange fee, including a previously quoted gift-card exchange rate, should not be applied to a current coin-counting transaction.

Where Can You Sell Unwanted Gift Cards?

For people seeking to turn an unused gift card into cash, a resale marketplace is a more appropriate starting point than Coinstar.

The main factors to compare are the payout, payment method, timing, and risk. The payout is the amount the seller will actually receive. Payment methods may include a bank deposit, PayPal, a check, or another supported option. Timing and risk depend on whether the service buys the card directly or requires a seller’s listing to be purchased first, as well as what verification the service requires.

CardCash

CardCash buys eligible unwanted gift cards for less than their face value and resells them to buyers. The amount offered depends on the card and the service’s current requirements.

CardCash’s published FAQ describes payment options that include checks, ACH deposits, and PayPal, subject to eligibility and approval. It also says that CardCash verifies card balances and may request additional information. Before accepting an offer, sellers should confirm the amount, payment method, card eligibility, and processing requirements. The company’s gift-card selling page is available at CardCash.

Other gift-card marketplaces

Other marketplaces may offer direct purchases, seller listings, or exchanges for different gift cards. Availability varies by country, retailer, and service.

GiftCardGranny, for example, has historically provided a way to compare gift-card offers. Its current services and terms should be checked before relying on it for a sale. No marketplace should be assumed to accept every retailer or operate in every country. Sellers should verify that a service accepts their specific card and can make payments through a method available in their location.

Retailer trade-in programs

Some retailers or third-party partners may accept eligible gift cards in exchange for store credit or another gift card. These programs are not universal and may change over time.

Before visiting a store, customers should check the retailer’s official website or contact customer service to confirm whether the program is active, which gift-card brands are accepted, whether the reward is cash, store credit, or another gift card, whether minimum balances or other eligibility rules apply, and whether the program is available at their location.

Historical programs associated with Target, Walmart, or GameStop should not be assumed to remain available in their former form.

How Much Can You Get for an Unused Gift Card?

The amount received depends on the gift card’s brand, balance, resale demand, condition, and the buyer’s current offer. Most resale services pay less than the card’s face value. The difference represents the cost of converting a restricted spending balance into money or a more flexible form of credit.

For example, suppose a gift card has a confirmed balance of $100 and a marketplace makes a hypothetical offer equal to 80% of the balance. The calculation is:

Payout = Verified balance × Offer rate

In this example, $100 × 0.80 equals $80. The 80% rate is only an illustration and is not a quoted rate from a particular marketplace. Actual offers can be higher or lower, and additional costs or payment restrictions may apply.

Is selling always better than using the card?

Not necessarily. If a customer can use the gift card for purchases they would otherwise make, spending it at face value may provide more value than reselling it at a discount.

Selling may be appropriate when the customer does not shop at that retailer, needs a more flexible form of payment, or would otherwise leave the balance unused. The resale offer should be compared with the value the customer would realistically receive by spending the card.

How to Sell a Gift Card Safely

Gift-card resale requires care because the card number and PIN may provide access to the balance. The following steps can help reduce the risk of fraud and payment disputes.

Step 1: Check the balance

Use the retailer’s official website or customer service number to verify the remaining balance. Keep a record of the balance and relevant transaction information.

Step 2: Compare offers

Where possible, check more than one legitimate service. Compare the final payout rather than the headline percentage, and read the payment and cancellation terms.

Step 3: Verify the buyer

Check the website address, company information, customer-support options, and current terms. Be cautious of unsolicited messages, unusually high offers, and buyers who pressure you to act immediately.

Step 4: Understand verification requirements

A legitimate service may need to verify the card balance or confirm the seller’s identity. Follow the service’s published instructions, but do not share passwords, one-time authentication codes, or unrelated financial credentials.

Step 5: Transfer the card through the approved process

Do not send a card number or PIN to an unknown person in a public post or unverified message. Use the service’s official transaction process and keep confirmation records.

Step 6: Confirm payment

Confirm that payment has arrived through the agreed method. Processing may be immediate, take several business days, or depend on the card being sold, depending on the service.

Never pay an unexpected fee or purchase another gift card because a stranger promises to release a payout. Additional consumer-protection guidance is available from the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer advice website.

How to Find a Coinstar Kiosk

Coinstar’s official locator can be used to find kiosks and review their current services. Customers can enter an address or ZIP code where supported, review nearby results, check listed services such as coins-to-cash, eGift cards, or charity donations, and confirm applicable fees and options before visiting.

Kiosk services vary by location. The presence of an eGift-card option does not mean that a kiosk accepts existing gift cards for cash.

People searching for “Coinstar gift card exchange near me” should understand that locating a nearby Coinstar machine will not restore the discontinued gift-card resale service.

Is Coinstar Worth Using for Gift Cards?

Coinstar may be useful for converting loose coins into cash or a participating retailer’s eGift card. It is not the appropriate service for selling an existing retailer gift card for cash.

The suitable option depends on what the customer has and what they want to receive. A coin-counting kiosk and a gift-card resale marketplace serve different purposes, so the service should match the transaction being sought.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Coinstar buy gift cards in 2026?

No. Coinstar’s former gift-card-to-cash exchange service is no longer available through its standard U.S. kiosks. Customers seeking to sell an existing gift card should compare current resale services.

Can I exchange gift cards at a Coinstar kiosk?

Not through Coinstar’s former gift-card exchange service. Current Coinstar eGift-card options allow customers to convert eligible coins into participating retailers’ gift cards; they do not allow customers to sell existing gift cards for cash.

Does Coinstar accept Amazon gift cards?

Coinstar’s current standard kiosk services do not provide a way to sell an existing Amazon gift card for cash. Anyone seeking to sell one should check a legitimate resale marketplace’s current eligibility rules.

What happened to Coinstar Exchange?

The former Coinstar Exchange service, associated with dedicated gift-card-exchange kiosks, has been discontinued. Coinstar’s current kiosk services focus on coins and other available transactions rather than buying unwanted retailer gift cards.

Does Coinstar charge a fee for gift cards?

There is no current Coinstar gift-card resale fee to calculate because the former gift-card-to-cash service is no longer offered. For Coinstar’s coin-to-eGift-card service, fees vary by retailer, brand, and location, and no-fee options may be available.

What is the difference between Coinstar and a gift-card exchange website?

Coinstar primarily converts loose coins into cash or selected eGift cards. A gift-card resale website may buy an existing gift card and pay the seller a discounted amount based on its balance and eligibility.

Where can I sell gift cards for cash?

A customer can begin by checking a legitimate gift-card resale service such as CardCash. Before accepting an offer, confirm that the card is eligible, compare the final payout, and review the payment method and processing requirements.

Is Coinstar available worldwide?

Coinstar services and kiosk availability are location-dependent. Its U.S. kiosk locator and eGift-card offerings should not be assumed to apply in every country. International customers should check local service availability and look for resale marketplaces that operate in their country.

Conclusion

Coinstar’s Gift Card Exchange is no longer a practical option for turning an unwanted retailer gift card into cash in 2026. Its current eGift-card service is designed to convert loose coins into a participating retailer’s gift card, which is a different transaction.

Anyone seeking to sell an unused gift card should verify its balance, compare offers from legitimate resale services, and calculate the amount they will actually receive. Customers with loose coins should check Coinstar’s current kiosk services and fees.

This article was originally published by Cryptsy and written by Ethan Blackburn: https://cryptsy.com/does-coinstar-buy-gift-cards/