To think that you should be able to change coins in a bank......

[LavenderRain]

I save my 1p, 2p and 5p coins in a jar. When the jar is full I count them all out and put them into money bags and take them to the bank for paper money. It's usually £25-30 a time,
I then go to my local charity shops and see what bargains I can get. That way the charity benefits and I have fun spending,
This time, had £25 in coins, went to the bank as usual and cashier asks me 3 times if I want the money paid straight into my account, I said no, cash please,
She then asks if I have an account, I say yes,
She then asks for my card. I say to her that surely anyone can change coins in a bank? Isn't that the point of banks?!
She becomes quite haughty and says she won't change my coins unless I give her my bank card, which I give her.
She then gives me my cash and card and says "we have to keep account of every penny and soon you won't be able to change coins here"
I just walked away at this point,
Is this weird or usual? I've never been questioned, or asked for my card before

[Sparklingbrook]

A coin counting machine. No smiley cashier. No 'Can I help you', no little chat while the coins are counted?

[DarthVadersTailor]

rafals why would you want/need an amount of different denomination coins though? It's a good question, I guess you could ask a shopkeeper to change a reasonably small amount with relative ease but I can't see an obvious reason as to why you would want to change £10 worth of copper coins for 10 £1 coins (for example)?

[InexperiencedDisneyMum]

I use the post office for my coins. If I am shopping at Morrisons I use their self - service tills as they take a lot of change quickly.

[scarlets]

Self service tills are great. My elderly mother seems to gather small change, which she then gives to me to offload. I bought about £5 of snacks in M&S recently with 5, 2 and 1p coins.

Or the penny slots!

[Sparklingbrook]

'AIBU to think people should not spend ages feeding small change into the self service tills I had to wait forever today'

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Darth, because the machines in the laundrette only take £1 and 20p coins and the electric meter only takes £1 coins. Trying to find that many £1 coins is a bit of a PITA. Using the bank to change smaller coins into larger ones or notes into £1 coins is the easiest way to do it.

[CakeNinja]

We have a coin jar that I used to empty and take to my building society at the time, to pay jnto my account. At some point, they said they would only change 5 bags at a time. Didn't matter what value the change was. They had to weigh each bag individually and then put them into a drop box.
Took a total of about 90 seconds.
I gave up and started using a coin star machine in sainsburys.
I change about £250 of change about twice a year (no idea how I accumulate so much change, though I put in everything under £1 coins) so the fee isn't really noticeable and I use it for convenience. Also, some of the fee goes to charity I believe so double bonus for me.
I can see why they need to affiliate the money with an account though.
You could pay your change all in and withdraw it instantly from the cashier I imagine though?

[WinterOfOurDiscountTents15]

No, its not what banks are for, to give you a service for free that costs them money, and you won't even prove you are a customer. Why would imagine banks are there to give you something for nothing?

[Bogeyface]

Nowadays I use my coins in the self service tills in Sainsburys.

Why did I never think of that?! I have a load that need changing and the bank get pissy about it, especially if you miscount and get 4.95 in the 5p bag or whatever.

[Longdistance]

I work for a building society. Basically it costs money to take the coins away and is a complete ball ache.

We can weigh the bags with our scales. But I believe it's limited to a certain amount. There's only so much room in a safe too.

[bustraintram]

The self service tills in Morrisons and Waitrose are very good (the ones with the conveyor belt for the coins). No matter how small the value of the transaction, you just keep pouring coins in and it will count it all up and convert it to notes in your change. Just don't put more than a few bags worth in, the machine overflows. It's not pretty - bitter experience!!

[DeathMetalMum]

My bank doesn't have a problem with this. I go in regularly with up to 10 bags or more. Though I do just deposit straight into my account. I guess it may be because the bank is quite an old bank and has been there for many years (long before everyone had debit cards) so there is no issue with storage.

[muminhants1]

It's good that the self-service tills are good for something :)

When I use them I also often get rid of my change. I don't let it build up too much though, I might have say 45p in 2ps and 5p and 1ps and use that in the machines.

I have occasionally used the machines in supermarkets, they are expensive, but convenient.

[LazyLouLou]

I'm another who uses the self service tills for my change collection.

I refuse to use the machines that charge and my bank does not have a money counter.

I must look odd, my change collector is a large Vanish tub. I am ready to defend myself with "The machine looked dirty so I am cleaning it"

[wooldonor]

Cakeninja - the coinstar machine charges you nearly 10%, how can you not notice nearly £25 being taken from your change?

It makes me feel a bit sick thinking about?

[MaxPepsi]

Gah, banks are a pain the arse. We have to have a bank account these days to do anything so they can basically do what they want.

I worked in one approx 20 years ago, even then they didn't like to accept to much change and you definitely had to be a customer.

Take it to your nearest pub - they will change it for you. Saves them from having to go to the bank themselves to get change.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

I'm wondering if I'll have the opposite problem, I'm hoping to buy a couple of bags of 20ps and 5ps from the bank for DD's pocket money!

[CakeNinja]

Wool what makes you feel sick?

I don't notice it because I never know how much change is in there before I put it in the machine so it's not missed when they take 10% out.

It's worth it to me not to have to sit and count change for hours and then have to take it into the bank for 3 weeks taking 5 bags a day.

£25 is not a lot of money for me to pay for a convenient service. Other people seem to not mind the money being taken either as when I use it theres usually a small queue.

No need to feel sick.

[Supervet]

I have an on going issue with a bank that they won't let me go into their bank and pay cash over the counter into my landlords account who banks with them because I don't

[MissMooMoo]

supervet I had that problem last year. is it natwest?

[LavenderRain]

I think 10% is an awful lot to change a few coins. Makes me feel abit quesy too

[Supervet]

Yes Natwest!
Although the city centre branch of Barclays won't let me do it either.

[wooldonor]

You're lucky cakeninja that you don't have to care about losing £25, we're not all in that position I guess. To me that's a pair of school shoes or a month's swimming lessons. The total waste is what makes me sick

[bigbluebus]

I went into my local Natwest 2 days ago and changed £24 of bagged bronze and silver for notes and £2 coins. The cashier did ask if I banked with them but didn't ask for proof - although I showed her my debit card anyway as I had my purse out to put the money in. She weighed each bag and gave me the cash - just like I would have done when I worked on a bank counter 30 years ago. No posh coin counters in my local branch.

[CakeNinja]

£17.50 of that £25 goes to the charity, how is that a waste? Blimey, it makes it even more worth it to me that it's only £7.50 to sort what must be well over a thousand coins and saving me weeks and hours and hours worth of my time in counting, sorting and spending 3 weeks going backwards and forwards to my bank depositing 5 bags every day.
My time is more valuable to me than £7.50.