[sandysaari]

In defense of the banks and credit union that do charge for counting coins....you have to understand the amount of customers that a bank or credit union have, that each day may ask for this service. It is not and occasional customer but as many as 25+ requests a day for coin counting. It may seem that it only takes minutes to run the coins through the machine, but did you ever think of what happens to them after you leave them at the bank?
The bank does not keep all of these coins to give out in exchange for bills, but some must be packaged up and sent to the Federal Reserve Bank for credit. If each bank did not do this...you may walk in one day and have to cash your paycheck for rolls of quarters! You bring in coins...the bank gives you cash....think about it.
The other issue is the machines that count the money and roll the coin. Each machine can cost several thousand dollars each for the inital cost and several hundreds of dollars a year in maintenance. Where should that cost be absorbed?
Finally, the manpower that it takes to run the coin through the machine for each individual transaction may not seem like alot, but mulitipy this number by the 25- 30 customers that come in each day to do that. If it takes 10 min. to run the coins in the machine and to roll them (we wont even count the time to get them ready to send to the fed) and you multiply this by 25 customers...you send up with a teller spending 4.17 hrs. each day taking care of loose change!!!! That is more than half of thier day!!!!
You should also keep in mind that if you are a customer of the bank or a member of the credit union...they may not even charge you for the service!!! All you have to do is ask!
From,
An experienced Banker....