Rant: My credit union branch in Seattle started charging $3 to use the coin counting machine

I've been banking at the same credit union for like 8 years and they just put a sign up last month saying it's $3 per bag of coins. No warning, no email. I had a jar of quarters and dimes from my shop's vending machine (about $120 worth) and it would have cost me $3 just to dump them in. The teller said they got a new policy because people were bringing in buckets of pennies. Has anyone else's bank started nickel-and-diming you on stuff that used to be free?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric7232mo ago

Man oh man that is something else. So now they want you to pay them for the privilege of giving them your own money? That's like charging you to walk in the front door. I get that some people were probably dumping 50 pounds of rusty pennies from the 1970s but that's still your money and their job to take it. Seems like they could just put a sign saying no more than two coffee cans of coins per visit or something instead of just slapping a fee on everyone. A real "we don't want your business" move right there.

oliver_morgan1mo ago

I mean @eric723, you're totally right and honestly it feels like I'm the one paying for the privilege of being a customer at this point. Last week I actually caught myself feeling grateful that my bank only charges me $3 to use their own ATM like that's some kind of deal. I'm pretty sure I've spent more money on fees this year than I have on actual groceries, which is saying something because I basically live on peanut butter and crackers. And yeah the coin thing really gets me too because I'm the guy who shows up with like four years worth of change in a old shoebox and acts surprised when they give me a dirty look. Maybe it's just me but I feel like businesses used to at least pretend they wanted you there now they're just like "here's the price to exist in our building" and we're all supposed to smile and pay it.

seth6832mo ago

My local grocery store started charging 3 dollars for using a debit card under 10 bucks. I just stood there staring at the sign for like 30 seconds. I swear businesses have just decided to make every tiny thing an upcharge. Next they'll charge you for breathing the air inside while you wait in line. Do they not realize how much money people bring in by just walking through the door and buying stuff?