How to swap coins for supermarket vouchers in France
€46 million was exchanged via Coinstar terminals in 2025
Some terminals require customers to pay fees while others are free to use
PJ McDonnell/Shutterstock
An increasing number of people in France are using coin machines in supermarkets to exchange small change for vouchers to be spent in-store.
A total of €46 million was collected in 2025 by Coinstar France, reported RMC Conso.
The machines have existed in France for around 20 years, with some 2.3 million users depositing over 625 million coins during this time.
The service is a way of simplifying payments using small change (known as pièces jaunes and pièces rouges depending on value), in a system which increasingly relies on card payments making coins less relevant and more difficult to use.
Cashiers in France cannot refuse a customer who chooses to pay using coins, however they can decline a transaction if more than 50 coins are required.
See this Connexion article for more tips on how to use low denomination euro coins in France.
Where to find terminals?
There are over 1,350 of them in France across a variety of supermarket chains including Auchan, Carrefour, Super U and E. Leclerc. You can find your nearest terminal by using this interactive map.
There are two different terminal types - Eurocycleur and Coinstar - which each function slightly differently.
Eurocycleur points are free to use however you must spend the entire value of your voucher in a single transaction.
Coinstar machines charge some 10% in fees however you are not obliged to spend the entire value of your voucher on your shopping. The shop will give you change for purchases of €1 or more, up to a limit of €149 per voucher.
How does it work?
Bring your spare coins to your chosen terminal. Coins do not need to be sorted or counted in any way however no other world currencies should be inserted. You should also check that no other objects or dirt are inserted into the machine.
Instructions can differ depending on the type of machine. Click on the button Commencez (Begin), Démarrez (Start) or Bon d’achat (Voucher) and read through the terms and conditions, then drop your coins into the slot provided.
Your supermarket voucher will then be distributed and can be used immediately. Each voucher will have a use-by date printed on it which varies across supermarket chains but which is generally around 30 days from the date of exchange.
Note that you can only spend a voucher in the shop where it was issued.
The average exchange involves some 270 coins for vouchers worth €20.
