11 Places to Get Quarters for Laundry, Including Amazon (Yes, Really!)

Who carries cash anymore? Well, anyone who still needs quarters to do laundry, that’s who. And although there’s an adequate supply of coins circulating in the U.S. right now — that was not the case in 2020, when the U.S. Mint made fewer coins because of the pandemic — coins can be hard to come by, especially in this age of cashless transactions and peer-to-peer payment tools like Venmo and PayPal. But good luck finding a laundromat that takes Venmo.

So as thousands of students head to college in the next month — and many people are lugging baskets of dirty laundry to coin-operated machines — knowing where to get quarters for laundry is critical. (You also may need coins for parking meters, vending machines, and coin-only highway tolls.) Here are 11 places to get quarters without having to ask your parents for spare change.

Banks and credit unions are an easy option to get a roll of quarters, but check to see if your local branch offers this service. (Some bank websites will note if they do.) You can either exchange cash for quarters or make a withdrawal from your account in quarters. Most banks will keep quarters in $10 rolls — there are 40 quarters in each roll — which should last a few loads. You have to go to a teller for quarters, not an ATM.

Yes, you can order a roll of quarters on Amazon, although you will likely spend more than the coins are worth when you factor in added fees and shipping. Also, many of these sellers are hocking collectible quarters — not a convenient service for folks doing laundry. Read reviews and look for reputable sellers — and make sure you’re not buying quarter wrappers.

Laundromat owners are well-aware of their customers’ need for quarters. Smart ones have installed exchange machines, which allow you to turn your dollar bills into quarters to use in their machines.

The next time you pick up groceries at your local supermarket, pay in cash and get the change. Or ask the cashier to break a few dollars. Oftentimes cash registers are short on quarters, so it’s best not to ask for a large amount. You can also ask for change at the customer service counter.

Most modern arcades — like Fun Factory and Chuck E. Cheese — use cards instead of tokens or coins for their machines. But you might find an arcade, maybe in a theater or bowling alley, that has video games that still take quarters. Here, you can often find coin exchange machines.

While most people use credit cards to pay for gas, stations always have cash on hand for customers who prefer to pay in cash. Ask if you can exchange a few dollars for quarters. If you don’t have cash on hand, many gas station mini-marts have ATMs where you can withdraw cash to exchange for coins.

Like grocery stores, convenience stores are an easy place to get quarters — especially if you pay with cash. Or you can ask the sales clerk to exchange a few dollars for quarters.

A useful hack — although it might not work on all vending machines — is to stick a dollar bill into a vending machine and hit the coin-return button. Some machines may return the bill, but others will convert the bill to coins.

You can find literally anything on eBay — including rolls of quarters. Like Amazon, though, many of these quarters are collectible and may cost more than 25 cents each.

While many fast-food chains have embraced cashless payments — even payments through apps — customers often still pay in cash. That means these restaurants will likely have cash in their registers. Either pay in cash and keep the change or ask the cashier to break a few dollars.

Last resort? Ask. Often someone around you — coworkers, spouses, grandparents — has some spare change. Many will be glad to turn their coins into dollar bills.