Turn Your Spare Change into $10 Extra at Coinstar -- $50 Worth of Spending for $40 of Coins!

A while back I blogged about Coinstar having a promotion entitling you to a bonus $10 gift certificate at amazon.com if you converted $40 of change into an amazon.com certificate there (so you got a total of $50 credit for $40 worth of quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies -- even dollar coins). I took advantage of it and got my bonus certificate without any hassles.

Well, Coinstar has another promotion going, and this time it's not limited to amazon. Between now and December 7th, you can redeem $40 in coins for an e-certificate or prepaid gift card to use at one of several retailers, and you can send in your receipt for a bonus $10 gift card/certificate toward the same retailer.

The nice thing is that Coinstar doesn't charge any percentage fee when you redeem change into an e-certificate or prepaid card, so you get the full value of your spare change (if you convert it into cash, Coinstar charges a commission).

The stores/brands this year include: amazon, Starbucks, Circuit City, JC Penney, iTunes, Borders, Pier 1, Eddie Bauer, Cabela's, Disney Shopping, Old Navy, Lowes or AMC Movie Theatres. So you can pick the business where you think you'll get the biggest bang for your buck or the one you're sure you'll use most frequently.

The promotion is limited to one certificate/card per household.

This looks like a really great way to turn that bottle of spare change into some extra spending money. Or you can even use the gift card as one of your Christmas presents (and maybe use the bonus one as a gift to yourself). To check the details and conditions, or to look for a Coinstar location near you, click this link.