You know the feeling. You’re ready to finally do your laundry, you’re at the self-serve car wash, or maybe you're just looking for some easy change for a yard sale, and you look in your wallet... nothing but crumpled dollar bills. It’s annoying. You need quarters, and you need them now.
Look, we live in a world of debit cards and payment apps, but quarters are still the gatekeepers for a surprising number of essential things. Whether you're hunting for a single handful or a full $10 roll (40 quarters), constantly asking cashiers is a hassle and often a dead end.
I’ve been the guy frantically searching under car seats for change, so I've put together a realistic guide on where to get quarters—from the guaranteed spots to the sneaky options that work when everything else is closed.
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The Guaranteed Wins (For Rolls)
If you need a lot of quarters—say, $10 or more—skip the convenience store line. These places are where you go for a full roll.
1. Your Local Bank or Credit Union
This is the big one. Banks keep rolls of coins specifically for this purpose.
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What is it? The most reliable way to get a full roll of quarters. Banks typically bundle them in $10 rolls.
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How do you do it? Walk up to the bank teller (not the ATM) and ask to exchange a $10 bill (or $20 for two rolls) for quarters. You can also withdraw the money directly from your account in the form of quarters.
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What could go wrong? A bank may refuse to exchange cash for non-customers. If you don't have an account, call them first. They might also limit you to one or two rolls to keep supply steady for their actual customers.
2. Laundromats with Change Machines
If you're already standing in front of the washing machine, this is your first stop.
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What is it? A machine designed for one purpose: turning bills into coins for the laundry machines.
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How do you do it? Insert a $1, $5, or $10 bill. It spits out quarters, instantly.
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What could go wrong? The machine is broken, out of order, or—the worst part—it only dispenses tokens instead of quarters. Always check the sign above the machine first. If you live in an apartment with shared laundry, ask your property manager if they can sell you a roll. It’s the quarters you've already paid, after all.
Related Tip: If you're a real estate investor or thinking about investing, laundromats are a different kind of business entirely. See our article on [How To Invest 200k For Monthly Income: Best Guide 2025] for a look at business structures.
The Quick Fixes (For a Handful)
These places are convenient, often open late, and great for getting $2-$5 worth of quarters. Just don't ask for a full roll; their cash drawer is not a bank vault.
3. Grocery Stores (Customer Service Desk)
The client benefit work area is your best shot since they handle more cash exchanges than the customary checkout.
What is it? A benefit counter isolated from the cashiers.
How do you do it? Fair walk up and inquire, "May I if you don't mind get four quarters for this dollar charge?" They're as a rule cheerful to do a little trade, particularly if you're as of now a customer.
Why it things: They have a bigger save of alter than a typical enroll. If you’re checking out, you can too inquire for cash back on your charge card, and at that point ask that the sum you get back is given to you in quarters.
4. Convenience and Gas Stations
4. Convenience and Gas StationsThe classic late-night lifesavers.
What is it? 7-Eleven, Circle K, or the small shop joined to the gas pump.
How do you do it? You’ll likely have to purchase something little, like a pack of gum or a pop, fair to open the enlist. Pay with a $5 or $10 charge and at that point courteously inquire the cashier to grant you as much of your alter as conceivable in quarters.
What seem go off-base? If it’s late at night, the cashier may be running moo on alter and might not be able to save much. Keep it real—if you as it were require $1 or $2, you'll have superior luck.
5. Fast Food and Drive-Thrus
You do not indeed have to get out of your car!
What is it? Any chain that bargains intensely in cash, like McDonald's or Taco Bell.
How do you do it? Put an arrange, pay in cash, and inquire for alter in quarters. If you're paying with a $5 charge for a $2 thing, you have a great chance of getting a few quarters back.
Pro-Tip: If you see a tip jolt at the counter, you can inquire the cashier if they'd be willing to swap your dollar bills for quarters from the jostle. A few dollar bills are less demanding for them to oversee than a overwhelming heap of coins, so they’ll frequently say yes!
The Sneaky & Specific Spots
These aren't self-evident, but they work extraordinary when you're in a squeeze or as of now at the location.
6. Vending Machines (The Hack)
This works around half the time and is worth a shot.
What is it? A pop or nibble machine that acknowledges paper money.
How do you do it? Embed a dollar charge and at that point quickly press the coin return button without selecting a item. If the machine's programming is old-school, it will frequently apportion quarters as alter some time recently enrolling the exchange is complete.
The Capture: A few machines will fair spit the dollar back out. Others might grant you back dimes and nickels instep of quarters if they're running moo. It's a bet, but a low-risk one.
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7. Coin-Operated Car Washes
Like laundromats, these businesses run on quarters.
What is it? A self-serve wash cove, regularly with vacuum machines.
How do you do it? See for a alter machine close the entrance or interior the little office.
The Capture: Once more, observe out for places that utilize tokens. If you get a modest bunch of glossy metal slugs that as it were work on their froth cannon, you’re stuck!
8. Arcades and Amusement Centers
Old-school diversions still request quarters.
What is it? A classic arcade, a bowling rear way with recreations, or a motion picture theater lobby.
How do you do it? They nearly continuously have a alter machine or a cashier with a committed supply of quarters to keep individuals playing.
Pro-Tip: Make beyond any doubt the recreations are coin-operated. If they utilize a card framework, they likely won't have a alter machine.
9. Big-Box Stores (Target, Walmart, etc.)
For when you require quarters and too require to choose up shampoo.
What is it? The client benefit work area or any checkout.
How do you do it? Purchase something little. It's the same schedule as the basic supply store. Pay in cash and inquire for quarters in your alter, or ask cash back in quarters.
Keep it genuine: Cashiers are regularly hesitant to break a huge charge without a buy since they aren't a bank. If you're paying with a [Walmart Credit Card] and inquiring for cash back, this is a smooth way to get them.
10. Friends, Family, and Coworkers
The most effortless way to get a few dollars worth of alter without clearing out the house.
What is it? The individuals around you.
How do you do it? Inquire! Most individuals have a little stash of free alter in their car, satchel, or a irregular jolt on their counter. Offer to swap them a fresh $5 charge for all their quarters. They'll as a rule appreciate exchanging overwhelming coins for collapsing money.
The Brilliant Run the show: Continuously return the favor another time they're scrambling for alter. Believe is key in back, indeed on this micro-level!
FAQs: Getting Change for Cash
Q: Why do businesses get annoyed when I ask for a roll of quarters?
A: Businesses need change to make change for their actual paying customers. They aren't banks, and they have to pay a fee or spend time going to the bank to get change. When you ask for a whole roll, you're draining their supply without buying anything, which makes it harder for them to serve the next customer. That's why you should go to a bank for rolls and only ask stores for a small handful.
Q: Can I use a Coinstar machine to get change?
A: You can, but you'll be using Coinstar backward. Coinstar machines are for turning coins into cash (usually charging a high fee, sometimes over 10%). They don't dispense quarters for bills. If you have a pile of loose pennies and nickels, you can dump them into a Coinstar and then use the cash voucher you get to go buy a roll of quarters somewhere else.
Q: Is there a fee to get a roll of quarters at a bank?
A: No. Banks are legally required to exchange legal tender at face value. A $10 bill for a $10 roll of quarters is a direct, free exchange. The only "cost" is the time it takes you to drive there and the potential hassle if you aren't a customer.
Q: Where to get quarters for laundry that isn't a laundromat?
A: The Bank is your best bet for the $10 rolls you’ll need to last several loads. For a quick fix, try a Gas Station or Convenience Store just before you head to the laundry room, but you'll likely only get $3-$5 worth at a time. The next best, slightly sneaky option is a Coin-Operated Car Wash, as they always have change machines.
Final Word
Finding quarters can feel like a chore, but it doesn't have to be a forager chase. The essential takeaway is this: for a roll ($10+), follow to your bank or credit union. For a unassuming bunch ($2-$5), affably ask at a essential supply store, gas station, or fast food joint after making a small purchase.
Keep a few dollar bills committed for quarter-swapping, and you'll never be stuck looking at a closed Laundromat entryway once more. Directly go get that clean clothing!
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