- Cleaning
- Laundry
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Catherine Toth Fox Catherine Toth Fox Born and raised on Oʻahu, Catherine Toth Fox is a Honolulu-based editor, writer, children’s book author, blogger, podcaster and former journalism instructor. She is currently the editor at large for HAWAIʻI Magazine. editor of Hawaiʻi Farm & Food and columnist at Civil Beat, and her work has been featured in Outside, Lonely Planet and more. She lives in Honolulu with her aquaculturist husband, Pokemon-crazed son, two rescue dogs and a kitten named Eevee.
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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 back to college — 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 13 places to get quarters without having to ask your parents for spare change.
Quick Overview
Where to Get Quarters for Laundry
- Your local bank or credit union
- Amazon
- Laundromats
- Grocery stores
- Old-school arcades
- Gas stations
- Convenience stores
- Vending machines
- eBay
- Fast-food restaurants
- Friends and family members
- Car washes
- Big-box retailers
1. Your Local Bank or Credit Union
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.
2. Amazon
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.
3. Laundromats
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.
4. Grocery Stores
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.
5. Old-School Arcades
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.
6. Gas Stations
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.
7. Convenience Stores
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.
8. Vending Machines
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.
9. eBay
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.
10. Fast-Food Restaurants
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.
11. Friends and Family
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.
12. Car Washes
Find a coin-operated car wash and check for a change machine — or ask a clerk for change. Many newer car washes use tokens instead of quarters, so make sure what you get back in change is actually legal tender.
13. Big-Box Retailers
Most department stores and big-box retailers like Target and Walmart have customer service desks where you can ask for change. But don’t be surprised if they don’t break your bills without you purchasing something. Buy something small and useful — a bottle of water or a pack of gum — and ask for quarters instead of dollar bills.
How many quarters should you bring to the laundromat?
It can cost anywhere between $2 to $10 to wash a load of laundry, depending on the size of your load, the size of the washing machine, and the laundromat itself. Drying your laundry costs about the same; most coin-operated dryers charge by 15-minute intervals. Some cities like New York City and San Francisco may have higher per-load costs. For a single load, you’ll need at least a roll of quarters ($10) to wash and dry.
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Shopping
 (2024))
