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What can I do with my small coins in Belgium?

19:38 20/01/2020

The introduction of price-rounding in Belgian stores since 1 December has left many consumers wondering what to do with their bags of unwanted one- and two-cent coins.

There are hundreds of millions of low-value coins currently in circulation in Belgium - but many of them end up being stored away in piggy banks.

While stores are now rounding cash payments to the nearest five cents, you can, in theory, continue using one and two-cent coins to pay for your shopping. Retailers cannot refuse to take these small-value coins - unless you turn up with more than 50 coins at once.

Some supermarkets and petrol stations have automatic payment machines that accept small coins - as well as 'Eurocycler' machines that turn your unwanted coins into money-off vouchers or store credit.

If you have a large number of ones and twos, they can be handed in at the Belgian National Bank and the amount sent to you by bank transfer. The service is free, but limited to five kilos of coins per person per month.

Your own bank should also accept bags of coins, although check the terms of your current account, as some will charge a fee.

Another option is to donate your spare cash to charity. Charities including the RTBF's Viva For Life, Télévie and the Rode Neuzen all accept little coins.

It might be worth taking a closer at the look at the coins before giving them up, though. Some rare coins can be worth large sums of money as they are highly sought-after by collectors.

If you happen to find a 2002 one-cent coin from Monaco, for example, it could earn you more than €100.

Written by The Bulletin