ajGoes

This also applies if you're twelve or fourteen. When they discovered it could involve handling candles, my grandchildren suddenly found religion in the church of St. Germain-des-près.

Hezu

If you are in Finland and encounter a self-service checkout, the payment method will be card only. For cash payments you will need a manned checkout. And if you pay with cash, the sum will be rounded to the nearest 5 cents, therefor in practice you won't encounter 1 and 2 cent coins in Finland. Card payments on the other hand are not rounded, thus if you are a cheapskate you may choose the payment method depending on whether the sum would be rounded down or up if paid with cash.

DeeGee26.2

I know it isn't Eurozone, but in the UK, "Legal Tender" has a very specific legal meaning unrelated to whether or not a private company will accept that payment method or not. A private company can accept whichever payment method they choose.
Legal Tender relates to what combinations of coins and notes can be offered to pay a debt without being prosecuted for non-payment.

In England and Wales, for instance, only banknotes issued by the Bank of England and coins issued by the Royal Mint are legal tender, and even then, bronze coins can only be used to pay debts to the value of 20p. In Scotland and Northern Ireland only Royal Mint coins are, so while a Clydesdale Bank or Danske Bank issued sterling banknote might be an accepted method of payment in England, it isn't "Legal Tender" in the legal sense of the term. Buying goods from a shop does not constitute a debt as the payment is made before the goods are delivered.

Different Eurozone countries apply their own rules to this. Bronze coins are only legal tender in the Eurozone countries which issue them. Even then, custom and practice is that the maximum number of coins accepted as legal tender is 50, and this is applied legally in the Republic of Ireland, for instance.

exbayern

I just deposit coins into my PostBank account at the machine (only works for account holders, but an easy solution in cash dominant Germany where coins add up quickly)

British coin I just use as payment at a self checkout.

restrictonthehanger

Interesting. The cities where i've used them offered at least some machines that took cash. Germany also does rounding to the nearest 5 cents but still takes the 1 and 2 cent coins, even with partial payment.

The_Bouncer

I have never noticed any rounding in Germany. I still get 1c and 2c coins in change.

LondonElite

No rounding in Germany.

Hezu

Let me add that I was referring to self-service counters in stores, there might be still some vending machines that may offer cash payments, although the trend is clearly towards cashless payments since handling physical money can be rather expensive. Even many bank branches in Finland may no longer offer services to withdraw or deposit cash or if they do then the opening hours are likely quite limited. Of course, it is possible there is still an ATM (possibly even with option deposit money) in the same building, but generally Finnish bank branches seem to concentrate on offering loans and investment intruments and the daily banking tasks are directed to self-services (mostly online nowadays).
I think that may not be true. And strictly speaking you could pay with 1 and 2 cent coins also in Finland since they are legal tender, although obviously the sum would be rounded to nearest 5 cents and you would have to bring those coins from elsewhere since those are not in common circulation here.

pinniped

The problem has gotten less with my newer chip credit cards, but I still occasionally have issues buying European train tickets from a kiosk using my American credit cards. I always try to arrive in Europe with a little bit of cash on hand just in case. Sometimes I need it, sometimes not.

The 1 or 2 euro coins would be worth carrying. Probably wouldn't bother with anything smaller than that unless you foresee yourself using the paid street toilets found in some cities. I've been to Europe dozens of times and have never used one of those.

MareLuce

i really wish i took all my Euro coin
am out of what I packed

HEY post pics too!

here's my example:
Never experienced being charged for a shopping cart before.
Paralyzed by choice of coin needed... I grabbed a free basket, which became quite heavy for my Hotel Room Liquids shopping adventure


Billa grocery store, Vienna Austria

The_Bouncer

The is normal is Austria. I'm pretty sure the ones at my local Spar accept 50c, 1.00 or 2.00 coins.

MareLuce

I tried to get 5 Euro changed into coin when I checked out at a Bipa but they couldn't give change.
I need to find a bank to get more coin.
Some told me the Austria post offices are like banks (not their exact words...)?

I walked to one via Google Maps but it was not a staffed post office, just a drop box.
I wish I spoke German!

extramileage

Ehh.. you don't get the coin back when you return the cart? I wouldn't call it a charge but rather a deposit (or, an "asset preservation strategy") as shopping carts tend to run away if left to their on choices.

ajGoes

Remind us why you didn't take all your euro change?

LondonElite

So you didn’t follow our advice...