[ruthless]

Hi there. On a daily basis, a lot of change piles up in Hong Kong because there are no $5 bills. Although I try to use my octopus card at every opportunity, I have over $500 in change. I know I could donate it, but does anyone have a good way of converting it into bills? or where could one get one of those coin holders that the Taxi guys have?

Thanks a million.

[larac]

HSBC will exchange 500 coins a day so long as you sort it first. If its more than 50 coins then they charge a fee for dealing with it.

[MovingIn07]

Use it to pay for buses instead of the octopus - that keeps it down I find!

[Mattny81]

Ya, I'd use it for the bus, or keep enough to buy bottled water.

[Sleuth]

How often do you use a credit card? I have almost no change, but I use the credit card whenever possible.

[MovingIn07]

I use my cc for almost everything (more points!) but I do find it very slow here in HK. In NZ (and increasingly now in Aus and UK I think) credit cards have PIN's and you just key in a number rather than sign and wait etc etc. It made using a cc in NZ as fast as cash (faster sometimes). That is, you swipe it yourself, key in your PIN and you're done. Cashier is not really involved.....

[Sleuth]

Originally Posted by MovingIn07

I use my cc for almost everything (more points!) but I do find it very slow here in HK.

I would agree with both statements. But it beats hauling around a ton of loose change and constantly showing people where you carry your cash.

[hongkong7]

the answer is stamps--those vending machines outside post offices take the 10 and 20 cent coins -bag them and stand there feeding the machines to convert to stamps

i put a lot of thought into this problem once

[jayinhongkong]

I have a small leather coin pouch I carry in my pocket. Whenever I pay for something in cash (e.g., taxis) I give people exact change.

[kombuchakid]

I did a very strange thing[for me anyway] just now; I walked in the new Main St Cafe @Great Eagle and flashed a twenty even though I saw out of the corner of my eye that there was an octopussy lurking on the counter.
That was bad enough - then the beaming baristaess informs me that they are have a special discount[for being silly enough to open next to a Pacific Coffee] and plonks $1.40 into my sweaty palm.AIYA!!!!!!!!!!!!
I looked in vain for a sham monk, but one is never around when one is needed.

----
Actually a great place to dipose of change which is often overlooked is the JockeyClub Off Course betting centres. I think they take anything more then a hundred, and if you avail yourself of their instant deposit/withdrawal phone service, the money can be in your bank account before you leave the betting centre.