Donate Foreign Currency The Easy Way
Posted by: Ian • 2 Aug 2025
Got a jar of leftover holiday money collecting dust? You’re not alone. Donating that forgotten foreign currency is a brilliant way to support UK charities, turning your spare coins and notes into genuinely meaningful contributions. It’s a fast, easy, and completely hassle-free way to give new life to cash that’s just cluttering up your drawers.
Turn Forgotten Coins Into Meaningful Donations
That jar of foreign coins sitting on your shelf holds some serious potential. While a few individual coins might not seem like much, they add up. When pooled together, these donations represent a huge opportunity to support vital causes.
In fact, charitable giving in the UK is stronger than ever. In 2023, charities received a record £13.9 billion, and a surprising portion of that comes from unique sources like leftover currency. It just goes to show how every single contribution, no matter the size, makes a real impact.
We’ve designed our service to be incredibly simple and fast. We offer a 100% guaranteed way to convert your leftover foreign currency, and you don’t even have to sort through it. This removes the biggest headache for most people, turning what could be a tedious job into a quick and impactful act of kindness.
A Trusted Partner for Major UK Organisations
Building trust is at the very heart of what we do. We’re proud to be the chosen currency exchange partner for many of the UK's most respected organisations, a testament to our credibility and reliability. Our partners include:
- Major Charities: Who rely on us to efficiently process currency donations from their supporters.
- National Supermarkets and Airports: That host convenient drop-off points for public donations.
- Police Forces: Who trust us to handle seized foreign currency and convert it for good.
These partnerships are a testament to our secure, reliable, and transparent service. When you choose to exchange foreign coins and notes with us, you can be completely confident your donation is in safe hands. Wondering where to get started? Check out our simple guide on where you can donate foreign coins.
The real value of our service is its fast and easy approach. We take collections of mixed, old, and even obsolete currency and turn them into valuable funds for UK charities, making it possible for anyone to make a difference with their forgotten cash.
Turning Your Leftover Currency Into a Donation
So, you’re ready to turn that jar of forgotten foreign money into something meaningful? Great. We've designed our process to be completely straightforward, taking all the usual fuss out of donating. The whole idea is to let you donate foreign coins to charity without getting bogged down in sorting, complex forms, or hidden fees.
First things first, just gather up all your foreign cash. It doesn’t matter what it is—coins you thought were worthless, leftover notes from old holidays, or even old or obsolete currency that high street banks won't even look at. Don't waste your time trying to separate or identify anything. Just pop it all together.
This little infographic shows you just how simple the journey is from your drawer to a charity’s bank account.
As you can see, we've cut out the middlemen and the headaches. It’s a fast, easy, and hassle-free three-step flow.
How To Package and Send Your Currency
Once you have your collection ready, packaging is the next step. You don't need anything fancy for this. A sturdy, jiffy-style envelope or a small, well-taped box is perfect. The main thing is to make sure it's sealed securely so no coins can make a bid for freedom during transit.
To make life even easier, we offer a free postage label right from our website. All you have to do is print it, stick it on your parcel, and drop it off at your local Post Office. There are absolutely no hidden costs or charges. Our service is 100% guaranteed to be simple and transparent from the moment you start to the moment the donation is made.
The best part? You can forget the tedious job of sorting. Whether you have a handful of euros or a heavy bag filled with mixed world coins, just put it all in one package. We've built our systems to convert foreign coins and banknotes of all kinds, saving you a massive amount of time and effort.
The moment your parcel arrives with us, our team takes over. We use specialised sorting equipment to accurately count and value every single coin and note you’ve sent. This includes identifying and processing currency that's no longer even in circulation. We handle all the tricky bits behind the scenes, ensuring every last bit of your donation is counted towards the final total.
After everything is processed, the full value goes directly to your chosen charity, turning your clutter into vital support. It’s the easiest way to exchange foreign coins and notes for a fantastic cause. Ready to get started? Just pull together your currency and visit our homepage to get your free postage label.
So, What Kinds of Currency Can You Donate?
This is a question we hear all the time. You’ve just found a dusty bag full of old coins and notes at the back of a cupboard. You’re not sure what they are, how old they are, or if they’re worth anything at all. It’s tempting to just bin them, right?
Don't! We built our service to solve this exact problem.
We accept all foreign coins and banknotes, full stop. That includes everything from the few euros left over from your last holiday to that random assortment of old Spanish pesetas or German deutschmarks you inherited. If a high street bank or the Post Office won't touch it, chances are, we will.
There's absolutely no need for you to spend hours sorting through it all. Just pop your entire collection of leftover foreign currency in a bag and send it over. Our specialised systems are built to do all the heavy lifting for you.
From Obsolete Coins to Modern Banknotes
We handle a massive range of currencies, making sure nothing goes to waste. Our entire mission is to turn forgotten coins and notes—no matter their age or country of origin—into valuable donations for great causes.
This means we can process:
- Current Coins and Notes: Any modern currency you’ve brought back from your travels.
- Old or Obsolete Currency: Old, pre-Euro currencies like French francs, Italian lire, and Irish punts.
- Withdrawn Banknotes: Notes that are no longer legal tender in their home country.
- Mixed World Coins: Any jumble of international coins you happen to have.
The best part of our service is how simple and hassle-free it is. We offer a 100% guaranteed process that ensures every single coin and note is identified and valued. We turn what looks like clutter into a meaningful contribution.
Here’s a quick guide to what you can send us.
Acceptable Currency for Donation
| Currency Type | Can You Donate It? | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Current Foreign Banknotes | Yes | Easily converted at a great rate. |
| Current Foreign Coins | Yes | We accept all coins, even ones banks reject. |
| Old or Obsolete Banknotes | Yes | We find value in notes no longer in circulation. |
| Old or Obsolete Coins | Yes | Even pre-Euro coins have value! |
| Damaged Currency | Yes | We can often process torn or damaged notes. |
Basically, if it’s a foreign coin or banknote, we can help.
We've become experts in this field and are trusted by some of the biggest charities and brands across the UK. For a closer look at how it works, you can read about why you should exchange your Euro coins with us and see how even common currencies can make a real difference.
Why Leading UK Organisations Trust Our Service
When it comes to donating foreign currency, trust and credibility are non-negotiable. You want absolute certainty that your contribution is handled safely, efficiently, and with total transparency. That’s why we’re so proud of the strong relationships we’ve built with some of the UK’s most recognisable organisations.
Our reputation is built on solid reliability. We’re the trusted partner for major national charities, leading supermarkets, busy airports, and even police forces across the country. These groups don’t just pick any service; they choose a partner they can depend on to exchange foreign coins and notes without a single hitch.
They count on us because our process is fast, easy, and completely hassle-free. For them, efficiency is everything. They need a 100% guaranteed service that can take large, mixed collections of leftover foreign currency and turn it into valuable funds for their causes or operations.
A Secure and Proven System
Our partners, from charities sorting through public donations to police forces managing seized assets, simply can't afford any uncertainty. They trust our secure system to handle everything from modern banknotes to old or obsolete coins, all without the logistical nightmare of sorting it themselves. We provide the robust infrastructure they need.
The sheer volume of foreign currency that flows through the UK is immense. It really underscores the need for trusted systems capable of handling these assets reliably, whether for national reserves or charitable donations.
This level of operational trust is something you see reflected in the wider UK financial landscape. For instance, the UK government's gross official reserves, which include foreign currency assets, stood at $207.8 billion as of June 2025. This figure shows just how critical a secure infrastructure is for managing foreign currency—a principle we apply to every single donation we receive. You can read more about the UK's currency holdings in the official government statistics.
By working with us, these organisations know they’re maximising the value of every single coin and note. This is the exact same level of care and security you get when you donate foreign coins to charity through our service, giving you complete peace of mind.
How Your Donation Creates a Real Financial Impact
When you send us your leftover foreign currency, you're kicking off a powerful process. It might not feel like much—just a handful of coins and leftover notes from your travels—but when pooled with thousands of others, it becomes a significant funding stream for charities.
Our job is to handle the tricky part. We take huge collections of mixed, unsorted, and even old or obsolete currency and convert it all into Pound Sterling (GBP). This creates one clean, usable sum that UK charities can put to work right away.
Boosting Your Contribution in the UK System
Converting everything to GBP is the crucial step. It allows the money to plug directly into the UK’s charitable financial world. To give you an idea of scale, in the tax year ending April 2025, tax reliefs for charities and their donors hit around £6.7 billion. You can find the official figures in the charity tax relief statistics on the GOV.UK website.
When your donation is converted, it becomes part of a charity's total income, which can make it eligible for schemes like Gift Aid. This is where the real magic happens.
That small handful of foreign coins suddenly gets a massive boost, becoming part of a larger, tax-efficient pot of money that provides reliable support for vital causes.
The real power is in numbers. A few euros here and a handful of dollars there quickly transform into thousands of pounds, creating a consistent and predictable income source that charities can depend on for their projects.
Our fast, hassle-free service is designed to get the absolute maximum value from your leftover foreign currency. We manage every stage, from sorting to conversion, so it’s incredibly easy for you to make a genuine difference.
If you're curious about how it all works, you can explore our foreign currency exchange services to see just how simple it is to get started.
Common Questions About Donating Foreign Currency
We get it. You've got a jar of old holiday money and want to make sure it goes to a good cause, but you probably have a few questions. Here are some practical tips and real-world insights to give you total peace of mind.
Do I Really Have to Sort All My Coins and Notes?
Absolutely not. In fact, our service is designed to be completely hassle-free. Just gather up all your leftover foreign currency—a mix of coins, some old banknotes, whatever you've got—and send it all in one package. There’s no need to sort coins.
Our specialised sorting equipment does all the heavy lifting, identifying and counting every last piece. Forget spending hours separating currencies; our fast and easy process does it for you.
How Do I Know My Donation Arrived Safely?
Transparency is everything to us, and we offer a credible, trusted service. Once your currency arrives and we've processed it, we'll send you a confirmation. You'll know for certain that your donation has reached us safely and is being handled correctly.
Our service is 100% guaranteed. We’ve earned the trust of major UK charities, supermarkets, airports, and even police forces by handling their currency securely, and we extend that same guarantee to you.
Our unique promise is that we can find value where others can't. By accepting old and obsolete currency, we make sure that every single coin and note you send has the potential to become a valuable charitable donation.
What About My Old or Obsolete Currency?
This is where we really shine. Lots of people have old Spanish Pesetas or German Deutsche Marks from before the Euro. Banks won't touch them, and you can't exchange foreign coins and notes like that anywhere else. But we can.
We specialise in exchanging not just current foreign money but also those old and obsolete coins and banknotes. This means even currency that's long out of circulation can be transformed into a meaningful donation for a charity you care about.
Ready to turn that forgotten holiday money into a real contribution? At We Buy All Currency, our fast, easy, and 100% guaranteed service makes it happen. We are trusted by major brands and offer a credible, hassle-free way to donate foreign coins to charity.
Get your free postage label from We Buy All Currency and get started today.