Bellevue-based Coinstar has teamed up with Overstock.com to add a new feature to its self-service change counting and money transfer machines. The big green coin-counting machines now offer an Overstock.com eCertificate option available at approximately 10,000 Coinstar Centers across the U.S.

Customers now have the option of converting their loose change at 100 percent of its value to an Overstock.com eCertificate with no coin-counting fee.

Overstock.com, Inc. is an online retailer offering high-end merchandise and name-brand designer labels at discount prices. Online shoppers can browse more than 600,000 products on the website including apparel, jewelry, designer accessories, home goods and sporting goods.

Alex Camara, senior vice president and general manager of worldwide coin at Coinstar, said that during these tough economic times it may not be a bad idea to dig under the couch cushion for missing change.

According to Camara, the average American household has approximately $90 in loose change sitting idle in jars, under sofa cushions, and in dresser drawers.

“There couldn’t be a better time to cash in coin jars to stretch holiday budgets and take advantage of the thousands of items available at Overstock.com,” he said.

A recent Coinstar National Currency Poll found that 23 percent of Americans who stretch their budgets during the holidays cash in their coin jars for extra spending money.

Bellevue has several Coinstar locations offering the new Overstock.com eCertificate option:

QFC

1510 140th Place S.E., 425-822-4145

2636 Bellevue Way N.E, 425-822-4154

15600 Northeast 8th Street, 425-865-0282

3550 128th Avenue S.E., 425-643-7110

Albertsons

15100 S.E. 38th Street, 425-641-2783

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@reporternewspapers.com or 425-453-4602.