Passengers leaving Larnaca Airport can now exchange unused coins for duty free shopping vouchers.
When passengers get back from a flight they often have unused coins from the country they have been in. They might expect to use them the next time they go to the country but never go back. They can’t change them into local currency as banks don’t like exchanging coins. So most of the time the coins end up in a drawer.
Larnaca Airport in Cyprus has come up with a scheme that helps everyone involved – the passenger and the airport.
It has installed a self-service kiosk that helps departing passengers make better use of their leftover currency.
The system provides an easy solution for passengers to convert unwanted coins into airport retail vouchers before departing on to non-euro countries.
Passengers can deposit their leftover coins and receive a duty free shopping voucher in return. They can use the voucher on anything they like in participating shops at the airport.
Many airports offer similar coin changing kiosks. In general, those kiosks take the deposited coins and give a voucher or e-payment, minus a service charge ( about 7%). The kiosks are often available for departing and arriving passengers.
The difference at Larnaca is that they gives passengers a voucher worth 10 per cent more than the value of the money deposited.
The key to the success of these kiosks could well be the exchange rate charged at the kiosk.
Passengers returning home will be very well aware of the exchange rate they have been paying and will be able to judge if the airport kiosks are offering a reasonable rate or not.
The kiosks are located in airport departures and the vouchers are only redeemable in airport retailers.
Supplier
The supplier is Coindrum, an Irish company that provides self-service kiosks in airports that passengers use to convert unwanted coins into airport shopping vouchers.
The company also has kiosks installed at Dublin, Faro and Milan Malpensa.
Airport Operator
Irish company, Aer Rianta International (ARI), operates the duty free and duty paid retail outlets at Larnaca. In partnership with SSP ARI also manages all Food and Beverage outlets at both Larnaca.
N.B. Image credit: Coindrum
