Coinstar, LLC (formerly Outerwall, Inc.) is an American company operating coin-cashing machines. Coinstar's focus is the conversion of loose change into paper currency, donations, and gift cards via coin counter kiosks which deduct a fee for conversion of coins to banknotes; it processes $2.7 billion worth of coins annually . The company also operates Coinstar Exchange for gift cards. Coinstar's kiosks are in the front of stores (between the cash registers and the exit/entrance). The company has more than 60,000 kiosks offering a variety of services in the US, UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Eurozone. Coinstar also produces machines that provide prepaid credit cards and e-payment kiosks. On July 2, 2013, Coinstar changed its name to Outerwall and started trading on the NASDAQ as OUTR. On September 27, 2016, Apollo Global Management, LLC acquired Outerwall, Inc. and de-listed from NASDAQ. After the acquisition, former components of Outerwall—Redbox, Coinstar, and ecoATM (which includes Gazelle)—became separate business entities. History The company was founded in 1991 as Coinstar, Inc. and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Outerwall cooperated with the US Mint in the introduction of the Golden Dollar at the beginning of the millennium and encouraged people to use coins rather than notes. In February 2009, Coinstar purchased all remaining shares of DVD rental kiosk company Redbox for $175 million from McDonald's Corporation, making Outerwall the sole owner. Prior to this, Coinstar and McDonald's each owned 47% of Redbox shares, with various other parties owning the remaining 6%. In September 2009, Outerwall sold its entertainment business, which included skill cranes and bulk vending, to National Entertainment Network. Outerwall On June 28, 2013, shareholders voted to change the company name from Coinstar to Outerwall. On July 2, 2013, Outerwall acquired mobile phone recycling kiosk operators ecoATM, for $350 million (not including debt). On October 7, 2013, Barry Rosenstein's hedge fund JANA Partners filed a 13D on shares of Outerwall (OUTR) and disclosed a new 13.5% ownership stake in OUTR with 3,777,995 shares. The activist 13D filing indicated that JANA expected to talk with management—in particular, that they wanted to focus on "a review of strategic alternatives including exploring a strategic transaction, selling or discontinuing certain businesses, or pursuing a sale." Subsequently, on December 9, 2013, Outerwall's former CEO, J. Scott Di Valerio, announced it would discontinue three new ventures: Redbox's Rubi, Crisp Market, and Star Studio, and lay off 8.5% of its