The intercalation and leaching of copper into and out of bismuth telluride was investigated using aqueous and solid state electrochemical methods. It was found that copper intercalates up to a concentration of 3 mg/g bismuth telluride. Copper may also react with bismuth telluride to form copper telluride (Cu2Te). Boiling hydrochloric acid leaches, or controlled potential electrochemical leaches, were effective at removing intercalated copper from bismuth telluride, returning the bismuth telluride to its original, undoped state. E.m.f. measurements using a solid, copper-ion conducting electrolyte resulted in copper activities of between 0.000 73 and 0.044 for intercalated bismuth telluride. An effective copper diffusion coefficient of 4×10−5 cm2s−1 was measured for a sintered polycrystalline bismuth telluride pellet at 483 K.