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7h ago

Penny Shortage Spurs Cash Rounding as Retailers Press for Federal Rules

Supplies are dwindling after the Mint halted production under President Trump.

A sign in a Kwik Trip store shows the store will no longer be using pennies to give change, on Oct. 23, 2025, in Yorkville, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A sign in a Kwik Trip store shows the store will no longer be using pennies to give change, on Oct. 23, 2025, in Yorkville, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Image
A sign in a Kwik Trip store shows the store will no longer be using pennies to give change, on Oct. 23, 2025, in Yorkville, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Overview

  • Merchants in several regions report they cannot make exact change and banks are rationing pennies as some Federal Reserve coin terminals stop accepting or distributing the coin.
  • McDonald’s says certain locations are rounding cash totals to the nearest five cents when exact change is unavailable, with card and app payments unaffected.
  • Legal uncertainty has pushed some chains to round down to avoid lawsuits, with Kwik Trip estimating about $3 million in lost revenue this year.
  • Retail and banking groups are urging Congress to pass the Common Cents Act to standardize rounding, and they say the Treasury has offered no guidance.
  • The Treasury cites costs of about 3.7 cents per penny and projects $56 million in annual savings; pennies remain legal tender but are increasingly scarce in circulation.