McDonald’s changes prices for cash payments due to penny shortage

McDonald's
Penny shortage? FILE PHOTO: Some McDonald's locations will be rounding orders up or down for customers paying cash due to a lack of pennies. (Olga - stock.adobe.com)

A change is coming for McDonald’s customers because of a shortage of change - pennies specifically.

The fast food giant has rolled out a new system for people paying in cash at some locations.

They will round up or down to the nearest 5 cents if a customer does not have exact change, ABC News reported. The price adjustment does not affect credit cards or other cashless options.

“Following the discontinuation of pennies nationwide, some McDonald’s locations may not be able to provide exact change. We have a team actively working on long-term solutions to keep things simple and fair for customers,” the company told ABC News in a statement.

McDonald’s said they’re not alone in the penny problem, adding that the company is working with the federal government for guidance.

The final penny blank orders were placed in May and some Federal Reserve Bank locations, which distribute coins to banks and credit unions, have stopped filling penny orders, Reuters reported.

The penny’s retirement was an initiative by President Donald Trump, who directed the Treasury Department in February to stop pressing pennies due to the cost, which is 3.69 cents for every penny.

The Treasury plans to save about $56 million in material costs, The Associated Press reported.

There are about 250 billion pennies in circulation, but there are “localized supply issues” according to the American Banking Association.

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