The penny appears to have run out of luck.  

The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia pressed its last circulating penny on Wednesday, after President Trump earlier this year directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new one-cent coins, citing the rising cost of production.

So, what will companies do if they’re short on change? Here’s what several major chains and retailers told CBS News.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s told CBS News that in some locations, customers paying with cash may no longer receive exact change because pennies are increasingly unavailable. Instead, the chain will round totals to the nearest 5 cents for cash transactions.

This means that if a customer pays with cash at one of these locations, and their order comes out to $10.22, they will pay $10.20. However, if an order comes out to $10.23, then the cash-paying customer will owe $10.25.

Digital and card payments remain unaffected, McDonald’s said.

Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba, Carvel

GoTo Foods, the Georgia-based parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba and Carvel, among other brands, told CBS News it’s “recommending that franchisees round cash transactions in the guest’s favor.”

Wendy’s

Wendy’s is taking a similar approach, telling CBS News: “We have given guidance to our restaurants to round cash transactions down to the nearest nickel if they are experiencing penny shortages.” 

The company also emphasized that digital orders and card payments are not impacted.

Kroger

Kroger told CBS News that “we kindly ask customers to consider providing exact change” if using cash.

The supermarket chain said it would continue to accept pennies for payment.

Kwik Trip

The Midwestern convenience chain has said it will round cash transactions down to the nearest nickel to deal with the penny shortage.

Giant Eagle

Pennsylvania-based Giant Eagle supermarkets held a one-day event where customers could exchange their pennies for gift cards worth double the value of the coins, CBS News Pittsburgh reported.

Giant Eagle said the exchange program will allow the company to collect more pennies to help provide exact change to customers who wish to pay in cash for their purchases.

“This proactive step allows the company to maintain accuracy and fairness while it awaits formal guidance from the U.S. government regarding future rounding practices,” Giant Eagle said.  

Sheetz

The convenience store chain Sheetz has encouraged cashless payments. However, one store offered a promotion where customers who brought in a dollar’s worth of pennies received a free drink.

Edited by

Melissa Gaffney

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