US retailers Like McDonalds & Wendy’s Left Short-Changed As Penny Production Ends
Written by b87fm on 11/03/2025
American businesses are running short — not on profits, but on pennies.
Across parts of the U.S., McDonald’s customers are noticing a shift in how their change is calculated, as stores quietly round cash transactions to the nearest five cents. The reason? A nationwide penny shortage following President Trump’s decision to end production of the one-cent coin earlier this year.
When the Trump administration halted minting in May, the Treasury Department predicted shortages might not hit until 2026. But the impact came fast — banks ran dry, and retailers that rely on cash suddenly found themselves scrambling for coins.
“It’s really impacting any business that deals with cash payments,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations for the National Retail Federation.
Without clear federal guidance, many stores are rounding down to avoid legal issues. But the move adds up fast — potentially costing major retailers millions in lost revenue.
Convenience chains like Kwik Trip estimate they’ll lose around $3 million this year from rounding policies alone.
Meanwhile, cities like New York complicate matters with rules requiring exact change and identical pricing between cash and card transactions.
To cope, stores are asking customers to bring in spare pennies from home, while others are urging exact change only at the register.
Not everyone is celebrating the end of the penny. Critics say the decision hurts low-income Americans who rely on cash.
“You’re hurting lower-income groups when you start rounding transactions,” said Mark Weller, executive director of Americans for Common Cents.
He added that the savings may be negligible — while it costs about four cents to make a penny, producing nickels costs nearly 14 cents each.
The penny, first minted in 1793, joins the ranks of discontinued U.S. coins like the half-cent and 20-cent pieces. But unlike its forgotten cousins, Americans may not be ready to let this one go.
“People don’t want the penny — until they can’t get it back in change,” said Jeff Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores.
For now, loose change is becoming a real luxury — and those jars of forgotten pennies sitting on kitchen counters may just be worth cashing in.
