(NEXSTAR) — As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. But for the penny, that end might come sooner than you think.
This year, President Trump urged the Treasury Department to halt the minting of new pennies, labeling them a “waste.” Not long after, the Treasury confirmed that production would wrap up in early 2026. In May, a spokesperson mentioned that the final order for blank notes had already been placed.
According to a spokesperson, the U.S. Mint will stop making pennies once it exhausts its supply of blank paper. Without them, businesses would need to round cash transactions in some way.
Even though 2026 is still a couple of months away, some businesses are already noticing a shortage of pennies.
As of late September, several Federal Reserve Coin Distribution Sites had begun restricting penny orders, halting penny deposits, or doing both.
The National Convenience Store Association warned late last month that certain member states were starting to experience supply shortages, with more effects anticipated.
Reports from Nexstar indicated that Love’s convenience stores were already needing to round their cash transactions, benefiting customers with the adjustments. While a penny shortage was initially expected around mid-to-late 2026, that timeline has quickly moved up, leaving at least 54 stores feeling the impact.
In early October, Kwik Trip, based in Wisconsin, established a new policy that rounds down cash purchases to the nearest 5 cents. Customers may still use pennies if they have them, according to Nexstar’s WFRV.
Other retailers are similarly warning cash-paying customers about potential hardships stemming from this penny shortage.
Late September saw a Reddit user claiming to be a home improvement store employee post signs about impending penny shortages while urging for exact change in cash transactions. Efforts to reach the home improvement chain for comment were unsuccessful.
PetSmart outlets in Wisconsin were also noted to be posting similar warnings. In a statement, the company confirmed that it is “temporarily asking customers to pay with change if using cash or to use credit, debit or other electronic payment methods.” They also mentioned a rounding initiative to benefit PetSmart Charities.
Nick Laughner, a public relations manager for Sheetz, indicated that some shops might have a limited penny supply. To cope, they are notifying customers and encouraging cashless payment methods whenever feasible, adding that patrons can redeem or donate extra pennies at their stores.
A representative from Burger King mentioned that while their restaurants accept pennies, making exact change might not be feasible due to shortages. Customers may find themselves redirected to alternative forms of payment when using cash.
There are, however, worries that the rounding process could confuse consumers. Both Love’s and Kwik Trip have adopted customer-friendly rounding, but there’s still some ambiguity. When Canada eliminated its penny, they rounded cash purchases either way, which simplified matters. Meanwhile, the U.S. hasn’t yet established a clear policy.
The National Association of Convenience Stores recently urged Congress to legislate on cash transaction rounding, as some states have already prohibited such practices.
A bill introduced in April by Rep. Lisa McClain aimed to address this issue by stopping penny minting. Its progress has stalled amidst a government shutdown, making its chances of introduction uncertain.
For now, if you’re planning on using cash for purchases, it might be wise to prepare for receiving change that doesn’t quite add up to what you expected.
