McDonald’s Adjusts Cash Payments As Pennies End – What Should Customers Expect Now?

The American penny has quietly disappeared from production lines, creating ripple effects across retail establishments nationwide. McDonald’s, one of the country’s largest restaurant chains, finds itself at the forefront of adapting to this monetary shift. The golden arches are implementing changes that will affect millions of daily transactions.

Cash-paying customers will soon notice something different at checkout counters. The familiar jingle of pennies might become a thing of the past, replaced by a streamlined payment system that many other countries have already embraced.

No More Pennies? McDonald’s Has a New Plan

Now that the U.S. has stopped making pennies, McDonald’s is rolling out a new way to handle cash. If you’re paying with coins and bills, your total will now be rounded to the nearest nickel.

Here’s What That Means for You

Let’s break it down: if your total ends in 1 or 2 cents, it gets rounded down. If it ends in 3 or 4, it rounds up. Same goes for 6 or 7 (rounds down to 5) and 8 or 9 (rounds up to 10). Totals ending in 0 or 5 stay the same. This only affects people paying with cash.

Cards and Apps? Still Charged to the Penny

Using a card or the McDonald’s app? You won’t notice any change at all. Those payments are still exact and won’t be affected by the rounding system.

Why This Is Happening

The U.S. Treasury stopped minting pennies earlier this year, thanks to an order from former President Donald Trump. The cost to make the coins was simply too high. The last batch of penny blanks was ordered in May.

First Spotted on Reddit

News of the policy spread after a Reddit user posted a memo from a McDonald’s in Chicago. It quickly went viral. The company has confirmed the change and said it’s mainly in areas with coin shortages for now.

Other Countries Have Done It

Don’t worry – this isn’t unheard of. Australia and Canada have both made similar moves. When their lowest-value coins were phased out, they introduced rounding for all cash purchases.

People Are Not Entirely Happy

Reactions online have been mixed. Some are annoyed the change could mean overpaying. Others wonder what happens to their spare change donations. A few pointed out that pennies still exist – we’re just not making new ones.

Try Paying Digitally Instead

If you want to skip the change math, stick with card or app payments. You’ll avoid rounding, and McDonald’s says it’s offering deals and discounts on digital orders. This small policy change might feel like a big shift – but it could be the new normal.