McDonald’s penny and cash rounding policy

What McDonald’s does with cash totals

McDonald’s confirmed in late October 2025 that “some McDonald’s locations may not be able to provide exact change” after penny production ended. The policy came to light when a memo from a Chicago-area franchisee was shared online, and McDonald’s USA then confirmed it to reporters.

Where a restaurant is short on pennies, cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5 cents. As reported by TODAY.com, totals ending in 1 or 2 cents round down to 0, 3 or 4 round up to 5, 6 or 7 round down to 5, and 8 or 9 round up to the next 10. Totals ending in 0 or 5 are unchanged. That is the same symmetric rule most state laws use. Menu prices did not change.

It is not a uniform national rule. McDonald’s describes it as affecting “some” locations, and most U.S. restaurants are run by franchisees. Some stores instead post signs asking customers to pay with exact change or a card; the Chicago Sun-Times found one in Highland Park, Illinois. Expect the exact practice to vary by restaurant.

What you pay in cash

Does it vary by state?

Nearest-nickel rounding matches the rule in almost every state law, including Arizona (when a seller is not using pennies) and Georgia require symmetric rounding of cash totals, and California will from July 1, 2027. In Connecticut, state consumer protection guidance says to round cash totals down only until the state’s rounding law takes effect on January 1, 2027, so a symmetric round-up would not fit that guidance there. In Indiana a business may choose any method. In Washington you may pay the exact, unrounded total if you have the coins, and Georgia’s law requires merchants to accept exact payment including pennies.

Card vs cash

Rounding applies only to cash. Credit and debit cards, the McDonald’s app, mobile wallets and other cashless options are charged the exact menu total, to the cent.

Tips for customers

• If your total ends in 3, 4, 8 or 9 cents, paying with a card or the app saves you 1–2¢ compared with cash.
• If it ends in 1, 2, 6 or 7 cents, cash comes out 1–2¢ cheaper.
• Have exact change, pennies included? Most restaurants still accept them, and in Georgia and Washington the law backs you up.
• Check the receipt for a rounding line if your change looks off, and ask the manager if a store rounds every total up.

What the company has said

• “Following the discontinuation of pennies nationwide, some McDonald’s locations may not be able to provide exact change” (McDonald’s USA statement, Oct. 2025)
• “We have a team actively working on long-term solutions to keep things simple and fair for customers.” (McDonald’s USA statement)

Checked against the sources below as of October 31, 2026. Store policies change; if your store does something different, the sign at the register and your receipt are the best guide. Compare other chains on the store policies page, or check a total with the calculator.