McDonald's Rounds Cash Transactions as Penny Shortage Hits

In the wake of the U.S. Mint's decision to stop producing pennies two months ago, the nationwide penny shortage has now hit McDonald's. Some McDonald's locations across the country have run short on pennies and have begun rounding cash transactions up or down to the nearest 5 cents when customers don't have the exact change.

McDonald's has acknowledged this issue, stating that "following the discontinuation of pennies nationwide, some McDonald's locations may not be able to provide exact change." The company says it has a team actively working on long-term solutions to address the situation, which is affecting retailers across the United States.

While the rounding only applies to cash payments, not credit card or mobile app transactions, it aims to keep things simple and fair for customers during this temporary shortage. McDonald's may also ask customers to use exact change or cashless payment options where possible.