Common Cents Act Advances to U.S. Senate

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Common Cents Act on September 14. The legislation would provide a uniform federal framework allowing retailers to round cash transactions to the nearest five cents when exact change cannot be provided. Existing pennies would remain legal tender, and payments made by credit card, check, gift card or other electronic methods would not be affected.

The legislation is intended to address penny shortages that have created operational and legal uncertainty for retailers since the U.S. Mint stopped producing pennies for general circulation. Without clear federal authorization, businesses that round transactions could face conflicts with existing laws, while retailers that round only in the customer’s favor may incur additional costs.

The Senate could vote on the legislation as early as today (September 21). If approved without changes, the bill would advance to the president for consideration. NACS is asking retailers to use its Call to Action to urge their senators to support the legislation.