NJ ShopRite Now Rounds Cash Purchases to the Nearest Nickel

A few cents here, and a few cents there, may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but if they can absolutely add up after a week or a month of shopping.

Now that the US Mint has stopped making pennies, it's starting to affect us on a more local level.

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ShopRite Addresses the Penny Shortage With Customer Donations

For example, a few weeks ago, Shoprite started asking people to donate any extra pennies they may have lying around in order to help alleviate the pain of a penny shortage.

And for the most part, people aren't going to miss a penny. However, when it starts to change how stores charge you, we may care a little more.

How ShopRite Is Adapting to the Penny Shortage

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And I'm not trying to be harsh on Shoprite, they're just doing what they have to do in these unprecedented times.

In fact, Shoprite is still my go-to store for food shopping.

However, we'll soon start to see some changes at checkout if you're using cash.

ShopRite Begins Rounding Cash Purchases to the Nearest Nickel

Earlier this month, Shoprite started rounding to the nearest nickel for customers paying in cold, hard cash.

This is all due to the lack of pennies being printed.

How ShopRite Rounds Prices When Paying With Cash

So what this means is that if your bill ends in 1 cent or 2 cents, it'll be rounded down to zero.

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For example, a bill of $45.62 would come out to $45.60.

If your bill ends in 3 or 4 cents, it'll be rounded up to 5 cents. So a bill of $45.63 would come to $45.65.

And the same would go for 6 and 7 cents, it would round down to 5 cents, so a bill of $45.66 would end up at $45.65.

And if your bill ends at 8 or 9 cents, you'd be rounded up to the next nearest nickel.

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Credit and Debit Card Payments Are Not Affected

Now, this is only for cash uses; if you're using a debit or credit card, no rounding will occur on your final bill.

Shoprite does tell shoppers that thanks to the law of averages, with some of your items rounding down, and some rounding up, you really aren't going to pay more, thanks to this rounding effort.