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(NEXSTAR) — The day has finally come: the U.S. Mint is pressing its last pennies on Wednesday. It comes as retailers across the country are already facing empty penny slots in their cash registers.

The pennies were struck at the mint in Philadelphia, the same location that the one-cent coins have been produced at since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act. (...)

Why is the Mint ending penny production?
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump called on the Treasury Department to stop minting new one-cent coins, calling them “wasteful.” A few months later, the Treasury confirmed it would stop putting new pennies into circulation in early 2026, a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal in May. (...)

Are pennies that expensive to make?
Compared to other coins, no, but compared to its own value, yes. The average cost to make a single penny rose to 3.69 cents in the last fiscal year, marking the 19th consecutive year the coin has “remained above face value,” per the latest U.S. Mint report. For comparison, it costs less than six cents to make a dime, about 15 cents to make a quarter, and nearly 34 cents for a half-dollar.

Is there a penny shortage?
Sort of. While there will be no new pennies sent around (some distributors have already stopped accepting orders), estimates say there are roughly 240 billion one-cent coins in the world. But, if the pennies aren’t being spent and deposited, it’s difficult to actually get them circulating.

Why do we still have the penny anyway?
Several retailers, especially convenience stores, are experiencing that now. Some have warned consumers not to expect correct change, while others have offered gift cards and freebies in exchange for pennies.

How could a lack of pennies impact your next cash transaction?
It ultimately depends on where you’re spending your money. If the business doesn’t have any pennies to give you, you may see your change rounded (which may face legal challenges, but more on that in a moment).

Businesses that have confirmed they may round change are either rounding up the change (if you’re owed $19.24, you get $19.25) or rounding the transaction down (your $6.13 transaction becomes $6.10).

Dylan Jeon, National Retail Federation senior director of government relations, previously told Nexstar that getting rid of the penny in the U.S. is more complicated than when Canada did it roughly 10 years ago, but mimicking their practice of rounding the transaction, post-sales tax, or the change is “the easiest, most standard practice here.”

Legal obstacles for rounding may exist
Penny shortages were expected in mid-to-late 2026 but have, of course, set in sooner, leaving everyone — state and federal governments, as well as businesses — “scrambling…to put together policies on how to handle cash transactions without pennies,” Jeon said.

In at least 10 states and localities, cash laws prohibit businesses from rounding cash transactions up or down, the National Association of Convenience Stores said in a letter to the Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committees late last month. The group further called on lawmakers to establish a national law to allow rounding.

Don’t expect correct change when paying with cash, some businesses warn
A bill to do that was introduced by Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) in April. The House Committee on Financial Services recommended that an amended version of the bill be passed.

Part of the problem, Jeon explained, relates to laws that say those paying with a different form of tender, like a SNAP EBT card, can’t be charged differently than a customer paying with cash. He said the other consideration is also on check cashing, a practice that grocery stores are frequently tasked with, as there is no clear guidance on rounding these exchanges.

Can you still pay with pennies?
Yes, pennies remain legal tender. Jeon urged customers to “be understanding of this new reality that we’re heading into.” He noted that retailers are “master planners and master operators” who may already have a plan in place to address the penny shortage.