Without Pennies North Dakota Retailers Offer Their 2 Cents

(Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via the North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – As pennies vanish from the American landscape, many businesses across North Dakota are clamoring for federal guidance on how to handle cash transactions in a penniless world.

Should retailers round up or down? Should they round in favor of the customer? Or in favor of the business?

So far, calls for federal direction have gone unanswered. Some businesses are setting their own policies, but states are now beginning to act amid growing uncertainty.

While the question revolves around only a few cents per transaction, it does raise important consumer protection and legal questions for states to consider. Retailers must weigh threats of potential lawsuits, while policymakers worry about protecting the most vulnerable consumers who rely on cash for everyday purchases.