© 2026 ABC News

McDonald's franchisees set their own promos and specific pricing, and one eagle-eyed customer noticed and posted a photo on Reddit of such a change at a Bear Family Restaurants location in Chicago last week.

McDonald's reiterated to ABC News that the nearest 5-cent rounding does not impact or apply to card payments or other cashless options.

\"PHOTO:
STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images
PHOTO: In this Feb. 23, 2020, file photo, people using the self service kiosks to place their orders at a McDonald's Restaurant in Portland International Airport, in Portland, Oregon.
>

For the majority of customers who pay using credit or debit cards, or via the app, it's business as usual.

In other countries that have undergone currency changes, local businesses have followed similar rounding practices.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Food/pennies-phase-us-currency-mcdonalds-updates-cash-payment/story?id=127016336","legacySlug":"/food/story/pennies-phase-us-currency-mcdonalds-updates-cash-payment-127016336","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"15:50","publishDate":"10-30-2025","updatedTime":"16:40","updatedDate":"10-30-2025","socialImage":{"alt":"In this Feb. 9, 2022, file photo, a McDonald's Restaurant is shown inside Terminal B of Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Fla.","credit":"STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/mcdonalds-gty-jt-251030_1761836098717_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/30/2025 15:50:47 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":127016336,"headline":"What to know about McDonald's cash payments change","mediaAssetTitle":"MCDONALD'S INSTITUTES NEW CASH POLICY DUE TO PENNIES (GMA)","description":"The Chicago-based chain confirmed the change impacts cash transactions only.","duration":"1:02","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2025/05/250522_vod_penny_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["126246418","125152135","126048462"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"October 21, 2025","headline":"Boo Buckets return to McDonald's for Halloween","section":"food","slug":"/food/story/mcdonalds-new-halloween-boo-buckets-back-limited-time-126246418","id":126246418,"image":{"alt":"Boo Buckets return to McDonald's for Halloween","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/boo-buckets-ht-jef-251006_1759753248934_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"McDonalds","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"September 2, 2025","headline":"What to know about McDonald's Extra Value Meals","section":"food","slug":"/food/story/mcdonalds-announces-return-extra-meals-savings-125152135","id":125152135,"image":{"alt":"What to know about McDonald's Extra Value Meals","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/5SausageMcMuffinwithEggEVM_1756743584315_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"McDonalds ","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"September 29, 2025","headline":"Monopoly Game makes comeback at McDonald's: How to play and win","section":"food","slug":"/food/story/monopoly-mcdonalds-prizes-menu-app-126048462","id":126048462,"image":{"alt":"Monopoly Game makes comeback at McDonald's: How to play and win","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/MONOPOLYMcDonalds_1759176358789_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"McDonalds","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"What to know about McDonald's cash payments change","description":"The Chicago-based chain confirmed the change impacts cash transactions only.","duration":"1:02","uploadDate":"10-30-2025","publication":"10-30-2025","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2025/05/250522_vod_penny_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2025/05/250522_vod_penny_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/pennies-phase-us-currency-mcdonalds-updates-cash-payment-127016336"}},"playlist":[{"id":"134041491","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134033809","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"78356537","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133929295","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133958398","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133882828","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810954","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133779647","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810835","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133749799","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133777519","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133748258","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:food:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"food","title":"What to know about McDonald's cash payments change","pubTime":"11:50","pubDate":"10-30-2025","modTime":"12:40","modDate":"10-30-2025","taxonomyTags":"none","id":127016336,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"What to know about McDonald's cash payments change","mediaAssetTitle":"MCDONALD'S INSTITUTES NEW CASH POLICY DUE TO PENNIES (GMA)","videoId":127016336,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/food/story/pennies-phase-us-currency-mcdonalds-updates-cash-payment-127016336"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/127016336","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/127016336","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};