SPOKANE, Wash. – Businesses across the country, including those in Spokane, are experiencing a shortage of pennies, affecting their ability to provide exact change, including some Taco Bell locations in Spokane.
President Trump announced that the United States will no longer mint pennies due to high production costs. Both pennies and nickels have cost more to produce than their actual value for several years.
In Spokane, Taco Bell locations have posted signs warning customers about possible issues with receiving exact change because of the penny shortage.
The signs explain that if the change due is 2 cents or less, customers will not receive change. If the change is 3 cents or more, the amount will be rounded up to 5 cents.
Some banks have also reported difficulties ordering new pennies and are rationing what they have available for customers.
The shortage is affecting businesses and banks nationwide as they adapt to changes in coin availability.
